The chair of a local regional health forum believes reform to the health system is long overdue.
Minister Stephen Donnelly has brought a memo to the Cabinet today that will see the creation of 6 regional healthcare areas by 2024.
Longford Councillor PJ Reilly is welcoming the plans for change and believes the new system will be more community-focused.
Decision making will be devolved to each region which must generally follow national policy.
It's understood Longford will be part of Area B which comprises of Westmeath, Offaly, Laois, Kildare and parts of Dublin and Wicklow, while Roscommon and Leitrim will be part of Area F along with Donegal, Sligo, Mayo and Galway.
The Granard native feels current health committees are too large and hopes the new measures will be more effective.
"It will give the local areas more input into their local issues and I do welcome the news that it is being reformed.
Here in Longford we and Westmeath are in with Dublin mid-Leinster area so I think do the region is too large and it needs to be broken down more and issues in those different regions can be dealt with at a more of a local level."
