Major proposals for a joint plan between the Departments of Finance and Health to reform the State's health service will be debated today at a meeting of the full Cabinet rather than just a Cabinet sub-committee.
The Minister for Health, Mr Martin, and the Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy, have two reports before them - known as the Brennan and Prospectus reports - recommending changes to the organisation of the health boards and all other health agencies, and to the future funding of health.
Up to yesterday, it had been understood that both Ministers would meet today with the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and the Tánaiste, Ms Harney, to discuss both documents and to prepare a joint memorandum for a future meeting of the full Cabinet.
Despite suggestions from some who fear that major elements of both the Brennan and Prospectus reports will disappear, the Department of Health said both reports would be published in their entirety. Last night, the Government spokeswoman said the Taoiseach's timetable would not have made it possible for him to attend the planned sub-committee meeting this afternoon.
"With everything going on, it is important that he be there," she said.
The joint Health/Finance memorandum, which is now politically sensitive because of the public divisions between the two Ministers, is not finalised, though officials from both Departments have been in constant contact over the last few weeks.
The Brennan report, carried out by a group led by Prof Niamh Brennan, is believed to call for sweeping structural changes in the health service.
These include giving greater financial responsibility to GPs and hospital consultants, as well as reforms of the medical card and drugs systems.
The report also recommends that managers from the private and public services should be able to apply for all health board managerial and administrative management vacancies, from which they are currently barred.
Under a 1970s deal, health services and vocational education committee staff are the only ones who can apply for managerial or administrative vacancies in their organisations.
"This is not conducive to good value for money," the report says, The Irish Times has been told.
The second report, carried out by Prospectus Strategy Consultants, recommends the abolition of many of the country's health boards and agencies and greater planning between the remaining organisations to ensure quality services.
It is not clear if today's Cabinet meeting will approve the drafting of a joint Health/Finance memorandum or whether Ministers will prefer to wait until the completion of the Hanly report, which is looking at health service staffing levels.
