Results 3,581-3,600 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

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

Mary Harney: My Department is aware that proposals are being formulated by at least one Dublin hospital to put additional beds on certain wards in order to ease overcrowding in the accident and emergency department. These proposals have been drafted in the light of the Health and Safety Authority's report on certain accident and emergency departments earlier this year which recommended that hospitals...

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

Mary Harney: I am aware of concerns expressed regarding the practice of admitting children to adult psychiatric units. I accept that the placement of children with mental health problems in adult facilities is inappropriate. The first report of the working group on child and adolescent psychiatry, recommended that a total of seven child and adolescent inpatient psychiatric units for children ranging from...

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 health strategy. It is used for the purpose of treating public patients who have been waiting longest for surgery. Up to the end of September over 35,000 patients have had treatment arranged for them by the NTPF. The management of outpatient...

Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Harney: There has been no change in the eligibility determination process. Since 2001 people who are aged 70 or over have a statutory entitlement to medical cards. Under the terms of the Health Act 1970, applications for medical cards for persons other than those in this group are a matter to be assessed and decided upon by the Health Service Executive, HSE, based on a range of measures including the...

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

Mary Harney: On foot of the commitment in the health strategy, funding has been provided to open an additional 900 inpatient beds and day places in acute hospitals. Health agencies have informed my Department that as of 14 October 2005, 806 beds were in place. The Health Service Executive has informed my Department that the remaining 94 beds/places will come on stream over the coming months. My Department...

Written Answers — Nursing Home Charges: Nursing Home Charges (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Harney: The Government has agreed the key elements of a scheme for the repayment of long-stay charges for publicly funded residential care. All those who were charged and are alive and the estates of all those who were charged and died in the six years prior to 9 December 2004 will have the charges repaid in full. The scheme will not allow for repayments to the estates of those who died more than six...

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

Mary Harney: My predecessor in the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Martin, met the Survivors of Symphysiotomy, SOS, group in late 2003 and agreed that a range of measures would be put in place to support the group. My Department is advised by the Health Service Executive, HSE, that the current position in this regard is as follows: the former health boards and the relevant voluntary hospitals...

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

Mary Harney: My Department is advised by the Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital inquiry that the report of the inquiry is at an advanced stage and is going through a necessary legal process before it will be furnished to me. Last March, I met representatives of Patient Focus, a group representing a number of patients who attended the maternity unit at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda. I advised the group...

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

Mary Harney: Section 42 of the Health Act 2004 provides for the establishment by the Minister for Health and Children of not more than four regional health forums. These forums will comprise members appointed from each city and county council within the functional areas of the forums. The function of a forum, as provided for in the 2004 Act, is to make such representations as it considers appropriate to...

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

Mary Harney: Work on the drafting of the new Medical Practitioners Bill is ongoing. Consultations are taking place between my Department and the Medical Council on a number of issues to be incorporated in the Bill. Following these consultations, a second draft of the Bill will be drafted by Parliamentary Counsel. It is my intention to publish the Bill early next year.

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Harney: I welcome the recent statements from the Irish Hospital Consultants Association and the Irish Medical Organisation that they are willing to commence negotiations on a new consultant contract. While the HSE will obviously take the lead role on behalf of management in the forthcoming negotiations officials from my Department will of course participate in the management team and contribute to...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Harney: The following family friendly schemes are available to staff in my Department: flexitime gives staff the flexibility of varying their starting times between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. and their finishing times between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.; the Department's worksharing scheme allows staff to avail of a 40%, 50%, 60%, 73%, 75% or 80% attendance pattern; maternity leave or adoptive leave, which enables...

Written Answers — Hospital Waiting Lists: Hospital Waiting Lists (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Harney: I have been advised by the Health Service Executive northern area that 53 adults with an intellectual disability will require a residential service, while 303 will require a change in their day service. It is difficult to quantify the numbers on waiting lists for respite due to the wide range of respite services available and the appropriateness of the range of services to the particular client.

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

Mary Harney: Prior to the establishment of the Health Service Executive, HSE, parliamentary questions concerning access to services by individuals or in specific geographic areas, were referred to the chief executive officer of the relevant health board for direct reply. Pursuant to the Health Act 2004, the functions of the health boards were transferred to the HSE. Under the Act, the HSE has the...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health 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, HSE, 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 — National Treatment Purchase Fund: National Treatment Purchase Fund (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Harney: As the Deputy's question relates to operational matters regarding the national treatment purchase fund, NTPF, my Department has asked the chief executive of the NTPF to reply directly to the Deputy regarding the specific information requested.

Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Harney: The general practitioner services to be provided to people who hold a GP visit card under the general medical service or GMS scheme will be the same as those being provided for medical card holders. Where a general practitioner holds a contract with the Health Service Executive for GMS medical card and for GP visit card patients then the services generally provided by the practice, including...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health 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 arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Health Services: Health 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 arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.