Results 361-380 of 527 for speaker:Mary Wallace

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (17 Feb 2009)

Mary Wallace: As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for a direct reply.

Written Answers — Food Safety Authority: Food Safety Authority (17 Feb 2009)

Mary Wallace: My Department have been in contact with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) which is currently collating the information requested from the official agencies. I have asked the FSAI to identify and to forward directly to the Deputy the details requested.

National Health Strategy. (19 Feb 2009)

Mary Wallace: One of the main purposes of the national men's health policy is to bring a greater focus on the needs of men as a population group. The policy, which aligns itself with existing policies and strategies, focuses on the need to ensure services are reconfigured to reflect best available evidence of what will work to deliver the desired outcomes. I am satisfied that much can be done within...

National Health Strategy. (19 Feb 2009)

Mary Wallace: No additional resources have been allocated to this because much of what is contained in the report can be done within existing resources with regard to reorientating services. Before launching the document I went through it to establish what can be done within existing resources. This is a matter of doing business differently and making it more accessible to men. We know the traditional...

National Health Strategy. (19 Feb 2009)

Mary Wallace: In many cases it is a matter of making places more accessible and encouraging men to know more about their health and to do something about it. I refer to health in a broader sense than just medical health, including well-being. This involves many Departments and it involves people taking more physical activity, and what the Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism should do. We need to...

National Health Strategy. (19 Feb 2009)

Mary Wallace: There are many specifics in respect of this and some may be of interest to Deputy O'Sullivan. I will move away from the medical health aspect because sometimes we think this is what health is all about. The plan is to review the adequacy of existing legislation to deter risk-taking behaviour in men, which involves the Department of Transport, the Department of Justice, Equality and Law...

National Health Strategy. (19 Feb 2009)

Mary Wallace: The Deputy is aware of the excellent work of Professor Tom Keane on breast cancer and he is now moving on to the area of prostate cancer. I refer to the work being done in St James's Hospital. Many things are being done at present within existing services. This document is to policy proof that in respect of men. I find myself on the opposite side of the table from where I have been for 20...

National Health Strategy. (19 Feb 2009)

Mary Wallace: The last recommendation will be of interest to Deputy Reilly. It refers to managing stress in the workplace, something we can all take on board.

Job Losses. (19 Feb 2009)

Mary Wallace: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter on the Adjournment. The live register figures for January 2009 show increases in all regions. The largest percentage increase was in the mid-east and the smallest percentage increase was in the south east. However, the live register is not designed to measure unemployment which is measured by the quarterly national household survey. The most...

Health Services. (19 Feb 2009)

Mary Wallace: I thank Deputy Jan O'Sullivan for raising this important issue. The HSE is engaged in an important process of reorganising acute hospital services. The first and utmost concern is patient safety so that people can have confidence in the services and the best possible patient outcomes can be achieved. The HSE has commissioned a number of reviews on how acute hospital services should be...

Schools Building Projects. (19 Feb 2009)

Mary Wallace: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline to the House the Government's strategy for capital investment in education projects and also to outline the current position in relation to the future plans for Gaelscoil Bharra, Cabra. Modernising facilities in the existing building stock, as well as the need to respond to emerging needs in areas of...

Written Answers — Food Suppliers: Food Suppliers (19 Feb 2009)

Mary Wallace: The information requested is being provided by the Health Service Executive and will be forwarded to the Deputy directly.

Written Answers — Food Labelling: Food Labelling (24 Feb 2009)

Mary Wallace: I propose to take Questions Nos. 177, 230 and 231 together. At present EU food labelling legislation is harmonised by Council Directive 2000/13/EC, transposed in 2002, with seven amendments since. In January 2008, the European Commission presented its proposals on updating and harmonising this legislation. The proposal is still under discussion and it is not expected that the Regulation...

Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Programme: Statements (26 Feb 2009)

Mary Wallace: I welcome the opportunity to speak on the HSE document, Framework for the Development of a Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Programme for Ireland, which was published in November 2008. Diabetes is a chronic and progressive metabolic disease. There are two types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes, or insulin dependent diabetes, accounts for approximately 10% of all cases of diabetes. It affects...

Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Programme: Statements (26 Feb 2009)

Mary Wallace: I welcome Deputies' valuable contributions to the debate on the development of a retinopathy screening programme. I concur with the point made by many Deputies that the development of a screening programme is an important preventative measure in dealing with one of the most distressing complications arising from diabetes, namely diabetic retinopathy, which can result in blindness. I assure...

Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Programme: Statements (26 Feb 2009)

Mary Wallace: Funding of €750,000 has been allocated for 2009 and a recruitment process is in train. Several speakers referred to podiatry, while others, including Deputy Perry, raised the issue of a diabetic register. This matter is under consideration in the HSE which is working on details. The issue of consultant diabetic posts was also raised. The number of posts has been increased and figures...

Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Programme: Statements (26 Feb 2009)

Mary Wallace: Deputy Reilly indicated the obesity task force report featured 128 recommendations. The report made 93 recommendations, most of which have been acted upon by the Department of Health and Children or Health Service Executive. For example, we established an action plan for implementation across various Departments and agencies, including the Irish Heart Foundation. Deputy Reilly is concerned...

Written Answers — Eating Disorders: Eating Disorders (4 Mar 2009)

Mary Wallace: Implementation of the recommendations of the National Taskforce on Obesity is ongoing. A wide range of initiatives have been taken by various Government Departments and Agencies. Since becoming Minister of State with responsibility for Health Promotion, I have made tackling obesity one of my keys priorities. It is my intention to work closely with all stakeholders to ensure that a coherent...

Written Answers — Food Safety: Food Safety (10 Mar 2009)

Mary Wallace: Responsibility for the enforcement of food safety legislation rests with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI). The Food Safety Authority of Ireland oversees the regular monitoring of the bacteriological quality of the Irish food supply. This includes the sampling and testing of meat and poultry products at the processing, retail and catering stages of the food chain. The sampling and...

Written Answers — Crime Prevention: Crime Prevention (10 Mar 2009)

Mary Wallace: Following the recommendations of the Report on the Task Force on Violence against Women in 1997, Regional Planning Committees (RPCs) were established in each of the eight former health board regions to draw together the services available to women in each of these regions in order to consolidate an approach to the treatment of victims of violence. A wide range of groups consisting of public,...