Results 5,341-5,360 of 45,510 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Medical Services Scheme (1 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: Under the General Medical Services (GMS) contract, a general practitioner (GP) is expected to provide his/her patients who hold a medical card or GP visit card with all proper and necessary treatment of a kind generally undertaken by a GP. Under the contract the GP is required to furnish to a person whom he/she has examined, and for whom he/she is obliged to provide services, a...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Drugs Payment Scheme (1 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: Under the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the HSE has statutory responsibility for the administration of the community drugs schemes; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to you. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (1 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual. The National...

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE Staff (1 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: The Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004 among other things removed the compulsory age for certain categories of new entrants to the public service who joined on or after 1 April 2004. These employees are generally referred to as "new entrants" and under the Act new entrants are not required to retire on age grounds. Those public servants that were serving in...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Discharges (1 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (1 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 179, 180, 182 and 183 together. In relation to the specific queries raised by the Deputy, as these are service matters, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff Recruitment (1 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: Arising from Budget 2015, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform announced an easing of restrictions on the employment of additional staff. Submission of a Pay and Numbers Strategy, outlining planned staffing levels and pay/pensions expenditure was required to obtain sanction for the lifting of the moratorium and Employment Control Framework arrangements. The HSE are currently...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff Recruitment (1 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: Arising from Budget 2015, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform announced an easing of restrictions on the employment of additional staff. Submission of a Pay and Numbers Strategy, outlining planned staffing levels and pay/pensions expenditure was required to obtain sanction for the lifting of the moratorium and Employment Control Framework arrangements. This change allows for...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Delays (1 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual. The scheduling...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Vaccination Programme (1 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: There is currently a worldwide shortage of BCG vaccine.  In 2015 the United Nations Children's Funds (UNICEF) estimated a worldwide shortage of 65 million doses of BCG. The vaccine has not been available in Ireland since the end of April 2015. Consequently, BCG vaccination clinics in HSE Clinics and Maternity hospitals have been postponed until new stock arrives. There is only...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Capital Programme (1 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: In relation to the specific query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly. If he has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Aids and Appliances Provision (1 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products Prices (1 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: It is not feasible to provide a robust estimate of savings from a reduction in the price of branded medicines to the average European Union level, as the price of each branded medicine would need to be assessed and compared with pricing data from all of the other member states. In addition, I would draw the Deputy's attention to the Joint Committee on Health and Children Report on the Cost...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Long-Term Illness Scheme Coverage (1 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: The Long Term Illness (LTI) Scheme was established under Section 59(3) of the Health Act, 1970 (as amended). Regulations were made in 1971, 1973 and 1975 specifying the conditions covered by the LTI Scheme, which are as follows: acute leukaemia; mental handicap; cerebral palsy; mental illness (in a person under 16); cystic fibrosis; multiple sclerosis; diabetes insipidus; muscular...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Human Rights Issues (1 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is an interactive process that allows UN member states the opportunity to question the state being reviewed on its human rights record and make recommendations in that regard. At the UPR meeting in Geneva in May, member state delegations did not raise the issue of symphysiotomy. The Tánaiste did not therefore speak on this issue. Ireland provided an...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Ambulance Service (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy O'Reilly for her question and I wish her well in her appointment as her party's spokesperson on health. I look forward to the debates that we will have in the Chamber. I hope that we will be able to build on yesterday's establishment of a cross-party committee to devise a singular vision for the health service and work together. Last month, at my request the HSE published...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Ambulance Service (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: The Deputy makes a number of very fair points. She is correct that it is more than a question of generalities and is about what specifically we will do. I can tell the Deputy very clearly today that the programme for Government, which outlines my mandate and what I need to implement along with my colleagues in the Department of Health, commits the Government to increasing the number of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Ambulance Service (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: Let me be very specific. I have four specific points to make. First, there is €7.2 million for the ambulance service this year, as I have outlined. It will enable the creation of new developments within the service. Second, within a week of my appointment as Minister for Health, I went to the Cabinet and got this report published. It was long overdue and needed to be published....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Ambulance Service (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: Absolutely, it will cost money. The Government is absolutely committed to continuing to increase investment in the National Ambulance Service. We began this process with the last budget under the last Government, and we will continue under this Government.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Health Services Staff Recruitment (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: An easing of restrictions on the employment of additional staff was announced by the previous Government in budget 2015. Under this new approach, public sector organisations can obtain delegated sanction to recruit within the parameters of their pay budget once they obtain approval for their pay and numbers strategy from their parent Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and...