Results 2,721-2,740 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

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

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 60, 117, 218 and 219 together. The Rheumatology Manpower Report 2002 produced by the Irish Society of Rheumatology, ISR, identified deficits in the provision of rheumatology services nationally. The ISR report noted that the number of rheumatologists per head of population in Ireland was low in comparison with other European countries. At the time the ISR...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 61 and 73 together. The working hours of doctors in training are regulated by way of the European Communities (Organisation of Working Time) (Activities of Doctors in Training) Regulations 2004, which came into operation on 1 August 2004. Employers and the Irish Medical Organisation, IMO, have been engaged over a lengthy period in discussions under the...

Written Answers — Accident and Emergency Services: Accident and Emergency Services (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 63, 87, 164, 170 and 191 together. The Health Service Executive is advancing the implementation of a series of measures to improve the delivery of accident and emergency services funded from the €70 million current funding that was made available in the Estimates for 2005. Some of the specific projects now approved include: a new accident and emergency unit...

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

Mary Harney: I would be saddened if any woman would chose to have a mastectomy rather than travelling to receive the best care available. Patients in the north-west requiring radiation oncology are currently being referred to the recently commissioned radiation oncology department at University College Hospital Galway, UCHG, and also to St. Luke's Hospital, Dublin. A consultant radiation oncologist with...

Written Answers — Insurance Industry: Insurance Industry (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: The Health Insurance Authority submitted its report on 29 April last in respect of the period July to December 2004. The authority's report recommended the commencement of risk equalisation transfers. I subsequently wrote to insurers with a proposed determination. However, this determination, under the terms of the Health Insurance Acts, is subject to a statutory representation process. Given...

Written Answers — Insurance Industry: Insurance Industry (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: I am happy to be able to report that almost all of the issues which needed to be resolved with consultants arising from the establishment of the clinical indemnity scheme, CIS, have now been dealt with. The only remaining issue is a demand from the consultants that the caps placed on the limits of indemnity which consultants need to purchase to cover private practice not covered by the CIS...

Written Answers — Cancer Screening Programme: Cancer Screening Programme (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 67, 70, 95 and 135 together. The most recent report from the National Cancer Registry, Cancer in Ireland 1994-2001, highlights an annual percentage change in the age standardised rate of prostate cancer of 6.5% over the period. During the period 1994 to 2000, prostate cancer incidence rates increased in the Republic of Ireland but not in Northern Ireland,...

Written Answers — Organ Retention: Organ Retention (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: On 3 May last, the Government approved the appointment of Dr. Deirdre Madden, BL., to complete a report on post mortem practice and organ retention by 21 December 2005. Dr. Madden has been reading herself into the brief over the last few weeks. I will be meeting her shortly to finalise her terms of reference, which I will then present to Government for approval. Ireland does not currently...

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

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 69 and 137 together. Work has been under way in my Department on the proposal to deliver 850 community nursing unit beds through a public private partnership, PPP, and the work that has been done so far has helped to clarify a number of issues. My Department has been examining public private partnerships, PPP, and other procurement options in line with...

Written Answers — National Treatment Purchase Fund: National Treatment Purchase Fund (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: Arrangements for public hospital services were introduced in June 1991. These determined that everyone in the country, regardless of income is entitled to public hospital and public consultant services subject only to modest statutory charges. Medical card holders are exempt from these charges. Any person can also opt to be the private patient of both the consultant and the hospital. In these...

Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: The assessment of eligibility for medical cards is a function of the Health Service Executive. Reasonable child care expenses will be taken into account in revised eligibility assessment guidelines for medical cards due to be issued shortly. These guidelines will be publicised by the HSE in the coming week. It is difficult to precisely estimate the number of persons who will benefit from this...

Written Answers — Private Hospital Facilities: Private Hospital Facilities (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 75 and 151 together. My Department engaged a consultancy firm to provide advice on an assessment framework which should be applied to proposals for developing private hospitals on public hospital sites. I am currently considering the advice from the consultants and related policy issues regarding the development of private hospital facilities on public...

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

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 76 and 130 together. Representatives from my Department and the Health Service Executive have made a number of site visits to St. Bricin's Military Hospital to review the facilities and to consider the feasibility of the hospital being utilised for public health purposes. Following detailed consideration, the view is that St. Bricin's is not suitable for use...

Written Answers — National Treatment Purchase Fund: National Treatment Purchase Fund (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: My Department does not maintain data on the average cost of the specific operations arranged by the national treatment purchase fund, NTPF. My Department has, therefore, asked the chief executive of the NTPF to reply directly to the Deputy with regard to the specific information requested.

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

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 78 and 127 together. On foot of the commitment in the health strategy, funding has been provided to open an additional 900 inpatient beds and day places in acute hospitals. Health agencies have informed my Department that at 17 June 2005, 780 beds were in place. The Health Service Executive has informed my Department that the remaining 120 beds-places will...

Written Answers — Care of the Elderly: Care of the Elderly (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 79, 139 and 154 together. In line with action 36 of the health strategy, my Department has commenced work on a new legislative framework for eligibility for health and personal social services. The aim is to produce a clear set of statutory provisions that ensure equity and transparency. This is a very complex task but my Department is working to prepare...

Written Answers — Health Service Reform: Health Service Reform (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 80, 173 and 205 together. The report of the National Task Force on Medical Staffing — the Hanly report — makes important proposals for reducing the working hours of non-consultant hospital doctors, NCHDs, in line with the European working time directive and highlights the need to implement changes in medical staffing to ensure safety and quality of patient...

Written Answers — Water Fluoridation: Water Fluoridation (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: Fluoridation of public water supplies as a public health measure is accepted as being one of the most effective methods of ensuring against tooth decay. The World Health Organisation, WHO, recommends fluoridation of public water supplies and has stated that "fluoridation of water supplies, where possible, is the most effective public health measure for the prevention of dental decay". The WHO...

Written Answers — Cystic Fibrosis Services: Cystic Fibrosis Services (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 82, 179 to 189, inclusive, 247 to 250, inclusive, 257 to 266, inclusive, 268, 275 to 281, inclusive, 284 to 292, inclusive, and 319 to 323, inclusive, together. I have seen the report which 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....

Written Answers — Health Service Funding: Health Service Funding (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: The 2004 revised determinations for all health boards, after adjustment is made for the national PPARS project, totalled €8,169.398 million. The net expenditure reported by health boards for 2004, per the unaudited annual financial statements, AFS, is €8,195.792 million. Under the 1996 accountability legislation, health boards were required to transfer a deficit or a surplus for the...