Results 4,801-4,820 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney
- Written Answers — Hospital Accommodation: Hospital Accommodation (26 Jan 2006)
Mary Harney: The World Health Organisation's European Health for All database of June 2005 shows that the number of acute care beds in Ireland in 2003 was three per 1,000 population and that the EU average for the same year was four per 1,000 population. The organisation advises caution in the interpretation of the cross-country data in the database. Health data recording systems and practices vary...
- Written Answers — Departmental Appointments: Departmental Appointments (26 Jan 2006)
Mary Harney: Rights commissioners investigate trade disputes referred by individuals or small groups of workers. Having carried out an investigation, the rights commissioner issues a recommendation â which is not binding on the parties involved â giving his or her opinion on the merits, or otherwise, of the dispute. The rights commissioner does not seek to impose a solution on the parties to a dispute...
- Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (26 Jan 2006)
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 (26 Jan 2006)
Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 50 and 51 together. The Deputy's questions relate 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...
- Written Answers — National Health Strategy: National Health Strategy (26 Jan 2006)
Mary Harney: The primary care strategy aims to develop services in the community so that patients will have direct access to integrated multi-disciplinary teams of general practitioners, nurses, health care assistants, home helps, occupational therapists and others. The Government is fully committed to the implementation of the principles contained in the primary care strategy which provides a template...
- Written Answers — National Health Strategy: National Health Strategy (26 Jan 2006)
Mary Harney: GMS GPs are contractually obliged to provide a service for medical card and GP visit card holders on a 24 hour basis. Funding was first provided for out of hours general practitioner co-operatives in 2000. The resources allocated to facilitate development of these services have been increased annually since then and in 2006 the sum available for GP co-ops amounts to â¬33.984 million, of...
- Written Answers — Hospital Accommodation: Hospital Accommodation (26 Jan 2006)
Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 55 and 56 together. The information requested by the Deputy will be provided as soon as possible.
- Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (26 Jan 2006)
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 — Hospital Accommodation: Hospital Accommodation (26 Jan 2006)
Mary Harney: The Mater and Children's Hospital development is the largest single capital development project in the HSE capital programme. It involves the redevelopment of the Mater campus to include considerably expanded and improved facilities for the Mater itself, and the construction of new, purpose-built accommodation which will replace the Children's University Hospital, Temple Street. In the...
- Pharmacy Regulations. (31 Jan 2006)
Mary Harney: The practice of pharmacy is governed by the Pharmacy Acts 1875 to 1962. I am aware that the current fitness to practise provisions in these Acts are inadequate for the modern practice of pharmacy. On foot of the recommendations of the pharmacy review group I obtained Government approval in June 2005 to commence the process of drafting, as a priority, new pharmacy legislation to allow, among...
- Pharmacy Regulations. (31 Jan 2006)
Mary Harney: I accept that the legislation governing the regulation of pharmacy is unsatisfactory. It dates back to 1962 and much has changed in the intervening period. At a recent event I was told by the incoming president of the pharmaceutical society that when his father was its president many years ago, he expected the new law during that year. That was 30 years ago. I do not know why we have not been...
- Hospital Services. (31 Jan 2006)
Mary Harney: It is regrettable that some patients have their operations postponed and I recognise that this can cause inconvenience and stress for them and their families. Every effort continues to be made by the HSE and hospitals to keep cancellations to a minimum. However, due to fluctuating demands on the acute hospital system, in some instances it is necessary to reschedule planned treatment,...
- Hospital Services. (31 Jan 2006)
Mary Harney: It is always unacceptable when somebody has elective surgery cancelled. To put the matter in perspective, the percentage of cancellations is between 2% and 3% per annum, although that is still too many. I was reading that in the United Kingdom 15% of elective work is done by the private sector for these kinds of reasons. The HSE recently commissioned process mapping exercises of ten of our...
- Hospital Services. (31 Jan 2006)
Mary Harney: These difficulties do not arise in the private system which, to be fair, does not deal with trauma and accident and emergency cases, which cause many of the difficulties in the public system. I acknowledge that the health care system is experiencing a major shortage of consultants, which is why it is extremely important to get a new contract of employment that suits the public health care...
- Accident and Emergency Services. (31 Jan 2006)
Mary Harney: I do not accept that the accident and emergency action plan has failed. On the contrary, a wide-ranging approach has been adopted by the Health Service Executive to improve access to accident and emergency services, improve patient flows through accident and emergency departments, reduce waiting times, free up acute beds and provide appropriate longer-term care for patients outside the acute...
- Accident and Emergency Services. (31 Jan 2006)
Mary Harney: I was abroad when the Taoiseach gave the interview. To be fair to the Deputy, I do not know whether she is quoting him out of context. However, the Taoiseach is more than aware of the difficulties and pressure in accident and emergency units. He may have been suggesting we should put matters in context, although that is not to justify what happens from time to time â on too many occasions....
- Accident and Emergency Services. (31 Jan 2006)
Mary Harney: Absolutely. With regard to acute medical units, AMUs, to which the Deputy referred, a number of hospitals, including St. James's Hospital in Dublin, have them. A number of other hospitals sought to completely over-spec what the HSE and the Department felt was required. If people in the health care system think a pot of money is available, they sometimes feel they have to go for the largest...
- Departmental Funding. (31 Jan 2006)
Mary Harney: The Irish Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society, ISANDS, provides support services to parents and families of babies who are stillborn or who die around the time of birth. The society has been funded by the former Eastern Regional Health Authority and, latterly, the Health Service Executive, HSE, since 2001. In 2005, the HSE grant amounted to â¬35,000. In addition, a once-off grant of...
- Departmental Funding. (31 Jan 2006)
Mary Harney: I strongly support ISANDS, which I met in Glasnevin a few months ago. Like Deputy Gormley, I know of many people affected by stillbirth who receive considerable consolation and support from ISANDS. According to the HSE, ISANDS's annual requirements are in the region of â¬35,000. The society has not yet received funding for 2006. I am not aware of the commitment made by my predecessor, Deputy...
- Departmental Funding. (31 Jan 2006)
Mary Harney: ISANDS is more than aware of my support for it. The Madden report recommended the establishment of a working group to examine how its findings in respect of organ retention could be applied to stillborn children and adults. We are in the process of establishing this working group and will invite ISANDS to be a representative on it, which will be very important.