Results 32,641-32,660 of 46,456 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Beds Data (11 Dec 2019)

Simon Harris: The Health Service Capacity Review published last year was clear on the need for a major investment in additional capacity in both hospital and community – combined with a wide scale reform of the manner and the location of where health services are provided. As part of the 2017/2018 Winter Initiative, funding was allocated for the provision of a 40-bed modular unit in STGH in Clonmel....

Written Answers — Department of Health: Drugs Payment Scheme Coverage (11 Dec 2019)

Simon Harris: Tobacco consumption is the largest avoidable health threat in Ireland and one in two smokers will die from a tobacco related disease. The policy document "Tobacco Free Ireland" sets out over 60 recommendations, with the overall aims of de-normalising smoking in our society, protecting children from the harms of tobacco, enforcing, regulating and legislating for tobacco activities and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Advertising Expenditure (11 Dec 2019)

Simon Harris: Please see attached table of information in reply to your query. Initiative/strategy Supplier Consultancy Advertising (production) Promotion (Incl radio magazine) Cinema TV Outdoor Online Total Pitch to Sláintecare Facebook Ads ...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Advertising Expenditure (11 Dec 2019)

Simon Harris: The majority of videos highlighting schemes and programmes of the Department for use online are produced in-house by the Press and Communications Office. As a result, there are no commissioning, developing or production costs associated. External production and promotion of any Healthy Ireland videos have been included in the overall online costs for the Healthy Ireland awareness campaign...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Strategies (11 Dec 2019)

Simon Harris: I established the Women's Health Taskforce in the Department of Health to improve health outcomes and experiences of healthcare for women. The Taskforce has been established for a two year period and is meeting regularly, there have been three full meetings to date in September, October and December. The Taskforce is at an early stage of its work and is considering the full range of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Meeting on Health Issues (11 Dec 2019)

Simon Harris: I thank the committee members for inviting me to attend today. I am pleased to be joined by the Secretary General of the Department of Health, the chief executive officer of the Health Service Executive and senior HSE officials, and to have an opportunity to update the committee regarding current issues. Regarding Sláintecare, officials at my Department have been engaging with...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Meeting on Health Issues (11 Dec 2019)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy said, both of us know Purple House Cancer Support very well. I also know all the other cancer support groups across our county well and I also know that in my time as Minister, the level of annual funding for Purple House Cancer Support has significantly increased by €100,000. It now receives annual funding of €175,000 and no other cancer support group in County...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Meeting on Health Issues (11 Dec 2019)

Simon Harris: These are great questions for an Opposition Deputy to ask a Government Deputy in the local constituency. I am sure doing so produces great clips for social media showing the Minister in the position of not being able to confirm certain things. My colleagues from the most senior levels of the HSE who are here today have procedures and processes that they need to follow. My advice to Purple...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Meeting on Health Issues (11 Dec 2019)

Simon Harris: -----in the same way that we made progress when Purple House Cancer Support identified a funding need and its funding was increased by €100,000. The Deputy and I both know Purple House Cancer Support well and no one doubts that it provides an excellent service but there is a process that needs to be followed. Let us follow that process together. I will meet the Deputy and we will go...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Meeting on Health Issues (11 Dec 2019)

Simon Harris: If Deputy Donnelly and I, as constituency Deputies, sit down with the HSE locally, we can make quick progress on this matter. I would be more than happy to meet the Deputy and work this through with him.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Meeting on Health Issues (11 Dec 2019)

Simon Harris: I will not, as the Minister for Health attending a meeting of the Joint Committee on Health discussing national health issues, get into the granular detail of the purchase of a single property. That would be wholly inappropriate.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Meeting on Health Issues (11 Dec 2019)

Simon Harris: It is just outside our constituency.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Meeting on Health Issues (11 Dec 2019)

Simon Harris: I have.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Meeting on Health Issues (11 Dec 2019)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Donnelly for raising this serious issue and for his active work in this area as well. The Deputy is correct that dementia care is different from standard nursing home care. I have visited St. Joseph's, as I am sure has Deputy Donnelly. The level of care provided there is exceptional. The needs of the residents are extremely complex. We need more facilities like St....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Meeting on Health Issues (11 Dec 2019)

Simon Harris: My clear understanding is that the NTPF did provide an assurance that the existing agreement could roll over, which would remove any immediate threat to any resident, but I can certainly get this reinforced. The Deputy's point is right-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Meeting on Health Issues (11 Dec 2019)

Simon Harris: However, I think the Deputy's point about the need to provide people with that assurance and to bring the right people together is right. Can I also suggest that another group of people needs to be involved, namely, St. John of God? It is quite amazing that we have a conversation so many times about St. Joseph's and somewhat ignore the fact that it is under the patronage of the St. John of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Meeting on Health Issues (11 Dec 2019)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy O'Reilly for raising this issue. I will ask Mr. Woods to come in in a moment but I want to say a few initial things in this regard. I have also been contacted by many parents in recent days who have told me of the excellent work done by Dr. McCarthy. I do not believe I have met Dr. McCarthy directly but I have been given extremely positive feedback from parents of children he...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Meeting on Health Issues (11 Dec 2019)

Simon Harris: In an effort to be helpful, I accept that many of the Deputy's points are fair. She and I, as the Minister, as well as the committee need to have an assurance regarding how Children's Health Ireland now intends to inject that urgency. I will ask Ms Eilísh Hardiman, the CEO of Children's Health Ireland to formally communicate with this committee in response to Deputy O' Reilly's very...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Meeting on Health Issues (11 Dec 2019)

Simon Harris: I have met representatives of the Rotunda and have visited the hospital on numerous occasions. I was in direct contact with the Rotunda as recently as the last couple of days. I was not in a position to attend the meeting to which the Deputy refers. To be clear, we need to do something to help the Rotunda - of that there is no doubt. The plan is to move the Rotunda Hospital to Connolly...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Meeting on Health Issues (11 Dec 2019)

Simon Harris: Does the Deputy have the name of the hospital?