Results 501-520 of 1,371 for speaker:Máire Hoctor

Written Answers — Hospital Waiting Lists: Hospital Waiting Lists (12 Mar 2008)

Máire Hoctor: Operational responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services was assigned to the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Therefore, the Executive is the appropriate body to consider the particular case raised by the Deputy. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have the matter investigated...

Written Answers — Housing Aid for the Elderly: Housing Aid for the Elderly (12 Mar 2008)

Máire Hoctor: Operational responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services was assigned to the Health Service Executive (HSE) under the Health Act 2004 and funding for all health services has been provided as part of its overall vote. The HSE's responsibility includes the operation of the Housing Aid Scheme for the Elderly, on behalf of the Department of the...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (12 Mar 2008)

Máire Hoctor: I presume the Deputy is referring to the legislation providing for the new nursing home support scheme, A Fair Deal. In the course of progressing the legislation, the Department has obtained legal advice in relation to a number of matters. Some of these matters are still the subject of consideration in the context of finalising the Bill. It would not be appropriate to comment further until...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (13 Mar 2008)

Máire Hoctor: I propose to take Questions Nos. 62, 73 and 74 together. Home Care Packages are an additional support over and above existing mainstream community services and are used to maintain an older person at home via additional supports and therapy services. They are designed to be flexible and are particularly targeted at those at risk of admission to long-term care, inappropriate admission to acute...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (13 Mar 2008)

Máire Hoctor: The Bill providing for the Fair Deal Scheme is being finalised by the Office of the Attorney General at present. The legislation is complex, demanding careful consideration in the course of drafting. My colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, intends to publish the Bill as soon as possible following finalisation by the Attorney General and Government approval, and to bring the...

Written Answers — Care of the Elderly: Care of the Elderly (13 Mar 2008)

Máire Hoctor: As the Deputy will appreciate, operational responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services was assigned to the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. This includes prioritising projects at local level to be progressed each year, in line with its overall funding resources. A draft Capital Plan 2008 has recently been completed by the...

Written Answers — Hospital Waiting Lists: Hospital Waiting Lists (13 Mar 2008)

Máire Hoctor: Operational responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services was assigned to the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Therefore, the Executive is the appropriate body to consider the particular case raised by the Deputy. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have the matter...

Written Answers — Housing Aid for the Elderly: Housing Aid for the Elderly (13 Mar 2008)

Máire Hoctor: My Department operates a number of grant schemes to assist older people in carrying out repairs and improvements which may assist in improving the energy efficiency of their homes. The Housing Aid for Older People scheme, which was introduced in November 2007, provides targeted support to improve conditions in the existing housing of older people. The types of works grant aided under the...

Nursing Home Subventions (2 Apr 2008)

Máire Hoctor: The Minister, Deputy Harney, has not taken the increase either.

Nursing Home Subventions (2 Apr 2008)

Máire Hoctor: I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney. I thank the Deputies for raising these questions as it provides me an opportunity to outline to the House the improvements made to the existing nursing home subvention scheme and the position in respect of the new nursing home support scheme, the fair deal. Government policy regarding older people is to...

Nursing Home Subventions (2 Apr 2008)

Máire Hoctor: Enhanced subvention should be used to develop consistency between the payment of subvention and the new nursing home support scheme, and to work towards equalisation of the level of support paid to people in different areas taking local prices and a person's means into account. The HSE guidelines provide that an applicant for enhanced subvention will be subject to the means assessment....

Health Services. (2 Apr 2008)

Máire Hoctor: I am taking this Adjournment debate on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney. I welcome the opportunity to set out the current position to Deputy O'Dowd regarding cancer services, with particular reference to the north east region. The HSE issued a statement on Monday, 31 March concerning radiology services in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda,...

Suicide Prevention. (2 Apr 2008)

Máire Hoctor: I am taking the debate on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children. I assure the Deputy that the Government is fully committed to the implementation of suicide prevention initiatives and the further development of services to prevent and reduce further tragic loss of life.

Suicide Prevention. (2 Apr 2008)

Máire Hoctor: We should be encouraged by the progress to date in suicide prevention, in particular the launch of two important strategy documents: Reach Out — A National Strategy for Action on Suicide Prevention 2005-2014, which was launched in September 2005, and A Vision for Change, the report of the expert group on mental health policy, published in January 2006. Since the establishment of the HSE's...

Suicide Prevention. (2 Apr 2008)

Máire Hoctor: The NOSP has an annual budget of €4.5 million. Initiatives funded by the office include developing and implementing national training programmes, developing mental health awareness campaigns, implementing recommendations arising from a review of bereavement services and supporting voluntary organisations working in the field of suicide prevention. A number of other suicide prevention...

Special Areas of Conservation. (2 Apr 2008)

Máire Hoctor: I am replying on behalf of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. While I play a significant part in the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, the area referred to by Deputy McCormack is not my immediate area.

Special Areas of Conservation. (2 Apr 2008)

Máire Hoctor: The point I am making is that I am not totally removed from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.

Special Areas of Conservation. (2 Apr 2008)

Máire Hoctor: The Deputy might be surprised.

Special Areas of Conservation. (2 Apr 2008)

Máire Hoctor: I am glad of this opportunity to provide some background to the agri-environment measures to apply in the Twelve Bens-Garraun and Maumturk mountain complex special areas of conservation, in addition to providing clarification on the further measures that are to be implemented. These measures are an effort to meet fully the requirements set by a European Court judgment in 2002. The court...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (2 Apr 2008)

Máire Hoctor: Operational responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services was assigned to the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Therefore, the Executive is the appropriate body to consider the particular matter raised by the Deputy. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have the matter...