Results 28,121-28,140 of 46,353 for speaker:Simon Harris

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Primary Care Centres Provision (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: I do not think I have ever gotten to Question No. 22 during my Oral Parliamentary Questions. I very much welcome Deputy Curran's important question, and this is something about which he has corresponded with me over the last number of months as well. I am well aware there have been delays in developing a primary care centre in Lucan. The HSE has informed me that an advertisement for the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Primary Care Centres Provision (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for that. From memory, I think we have 129 primary care centres operational around the country, but I will certainly inquire into the Deputy's constituency.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Primary Care Centres Provision (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: I accept and appreciate Deputy Curran's very real interest in this. We want to see a primary care centre in Lucan, and that has been the HSE's position for quite a period of time. We advertised, as I said, back in 2017 and it was highly unfortunate what happened in relation to the selected preferred bidder. If the Deputy wishes to contact my office, I will certainly convene a meeting with...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Primary Care Centres Provision (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: We are certainly going to build a primary care centre in Lucan and I hope the advertisement placed on 3 May yields interest. I am encouraged by what the HSE informs me in relation to one of the parties to the previous joint bid expressing a view that it will resubmit an application. As I said, we will meet with the Dublin Mid-West Deputies next month and monitor progress together.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: I am sure the Ceann Comhairle will accept that the Taoiseach did not scarper away when Deputy Paul Murphy or Deputy Bríd Smith raised a question. He left to travel to Paris to attend a very important seminar on online hate speech after the terrorist attack in New Zealand which killed 51 people, as has been well documented.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: Presuming Deputy Murphy is against hate speech, I am sure he will apologise for the slur on the Taoiseach. To respond to Deputy Pringle, I certainly did receive a letter from Deputy Joan Collins, so if a written parliamentary question stated otherwise, I will write to the Ceann Comhairle about the matter. I received directly into my hand a letter from Deputy Collins and a number of other...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: This Government is continuing to increase the level of funding it is providing to section 38 and section 39 organisations. RehabCare provides excellent services for people with disabilities right across the country. If any organisation does not wish to continue to provide such services, it must give 12 months' notice. This is an important message to all our constituents, particularly...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Curran for raising this matter and acknowledge that he raises it quite consistently regarding the family to which he refers. I also acknowledge that this is a time of huge anxiety for the families impacted and worried about their children. I spoke directly to the new Director General of the HSE yesterday about this to inquire as to the current position. My understanding is...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: It has certainly not been forgotten and people like Deputy Brassil ensure that is the case by raising these important matters. I express again my heartfelt sympathies to the patients and families involved. I acknowledge that this was, and for some continues to be, a time of great uncertainly for patients and their families and I appeal, as the Deputy has done, for their confidentiality to...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Occupational Therapy Waiting Lists (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: I acknowledge that the current time to access Occupational Therapy services can be too long in certain locations and that this may cause anxiety for parents and patients who are currently waiting to access services. That is why the HSE will be prioritising investment in Occupational Therapy in 2019 to reduce waiting times and improve access to services. Across the country, 40 additional...

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE Planning (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy is aware, in May 2017, I gave approval to Saolta University Health Care Group to conduct an options appraisal for future acute hospital needs in Galway. As part of this, Saolta is undertaking a planning project to assess the population health needs for the Hospital’s catchment area in order to inform existing and future service needs. The assessment will provide an...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Overcrowding (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: The Winter Plan 2018/19, recognising the multiple factors across the health service that impact on Emergency Department performance, included a range of measures to support patients accessing services in the community and in hospitals. Planning for Winter 2019/20 has already commenced, with a review of performance over the Winter Period currently underway to ensure that the lessons learned...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Nursing Staff Provision (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: The HSE Model of Care for Neurology provides a framework for neurology services, including for Parkinson's Disease patients, using international best practice and describes care provision using an integrated service approach. The model is fully aligned with the objectives of Sláintecare and proposes a hub and spoke model, with services provided as close to home as possible but with...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Emergency Departments (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: Our Lady’s Hospital Navan is part of the Ireland East Hospital Group. In 2013 Our Lady’s Hospital Navan was included in the list of designated Model 2 Hospitals under the Smaller Hospitals Framework. Every hospital in the Group, large and small, has a vital role to play within the Group, with smaller hospitals, such as Navan Hospital, managing routine, urgent or planned care...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Overcrowding (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: The Winter Plan 2018/19, recognising the multiple factors across the health service that impact on Emergency Department performance, included a range of measures to support patients accessing services in the community and in hospitals. Planning for Winter 2019/20 has already commenced, with a review of performance over the Winter Period currently underway to ensure that the lessons learned...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Physiotherapy Provision (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: I acknowledge that challenges exist in the delivery of physiotherapy services in Connemara. However, I am assured by the HSE that efforts are being undertaken to minimise the impact on patients. I understand that the physiotherapist post assigned to the South Connemara Primary Care Team has recently become vacant after being filled on a continuous but temporary basis since August 2018. The...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Children's Hospital (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: It is not my intention to publish the contract relating to the new children's hospital construction. However, I contacted the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board on the matter and have been provided with a redacted contract which I will make available to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists Data (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: Construction on the new Radiation Oncology Unit at University Hospital Galway (UHG) is expected to be completed in April 2021. It will open to patients following the completion of clinical commissioning in March 2022. UHG have made the Department aware of seven oncology-related vacancies in the Hospital, including five at staff nursing level and two within management and administration. I...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists Action Plans (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: I am committed to tackling the key challenges our health service faces in relation to long waiting times and hospital overcrowding. Improving timely access for patients to scheduled and unscheduled care is at the heart of Sláintecare. Building upon the process made in recent years in this area, the Sláintecare Action Plan 2019 published by my Department, includes a specific...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Screening Programmes (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: All newborn babies (between 3 and 5 days old) are offered newborn bloodspot screening (generally known as the ‘heel prick’) through their parents/guardians for eight very rare conditions that are treatable if detected early in life. These include: - cystic fibrosis - congenital hypothyroidism - phenylketonuria - classical galactosaemia - MCADD (medium-chain acyl-CoA...