84.— (1) The Health Service Executive, in accordance with section 7(4)(b) of the Health Act 2004, shall, as far as practicable, facilitate the education and training of candidates.

(2) The Health Service Executive shall, with respect to specialist nursing and midwifery education and training, have the following responsibilities:

(a) to promote the development of specialist nursing and midwifery education and training and to co-ordinate such development in co-operation with the Board, and the nursing and midwifery training bodies approved by the Board;

(b) in co-operation with the nursing and midwifery training bodies and after consultation with An tÚdarás, to undertake appropriate nursing and midwifery workforce planning for the purpose of meeting specialist nursing and midwifery staffing and training needs of the public health service on an ongoing basis; and

(c) to advise the Minister, after consultation with the nursing and midwifery training bodies and with An tÚdarás and such other bodies as the Health Service Executive may consider appropriate, on nursing and midwifery education and training and on all other matters, including financial matters, relating to the development and co-ordination of specialist nursing and midwifery education and training.

(3) The Minister may, by notice in writing given to the Health Service Executive, require the Executive to provide such information in relation to the performance of the Executive’s functions under this Act as is specified in the notice and within the period specified in the notice (being a period reasonable in the circumstances).

(4) The Health Service Executive shall comply with a notice given to it under subsection (3) except to the extent that it is prohibited from doing so by another provision of this Act.

(5) Specialist nursing and midwifery education and training shall, for the purposes of sections 38 and 39 of the Health Act 2004, be deemed to be a health and personal social service within the meaning of section 2 of that Act.

(6) The Health Service Executive shall carry out such functions, other than functions assigned to it by this Act, as may be assigned to it from time to time by the Minister following consultation with it in relation to nursing and midwifery education and training.