Results 2,701-2,720 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (16 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Drugs Payment Scheme: Drugs Payment Scheme (16 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: The statutory basis for the drug payment scheme, DPS, is section 59 (2) of the Health Act 1970. It states that the health board shall make arrangements to meet the balance of the cost, or a portion thereof for expenditure incurred on drugs, medicines and medical and surgical appliances for the treatment of a person or his dependants. There is no definition of "dependant" in the 1970 Health...

Written Answers — Drugs Payment Scheme: Drugs Payment Scheme (16 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: Under the drugs payment scheme, DPS, no individual or family pays more than €85 per month for approved, prescribed medicines with the balance paid by the State. Family expenditure covers the nominated adult, his-her spouse, including a person with whom he-she is living with as husband or wife, and children under 18 years. Dependants over 18 years and under the age of 23 years who are in...

Cystic Fibrosis Incidence. (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: I have seen the report that the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland commissioned from Dr. Ronnie Pollock. The report confirms that Ireland has the highest incidence of cystic fibrosis in the world. It reviews existing hospital services for people with cystic fibrosis in the context of accepted international standards and concludes that the services available for such people are not of the...

Cystic Fibrosis Incidence. (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: I have met the CEO of the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland as part of my dealings with another group. I would be more than happy to meet other representatives of the association. The Department of Health and Children receives approximately 600 letters, including many invitations, every four days. I assure Deputy McManus that I would be happy to meet representatives of the Cystic...

Cystic Fibrosis Incidence. (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: This year. The money was provided to recruit additional staff, including a locum consultant, a physiotherapist and other nurse specialists, and also to provide additional bathroom facilities to avoid the infection issues to which the Deputy referred. Together with what is currently happening, additional space is being made available at St. Vincent's Hospital for cystic fibrosis patients. This...

Hospital Services. (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: The Deputy will appreciate that, on taking up office at the end of September 2004, the bulk of the capital programme for that year had already been committed. This included prior approvals under the multi-annual health capital programme to progress major developments in the acute hospital sector. In addition, significant investment had already been approved earlier in 2004 in respect of minor...

Hospital Services. (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: The Deputy will be aware that some of the works at Monaghan General Hospital have been completed, therefore, there is a gap between the approval of funding for capital infrastructure and the use of whatever improvements take place. I must come back to the Deputy on the CAT scan question. There is no CAT scan facility in Dundalk which has a higher number of patients who travel to Drogheda. I...

Hospital Services. (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: The HSE is putting in place a parliamentary affairs division. The functions of the health boards only transferred to the HSE on 15 June. By the autumn, a fully resourced and well functioning division will be in place, which will provide speedy responses to parliamentarians. This was sought and discussed during the passage of the relevant legislation. Four hospitals are located in Drogheda,...

Hospital Acquired Infections. (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 56, 62, 108, 109, 125, 140, 148, 241, 313 and 314 together. Prevention and control of hospital acquired infections is a priority for me and for the Health Service Executive. The director of the national hospitals office has engaged external consultants to carry out an independent hygiene audit of every hospital this summer. The results of the audit will be...

Hospital Acquired Infections. (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: The English company won the contract. We are obliged under public sector recruitment procedures to go to tender. The company has significant experience in this area. The audit will be done during July and August for every hospital and will give us strong base information. The Health Service Executive recently held the first conference of all the persons responsible for cleaning hospitals. The...

Hospital Acquired Infections. (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: I presume that if litigation arises it will involve the institutions concerned, namely, hospitals, which have their own insurance policies. The Health and Safety Authority has a specific remit in regard to the health and safety of workers. It does not have the expertise for this job which is a clinical matter. This is not a matter of basic cleanliness, in which we are all expert. One must go...

Hospital Acquired Infections. (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: I said that the HSE is in the process of putting in place a parliamentary affairs division that will be fully resourced. The intention is that, by the autumn of this year, Members of the Oireachtas and others will have very speedy access to responses such as the one that the Deputy seeks from me. The earlier part of the Deputy's question concerned what I have done since taking up office...

Hospital Acquired Infections. (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: Some things are basic, but with others one must be in the back office ensuring that everything is run to the highest possible standard, and that is what we intend to ensure.

Hospital Acquired Infections. (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: Yes, there will be a proactive campaign, beginning with the hygiene audit during July and August of every hospital in the country. The results will be published and we will also have a public awareness campaign, mainly but not exclusively around the hospitals. I hope that we will also be able to provide for a mechanism whereby people can bring it to the authorities' attention if they are...

Hospital Acquired Infections. (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: My apologies. Later this year we will be updating the Medical Practitioners Act 1978. As the Deputy is aware, the medical profession is self-regulated with statutory backing. We will have an opportunity to debate what may or may not happen. If people have specific complaints, it is a matter for the Medical Council. It is not a matter for political intervention regarding clinical decisions....

Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy. (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: I, too, join the Taoiseach, Deputy Kenny and Deputy Rabbitte in offering my sympathy and that of the Progressive Democrats to the family of the late Seán Doherty, particularly to his wife, Maura, and his four daughters. Seán Doherty entered this House in 1977. I came into a different House in these precincts in the same year. He was somebody I knew quite well. We crossed swords on a number...

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: The Government is committed to making the full range of cancer services available and accessible to cancer patients throughout Ireland. To this end, we will provide considerable investment in radiation oncology facilities in the coming years. The Government's policy on radiation oncology is based on the Report on the Development of Radiation Oncology Services in Ireland. It is important to...

Written Answers — Hospital Staff: Hospital Staff (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: Clearly safe and effective delivery of services is of primary concern to me. I do not accept the Deputy's assertion that staffing levels in hospitals and long-term care units for the care of the elderly settings are at dangerously low levels. I am aware for example that the Irish ratio of nurses to the population is much higher than the ratio found in other developed countries. Work currently...

Written Answers — Occupational Therapists: Occupational Therapists (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: In recent years there has been a considerable expansion in training places for three therapy professions — speech and language, physiotherapy and occupational therapy — in line with the report commissioned by my Department from Dr. Peter Bacon and Associates, Current and Future Demand Conditions in the Labour Market for Certain Professional Therapists. As the Deputy has said, this...