Results 20,281-20,300 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Written Answers — Prescription Charges: Prescription Charges (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 41, 42, 55, 57, 72 and 97 together. At the moment 1,461,207 people have medical cards. This has increased by 109,087 on last year. The number of prescriptions issued under the GMS has increased from 12.79 million in 2004 to 15.648 million in 2008. The number of items dispensed under the GMS has also increased from 35 million items in 2004 to 48.21 million...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Harney: I have made my position on a cervical cancer vaccination programme clear on many occasions in the past. I remain committed to the introduction of such a programme at the earliest possible opportunity having regard to clinical priorities and the effective use of available resources.

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Harney: I am assured by the HSE that Community Welfare Service staff, throughout the country, have been providing huge support to families every day since the flooding occurred. Community Welfare Service staff continue to work tirelessly on the ground in locations where flooding took place. Additional clinics have been arranged and emergency financial and other assistance has been made available...

Written Answers — Health Service Reviews: Health Service Reviews (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Harney: In 2008 the HSE commissioned Prospectus Strategy Consultants to carry out a comprehensive review of adult critical care services. The brief was to consider the current provision of adult critical care services in the public health system and to provide advice on the appropriate model and configuration of critical care provision. It was also asked to advise on related matters such as...

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Harney: In September 2007, I established a National Cardiovascular and Stroke Policy Group to develop a new policy framework covering all aspects of cardiovascular health, including stroke. As part of its work the Group addressed issues raised by the Irish National Audit of Stroke Care 2008 including the organisation of stroke services, the development of stroke units, the provision of thrombolysis,...

Written Answers — Medical Inquiries: Medical Inquiries (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Harney: I met with the support group, Dignity 4 Patients, on 29 October 2009 to inform them of my decision, in consultation with the Cabinet and the Attorney General, to establish an independent review to examine whether further investigation into the case of Mr. Michael Shine would be of public benefit. I also made a commitment to the group to establishing a full statutory investigation should this...

Written Answers — Primary Care Services: Primary Care Services (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Harney: The HSE sought expressions of interest in December 2007 and in July 2008 for the provision of Primary Care Centres for Primary Care Teams. Negotiations with interested parties proceeded in respect of 163 locations. Letters of intent have issued in respect of approximately 80 of these locations. Of that number, one centre has opened in Letterkenny 7 centres are due to open by the end of...

Written Answers — Medical Compensation Scheme: Medical Compensation Scheme (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Harney: An advisory group was established in 2001 to examine the feasibility of establishing a no fault scheme for infants who suffered cerebral damage at, or close to, the time of their birth. The Group stopped meeting in early 2004 due to the dispute with hospital consultants on the introduction of the Clinical Indemnity Scheme. In 2006 I asked the chairman, Dr. Peter McKenna, to reconvene the...

Written Answers — HIV Infection: HIV Infection (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Harney: The figures for newly diagnosed HIV infections released last week refer to the first two quarters of 2009. Final figures for 2009 have yet to be compiled by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre of the HSE. The increase in the number of new diagnoses in recent years has arisen largely due to the increase in population over that time and the inward flow of immigrants from areas of high...

Written Answers — Hospital Waiting Lists: Hospital Waiting Lists (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Harney: There are approximately 3.2 million outpatient attendances a year at public hospital outpatient departments (OPDs). I am determined to improve access to OPD services, which represent one of the key points of access to the acute hospital system. This is reflected in the HSE's National Outpatient Department Service Improvement Programme, the principal aims of which are to: Increase the...

Written Answers — Hospital Waiting Lists: Hospital Waiting Lists (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Harney: The HSE is required to report under Section 10(2) of the Health Act 2004 on compliance with a target of four weeks for urgent colonoscopies from date of referral. An audit on referrals for urgent colonoscopy carried out by the HSE in October showed that 582 or 61.2% of all urgent cases were treated within the target time of one month. However, 328 or 34.7% were waiting between one and three...

Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Harney: My Department is currently considering the recommendations of the Vaccine Damage Steering Group in detail.

Written Answers — Cancer Screening Programme: Cancer Screening Programme (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 59 and 82 together. Two reports about screening for colorectal cancer were published on 17 June. The first was a report by the National Cancer Screening Service Board on the development of a national colorectal cancer screening programme. The second was a Health Technology Assessment of a population based colorectal cancer screening programme in Ireland,...

Written Answers — Medical Training: Medical Training (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 61 and 67 together. I am aware of the potential shortage of General Practitioners (GPs) highlighted in the recent ESRI Report and the June 2009 FÁS Report. There is currently one model of GP Training in Ireland, which is provided by the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP). This is a four year model, with 2 years based in hospital rotations and 2...

Written Answers — Cancer Screening Programme: Cancer Screening Programme (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Harney: CervicalCheck commenced on 1 September 2008. Under the Programme women aged 25 - 44 will be screened every 3 years and women aged 45 - 60 will be screened every 5 years. For the first year CervicalCheck operated on an open access system of screening to ensure that the initial expected interest from women could be effectively accommodated. It was always intended that CervicalCheck would...

Written Answers — Health Service Regulation: Health Service Regulation (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Harney: The Commission on Patient Safety and Quality Assurance, which I established as part of the Government's commitment to ensuring patient safety and quality in our health service, recommended a mandatory licensing system to cover both public and private healthcare providers. The Commission further recommended that the licensing system should be implemented on a phased basis, starting with...

Written Answers — General Medical Services Scheme: General Medical Services Scheme (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Harney: My Department and the HSE have implemented a number of reforms to reduce the cost of medicines. Under the terms of the current agreements between the HSE and pharmaceutical manufacturers which govern the supply terms, conditions and prices of medicines supplied under the GMS and other community drug schemes, price cuts of 35% are applied to all off-patent proprietary products for which...

Written Answers — Health Insurance: Health Insurance (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 65, 91 and 93 together. The health insurance levy is part of the interim scheme provided for under the Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009. This interim scheme consists of two distinct elements: (i) age-related tax credit provided at source to private health insurers in respect of persons over the age of 50 who hold private health insurance...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Harney: At the end of November 2009, there were 489.28 WTEs employed in my Department. This includes additional staffing (24.17WTE) that transferred into my Department during the year as a result of the transfer of youth affairs responsibilities from the Department of Education and Science, other functions from the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and the dissolution of the...

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 68 and 88 together. Discussions took place recently between officials of my Department and the HSE and unions representing health sector staff as part of the overall discussions with the Public Service Committee of the ICTU on adjustments to the public service pay bill. However, the Government decided on 4 December last that the overall proposals put forward...