Results 3,561-3,580 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Written Answers — Services for People with Disabilities: Services for People with Disabilities (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Harney: I believe the Deputy is referring to the services which will be put in place as a result of the multi-annual investment programme announced as part of the national disability strategy, which includes the Disability Act 2005. The multi-annual investment programme is being introduced to support the development of high priority disability services over the period 2006-09. The cumulative...

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

Mary Harney: The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.

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

Mary Harney: Representatives from my Department and the Health Service Executive made a number of site visits to St. Bricin's Military Hospital to review the facilities and to consider the feasibility of the hospital being utilised for public health purposes. Following detailed consideration, the view was that St. Bricin's was not suitable for use as an acute or sub-acute facility. I visited the hospital...

Written Answers — Fluoridation of Water: Fluoridation of Water (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Harney: The forum on fluoridation considered Professor Connett's document, entitled "50 reasons to oppose fluoride". The forum undertook to respond to the document but the report of the forum was finalised before it had time to respond. My Department agreed, at the request of the forum, to commission the Oral Health Services Research Centre in Cork to compile a response to Professor Connett's "50...

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

Mary Harney: My Department is aware that in 2004 some 32,000 patients were readmitted to hospitals within one week of discharge. This figure is derived from the hospital in-patient enquiry, HIPE, system which gives details of activity in all publicly funded acute hospitals in the State. HIPE data only allow the identification of a readmission if it is to the same hospital as the original admission. The...

Written Answers — Infectious Diseases: Infectious Diseases (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Harney: Methicillin-resistant staph aureus, MRSA, can exist without affecting people's health and information on the prevalence of such asymptomatic carriage is not routinely reported. For the purposes of the surveillance, prevention and control of this infection, however, the health protection surveillance centre collects data on MRSA bacteraemia, also known as bloodstream infection or "blood...

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

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 154 and 189 together. I am, of course, aware of the concerns that have been expressed about the Mater Hospital and the trial of an anti-cancer drug. Officials in my Department have written to the chairperson of the Mater Hospital ethics committee in regard to this matter and I will review the position when his reply is received. The European Communities...

Written Answers — Cancer Screening Programme: Cancer Screening Programme (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 155 and 194 together. BreastCheck, the national breast screening programme, commenced in 2000 and currently covers the eastern, north-eastern, midland and part of the south-eastern regions of the country. There are approximately 160,000 in the target age group in these regions. The roll out of the national breast screening programme to the remaining regions in...

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

Mary Harney: The Government is committed to making the full range of cancer services available and accessible to cancer patients throughout Ireland in line with best international standards. It is important to build teams of highly expert clinicians working together to deliver top quality cancer care to cancer patients. To this end, we will provide considerable investment in oncology services in the...

Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Harney: The arrangements for the provision of third level primary medical education are, in the first instance, a matter for the Department of Education and Science. The working group on undergraduate medical education and training, Fottrell, submitted its final report to me and my colleague, Deputy Hanafin, Minister for Education and Science during the summer. The report is under consideration in...

Written Answers — Infectious Diseases: Infectious Diseases (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 162, 180, 268, 300, 309 and 348 together. I wish to take this opportunity to clarify that avian influenza, "bird flu", is an infectious disease of birds caused by the type A strains of the influenza virus. The Department of Agriculture and Food is responsible for controlling avian influenza in birds and mammals other than humans. That Department has a...

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

Mary Harney: At the request of the Department of Health and Children, a committee was established by the former Comhairle na nOspidéal, currently the national hospitals office/Comhairle, to review the existing arrangements for the provision of neurosurgical services and consultant staffing nationally and, following consultation with the interests concerned, to make recommendations on the future...

Written Answers — Accident and Emergency Services: Accident and Emergency Services (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 165, 174, 187 and 328, together. The Health Service Executive is advancing the implementation of a series of measures to improve the delivery of accident and emergency services. These measures take a wide ranging approach and are aimed at improving access to accident and emergency services, improving patient flows through accident and emergency departments,...

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

Mary Harney: The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated. The Health Service Executive has advised that it was not possible to...

Written Answers — Organ Retention: Organ Retention (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Harney: Following a review of all inquiries by the Attorney General during mid-2004, the Government decided in September 2004 that the Dunne post mortem inquiry should submit its report on or before 31 March 2005, on which date the inquiry would cease to exist. The chairman, Ms Anne Dunne SC, submitted her report on the due date. However, following consultation with the Attorney General, I was...

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

Mary Harney: The information requested is being collated in my Department and will be forwarded directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Cancer Screening Programme: Cancer Screening Programme (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Harney: The most recent report from the National Cancer Registry, Cancer in Ireland 1994-2002, estimates the annual incidence of prostate cancer to have increased by 5% over the period. A new national cancer strategy is currently being finalised by the national cancer forum, a multidisciplinary group of experts in oncology. As part of this work, the forum has reviewed all issues relating to...

Written Answers — Accident and Emergency Services: Accident and Emergency Services (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Harney: The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Health Forums: Health Forums (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Harney: Section 41 of the Health Act 2004 provides for the convening of a National Health Consultative Forum to advise me, in my capacity as Minister, on matters relating to the provision of health and personal social services as defined in the Act. This forum will replace the National Consultative Forum on the Health Strategy which has been convened annually since 2002. The strategy forum will be...

Written Answers — Ambulance Service: Ambulance Service (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Harney: The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.