Results 29,201-29,220 of 46,456 for speaker:Simon Harris

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Cancer Screening Programmes (2 Jul 2019)

Simon Harris: It is an important question. I accept Deputy Kelly's bona fides regarding this matter. All I can tell him about is the chain of correspondence, meetings and parliamentary questions regarding my situation. Dr. Scally made it clear that he expected to give me a report at the end of February. That was the information I relayed to these Houses. It then took Dr. Scally longer to complete the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Industrial Disputes (2 Jul 2019)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 53 and 111 together. I thank the Deputies for raising this important matter. I will answer the questions in the context of the Labour Court tomorrow starting three days of intensive hearings and engagements on this dispute regarding some of the staff in our healthcare service represented by SIPTU. It is important to say that staff in the public...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Industrial Disputes (2 Jul 2019)

Simon Harris: I agree with the Deputy on the integral part support staff grades play in our health service. He knows of it from his personal experience and we all know of it from our use of the health service. Whether it is moving patients from an emergency department to a ward, helping to discharge a patient, keeping our hospital clean or providing a good hot meal, these staff are integral members of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Industrial Disputes (2 Jul 2019)

Simon Harris: I agree that significant pain and hardship was inflicted on many people in this country as a result of the economic crash. We have been working to try to rebuild the country from that point. We increased the minimum wage several times, particularly after it was cut by €1. We prioritised low-paid workers in the public service stability agreements and nearly all the reductions under...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Services (2 Jul 2019)

Simon Harris: The report of the trauma steering group was approved by Government in 2018 and a HSE interim implementation group is currently progressing its four immediate actions, the first of which was the recruitment of a national clinical lead. Mr. Keith Sinnott has been appointed to that position. The second action relates to orthopaedic trauma and major trauma bypass protocols, the third relates to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Services (2 Jul 2019)

Simon Harris: The Deputy is correct that this will involve revenue and capital costings. The overall estimated maximum staffing requirement suggests that an indicative estimate of revenue costs of €53.6 million on the cost of developing orthogeriatric fracture liaison services is included. This can be considered as a gross cost which carries a need for careful examination because there are...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Services (2 Jul 2019)

Simon Harris: The Deputy will agree that it is important that this decision will be made by clinicians and an independent assessment panel and independent of me and the House. Deputies regularly raise with me the cases of constituents who are in hospital as a result of a very bad trauma and need to be transferred to another hospital which can better deal with their complex needs. This is about ensuring...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Ambulance Service (2 Jul 2019)

Simon Harris: An EU Interreg-funded programme is currently being delivered in the border counties of Ireland, Northern Ireland and west coast of Scotland.  The programme aims to assess and treat higher volumes of patients more effectively, both in scheduled and unscheduled care pathways, through improved and reformed service delivery models, on a cross border basis.  The...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Agencies (2 Jul 2019)

Simon Harris: Under Section 39 of the Health Act 2004, the HSE provides funding to bodies that deliver services similar, or ancillary to, services that the HSE may provide. These organisations provide a broad range of services and are governed by Service Level Agreements with the HSE. There are approximately 2,200 Section 39 voluntary organisations and 150 of these receive funding from the HSE in excess of...

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE Planning (2 Jul 2019)

Simon Harris: My Department has been working with the Health Service Executive and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to develop a multi annual capital plan for the health services. The Summer Economic Statement, published recently by the Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, provides an expenditure reserve of up to €200m in 2020 to accommodate funding...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Capital Programme (2 Jul 2019)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 62 and 79 together. The overarching policy of the Government is to support older people to live in dignity and independence in their own homes and communities for as long as possible. The standard of care delivered to residents in public units is generally very high, but we recognise that many of our community hospitals are housed in buildings that are...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Cancer Screening Programmes (2 Jul 2019)

Simon Harris: The State Claims Agency (SCA) has a statutory remit to manage personal injury claims, including claims in respect of clinical negligence, on behalf of Delegated State Authorities (DSA’s) including the Health Service Executive.  I have been informed by the State Claims Agency that a total of 22 claims have been made in relation to the BreastCheck programme. These claims...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Consultant Recruitment (2 Jul 2019)

Simon Harris: The public health service in Ireland operates in a global market for medical specialists which is experiencing a world-wide shortage.  Nonetheless, the number of consultants working in the public health service continues to grow year on year. It increased by 125 whole time equivalents (WTE), or just over 4 per cent, in the year to the end of May 2019. In the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Healthcare Infrastructure Provision (2 Jul 2019)

Simon Harris: The HSE is responsible for the delivery of health and personal social services, including the development of primary care facilities at Inisbofin, County Galway. The HSE has advised that Galway County Council is transferring land to the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht who will then transfer a portion of the land to the HSE. The transfer has not yet been...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (2 Jul 2019)

Simon Harris: The National Development Plan 2018-2027 outlines that new dedicated ambulatory/elective-only hospital facilities will be delivered in Dublin, Cork and Galway to tackle waiting lists and provide access to diagnostic services.   The Sláintecare Action Plan 2019 includes a commitment that the criteria for ambulatory/elective sites will be determined during the course of this year....

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (2 Jul 2019)

Simon Harris: Reducing waiting times for hospital appointments and procedures is a key commitment of government. While the last 18 months have seen considerable progress in the reduction of waiting times for Inpatient and Daycase treatments, I am conscious that the Outpatient Waiting List remains a significant challenge as demand for acute hospital services continues to grow. Budget 2019 announced...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Accommodation Provision (2 Jul 2019)

Simon Harris: In January 2018, I published the Health Service Capacity Review which made clear that we need additional capacity across nearly all areas of the health service over the next decade. The review acknowledged the demographic challenge facing the Irish health service in the near future due to our growing population, with our over 65 population set to increase by nearly 60% and the over 85...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Consultant Recruitment (2 Jul 2019)

Simon Harris: Pursuant to the Health Acts, the Consultants division of National Doctors Training and Planning Unit, HSE, is responsible for the regulation of the number and type of medical consultant posts engaged in the provision of public services. All applications for Consultant posts should be made using the Consultant Application Portal Module in the Doctors Integrated Medical System (DIME). Where a...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Staff Recruitment (2 Jul 2019)

Simon Harris: The new Children’s Health Ireland paediatric outpatient and urgent care centre at Connolly Hospital is due to open on 31July 2019. The unit will provide a range of services, including urgent care for the treatment of minor injury and illnesses and a short stay observation unit, where children are observed and treated for up to 6 hours before being discharged or, in a very small number...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Long-Term Illness Scheme (2 Jul 2019)

Simon Harris: The LTI Scheme was established under Section 59(3) of the Health Act 1970 (as amended). The conditions covered by the LTI are: acute leukaemia; mental handicap; cerebral palsy; mental illness (in a person under 16); cystic fibrosis; multiple sclerosis; diabetes insipidus; muscular dystrophies; diabetes mellitus; parkinsonism; epilepsy; phenylketonuria; haemophilia; spina bifida;...