Results 3,521-3,540 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

MRSA Incidence. (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Harney: I accept the issue is about more than washing hands, although all the international evidence and the expert medical advice available to me would suggest it makes the single greatest contribution. It will be a matter for the HSE. The audit, which will be published by the end of this month, will give us baseline figures and will provide interesting data, hospital by hospital, which can be...

MRSA Incidence. (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Harney: I do not have that data. My reply stated that many people die from underlying conditions. I do not think that information is available.

MRSA Incidence. (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Harney: I stated that while some people with MRSA die, they also have underlying conditions. I do not have a breakdown as to how many die purely from MRSA and I do not think anyone has that data.

MRSA Incidence. (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Harney: It is not only the Minister for Health and Children who is not able to tell the Deputy, nobody else can tell her either because we do not have that data recorded. People acquire MRSA in many settings and not exclusively in a hospital environment. As I said, the HSE will work on a hospital by hospital reporting mechanism. If it is possible to separate the data and establish if somebody died...

Medical Cards. (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 97, 114, 126 and 144 together. In January 2005 I increased the income guidelines used in the assessment of medical card applications by 7.5%. In June it was apparent that the effect of rising income in our successful economy meant that the target of 30,000 additional medical cards would not be achieved. At this time I simplified the means test for both medical...

Medical Cards. (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Harney: It is true that somebody in those circumstances, depending on their outgoings, can qualify for a medical card. For example, the basic income is €266.50 per week with a child dependant allowance of €76, child care expenses of €220, housing or mortgage payments of €190 and travel to work of €50. We gave a number of examples last week and published the data. The whole purpose is not to...

Medical Cards. (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Harney: I am not a great fan of universal payments to everyone regardless of means because that hits those who are not as well off unfairly, that is, if relatively rich people get the same benefits as less well off people.

Medical Cards. (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Harney: When one applies something universally to a class of individuals — in this case, children — it can be unfair on others because one has a finite amount of resources. All the evidence suggests that the medical need is greatest among lower income families in particular. That is what we are doing with the traditional medical card and the doctor only card. Given that we increased the income...

Medical Cards. (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Harney: I do not accept this because using gross income is not a fair way of calculating entitlement. That is why there are deductions for tax purposes, such as PRSI, travel-to-work, mortgage repayments and child care. For example, a single mother with one dependent child can earn more than €584 a week and still get a full medical card depending on her outgoings. Travel to work could cost €40 a...

Medical Cards. (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Harney: There was a commitment on medical cards in the election manifesto of my colleagues in Government. We will get more than 200,000 medical cards with the doctor-only cards.

Medical Cards. (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Harney: We must become less fixated with numbers and target the needs of families, children and the elderly. The way the Government is doing this, particularly discounting income outgoings, will ensure many people who traditionally would not have qualified because of their gross earnings will now come into the medical card net with either the full or doctor-only card. The doctor-only card meets the...

Medical Cards. (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Harney: When we introduced the doctor-only card, no special deal was done with Deputy Twomey's colleagues, notwithstanding the fact that it was sought.

Order of Business. (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Harney: Clearly, that will be based on medical advice.

Written Answers — National Treatment Purchase Fund: National Treatment Purchase Fund (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Harney: The national treatment purchase fund has reported that, in most instances, anyone waiting more than three months for a routine surgical procedure will be facilitated by the fund. A patient may contact the fund directly or through his or her general practitioner, hospital or consultant to have his or her treatment arranged. The fund has pointed out, however, that in certain cases, for reasons...

Written Answers — National Treatment Purchase Fund: National Treatment Purchase Fund (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Harney: The national treatment purchase fund, NTPF, was established as one of the key actions for dealing with public hospital waiting lists arising from the 2001 health strategy. The strategy envisaged that the NTPF might make use of any capacity within public hospitals to arrange treatment for public patients. It was recognised that during the start-up phase of the fund, the use of public capacity...

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Harney: I wish to offer my deepest sympathies to the family of the late Mr. Patrick Walsh, RIP, who died tragically at Monaghan General Hospital last Friday. This should not have happened. I have now been informed that there was an intensive care bed vacant in Cavan General Hospital when Mr. Walsh needed to be transferred. The circumstances surrounding this tragedy require thorough investigation. Mr....

Written Answers — Compensation Schemes: Compensation Schemes (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Harney: A group was established in 2001 by my predecessor to examine, among other issues, the feasibility of introducing a "no fault" compensation scheme for infants who sustain brain damage at, or close to, the time of birth. Two main reasons were advanced for the establishment of the group. First, there existed a body of opinion which believed that the conventional tort system was not best suited...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Harney: The information requested by the Deputy is currently being collated within my Department and will be made available shortly. My Department applies stringent controls on the employment of external consultancy assistance. A business case must be prepared to support the need for the consultancy and approved at either principal officer or MAC level as appropriate. Funding to support the...

Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 106, 183 and 210 together. The required information is contained in the following tables. The national health information strategy proposed that the health information and quality authority draw up a multi-annual information and ICT plan which, among other objectives, would ensure a standardised approach to systems is taken on a national basis and that value...

Written Answers — Health Action Plan: Health Action Plan (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 107 and 204 together. The report of the national task force on medical staffing or Hanly report made a series of important recommendations about the development of hospital services. These covered issues such as: the changes needed in NCHD work patterns; reform of medical education and training; the need for a significantly revised contract for medical...