Results 21,181-21,200 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Written Answers — General Practitioner Training: General Practitioner Training (2 Mar 2010)

Mary Harney: The Health Service Executive is responsible for arranging and funding General Practitioner training. The Executive has reported to my Department that the projected cost of training a General Practitioner is approximately, €176,875.

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (2 Mar 2010)

Mary Harney: As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply. I wish to advise the Deputy that, due to an intensification of industrial action in the public service by members of IMPACT, the HSE may not be in a position to provide a response to this Parliamentary Question within the normal timeframe.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (2 Mar 2010)

Mary Harney: The issue of expenditure on the lease, rental or purchase of car parking spaces is a matter for the Office of Public Works (OPW) and I have asked the OPW to reply directly to the Deputy in this regard. The position regarding the Health Service Executive and the other agencies is a matter for the agencies themselves. My Department is requesting them to reply directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (2 Mar 2010)

Mary Harney: I presume that the Deputy is referring to the Performance Related Awards Scheme (PRA) which was introduced following a decision by the Government on the implementation of Report No. 38 of the Review Body on Higher Remuneration in the Public Sector in 2000. This Scheme applied at the level of Deputy and Assistant Secretary and related grades in the Civil Service and there were nine posts in...

Written Answers — Patient Transport: Patient Transport (2 Mar 2010)

Mary Harney: As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply. Due to industrial action in the public service by members of IMPACT, the HSE may not be in a position to provide a response within the normal timeframe.

Written Answers — Food Safety Authority: Food Safety Authority (2 Mar 2010)

Mary Harney: Responsibility for the enforcement of food safety and food labelling legislation rests with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) and its official agents, which include the Health Service Executive, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (DAFF), Local Authorities (LAs) and the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA). Due to the public service industrial action involving...

Written Answers — Hospital Accommodation: Hospital Accommodation (2 Mar 2010)

Mary Harney: As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply. Due to industrial action in the public service by members of IMPACT, the HSE may not be in a position to provide a response within the normal timeframe.

Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (2 Mar 2010)

Mary Harney: The issues raised by the Deputy are service matters. Accordingly, my Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to address these matters and also the matters raised in the Deputy's previous Parliamentary Question and to have replies issued directly to the Deputy. I wish to advise the Deputy that, due to an intensification of industrial action in...

Written Answers — Hospital Staff: Hospital Staff (2 Mar 2010)

Mary Harney: As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply. Due to industrial action in the public service by members of IMPACT, the HSE may not be in a position to provide a response within the normal timeframe.

Public Sector Reform. (3 Mar 2010)

Mary Harney: At the request of the Department of Health and Children, a review of the Department was carried out last year under the organisational review programme, ORP. The report of this review was received approximately four weeks ago and the Department is now preparing an action plan which will set out its response to the ORP conclusions. The report and action plan will be published in due course...

Public Sector Reform. (3 Mar 2010)

Mary Harney: The number of staff in the Department has reduced by 25% since the Health Service Executive was established. The Department was never an operational Department. In the health board era it was never involved in operational issues. A myth has arisen in this regard. The Accounting Officer role has changed. The chief executive officer of the Health Service Executive who spends the money is...

Public Sector Reform. (3 Mar 2010)

Mary Harney: Traditionally, the Department over-concentrated on inputs. As is clear from the report, the role of the Department is focused on outcomes, results and measuring performance. The report draws attention to the need for the Department to have a different skill-set such as economic analysis and analytical skills in general. I share that view. The service plan has to be approved by the...

Hospital Accommodation. (3 Mar 2010)

Mary Harney: The most recent information on bed closures in the acute hospital system refers to the week ended 17 January 2010. At that time, 689 inpatient beds and 37 day beds were closed for reasons of cost-containment, infection control, refurbishment and seasonal closure of facilities. While public debate tends to focus on bed numbers, it is much more meaningful to measure the number of patients...

Hospital Accommodation. (3 Mar 2010)

Mary Harney: I wish to explain something to the Deputy because it makes a difference. Many procedures can be done on a day case basis that are currently done on an inpatient basis. I will outline some data. For example, 37% of hernia repairs happen on a day case basis. It varies from Tallaght where 84% of them happen on a day case basis to Mayo where only 16% happen on a day case basis. The length of...

Hospital Accommodation. (3 Mar 2010)

Mary Harney: The Deputy, if he is being fair, must acknowledge the substantial progress that has been made in the delivery of health services, particularly in regard to day case activity which has virtually doubled since 2000. In regard to the service plan, the main element of the change is that 33,000 fewer people will be admitted to hospital in the first place. Those people will either receive...

Hospital Accommodation. (3 Mar 2010)

Mary Harney: It has been confirmed by the bed utilisation study and so on.

Hospital Accommodation. (3 Mar 2010)

Mary Harney: I said that "many" of those admitted for less than 48 hours do not require hospitalisation.

Industrial Disputes. (3 Mar 2010)

Mary Harney: The Health Service Executive received notice on 22 February from the trade union IMPACT of its intention to intensify its members' industrial action with effect from Monday, 1 March. The HSE was informed that, in addition to their existing actions, IMPACT members would refuse to take on work in regard to any vacancy, not just those vacancies that have arisen since the general industrial...

Industrial Disputes. (3 Mar 2010)

Mary Harney: To clarify, I have not meet with any of the unions. The industrial relations activity that is under way is part of a broader campaign across the public sector the response to which is being led and managed by the Minister for Finance and the Taoiseach. To clarify another point, the Government did not pull out of talks with the unions. Unfortunately, we failed to reach agreement within...

Industrial Disputes. (3 Mar 2010)

Mary Harney: Yes, but I must be able to access the information in order to respond accurately to Members. Neither I nor my colleagues have all the information in our heads. In recent weeks, and in preparation for today in particular, we pulled out all the stops to obtain information. In the current unusual situation even very senior people are involved in the industrial action. In order to provide...