Results 34,201-34,220 of 46,522 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Procedures (3 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: A major part of the Government's Action Plan in response to Covid-19 was to substantially increase the capacity of public healthcare facilities to cope with the anticipated additional demand. In order to urgently ramp up capacity for acute care facilities, an arrangement was agreed with the private hospitals to use their facilities as part of the public system on a temporary basis, to...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Staff (3 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: I know that CHI is aware that the current situation regarding the Paediatric Complex Pain Management Service is a cause of much anxiety and upset for parents and children.  CHI has advised my Department that it met with the Complex Pain Patient Advocacy Group on Friday 7 February and advised them that it has written to all families whose children have been attending the complex pain...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (3 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: The Government has published a Roadmap for Reopening Society & Business to ease the Covid-19 restrictions and reopen Ireland’s economy and society in a phased manner from 18 of May.  In relation to people with underlying health conditions, the Roadmap states the following:    “The continued protection of people aged over 70 and those with...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Provision (3 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: The initial focus of the Government’s response to Covid-19 was aimed at measures required to interrupt the transmission of Covid-19 and related steps.  In regard to health considerations, this included that all non-essential surgery, health procedures and other non-essential health services were postponed. The postponements accord with the National Action Plan published on 16...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Data (3 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: The Department of Health is working with the HSE to increase acute capacity in hospitals throughout the country. In the context of the current COVID-19 Pandemic response, the HSE advised on 24 May 2020 that and additional 324 acute beds have opened since March, bringing the current total of acute beds in the system to 11,907 excluding critical care capacity. The HSE’s Critical Care...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Healthcare Infrastructure Provision (3 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: As the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (3 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: The services referred to by the Deputy are not matters within the responsibility of the Minister for Health. The responsibility for providing guidance in relation to a particular sector of the economy or on a specific activity remains with the Government Department with responsibility for that sector or activity. Local authority services are a matter for the Minister for Housing,...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Advertising (3 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: The Department of Health’s spend on advertising to social media platforms from 1 January - 31 May 2020 is set out as follows. Company Description Amount Twitter Healthy Ireland Fund €3,394.80 Google Healthy Ireland Fund €5,537.00 Facebook Healthy Ireland...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: I very much welcome the opportunity to once again update Dáil Éireann on the Covid-19 pandemic and our national response to it. First and foremost, I wish to express my sympathy to the families and friends of those who have been lost to this disease since I was last in the House. My thoughts are with all of those who have been bereaved. We are in the third week of phase 1 of...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: Let me be clear that I, the Department, the HSE and the Oireachtas wish to be in a position to recommence our population screening programmes as soon as possible. It is a collective priority for us all. I am glad to inform the Deputy that the four programmes - obviously, there are four parts to our screening service - will report on their final plans for restarting in the coming days....

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: I might write to Deputy Butler with more detail on screening so as not to use up her colleagues' time. I know how important this issue is and how many times she has raised it. The national screening service is holding daily meetings on this. I am very satisfied with the work being done by Dr. Caroline Mason Mohan, who is the interim director of CervicalCheck and a public health doctor as...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: I will do that. I agree with the Deputy in regard to the importance of cross-Border measures and I can send details on what we are doing. I will also write to the Deputy in regard to the statistics on Cavan and Monaghan.

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: I will answer as many of the Deputies' questions as I can in the time available and I will write to the Deputies on the other two queries. On Deputy James Browne's question on A Vision for Change, I have heard very clearly the calls on a cross-party basis in this House for the publication of the refreshed A Vision for Change. It is my intention to bring it to the Cabinet this week, I...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: I do not think we ever did that in Greystones at any stage. We will have to ask Deputy Donnelly as he is at little bit older than me. I thank Deputy O'Reilly for the questions. I had a really good meeting with the INMO and SIPTU health on Monday and I am due to meet both again next week. We have started to discuss with them the issues raised by the Deputy on how we prepare to provide...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy. I am not sure that she wants an independent investigation because she seems to have already delivered the verdict, which is rather disappointing. To endeavour to say that there was no proper plan and that nobody did anything-----

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: -----does not reflect the reality of what I have seen as Minister. I have seen the most incredibly dedicated people in the HSE, at local level, and in the Department of Health working 24-7 against a global pandemic. As I stated last week, the villain here is not someone working in the HSE or even some bureaucrat, or even a Minister; the villain is a virus - the worst we have seen in a...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: I will revert to the Deputy in writing on the last few points.

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising the very important issue of mental health, particularly youth mental health. This week, the Government will consider the new A Vision for Change document that the Deputy referred to. A lot of work has been put in by a lot of expert people on this and I hope, subject to Government approval, to be in a position to publish that next week. I know that is...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: I remember visiting Mindspace in Mayo with Deputy Dillon. It has written to me a few times and kept in touch with me, and I am very taken by the work it does. The Deputy is right to highlight the issue of mental health as one of the next huge challenges coming down the track. The Ceann Comhairle and I have been in correspondence in this regard. I think there will be a big body of work...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: I will respect your view on that absolutely, a Cheann Comhairle. I wish to join Deputy Feighan in thanking our front-line staff in the health service, as we do, rightly, every week. I have had really good engagement with the unions representing several of those workers this week. I also intend to meet the general practitioner representative body, the Irish Medical Organisation, next week....