Results 6,041-6,060 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Written Answers — Hospital Accommodation: Hospital Accommodation (25 Apr 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 Services: Hospital Services (25 Apr 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 respond directly to the Deputy regarding the matter raised.

Written Answers — Hospitals Building Programme: Hospitals Building Programme (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: The HSE capital plan 2006, which includes the proposed Phase 3C development at Naas Hospital, is being considered by my Department, in conjunction with the Department of Finance. I expect to revert to the HSE in the near future on agreement on the overall plan and the progression of individual proposals, including that relating to Phase 3C at Naas General Hospital, can only be considered in...

Written Answers — Legal Services: Legal Services (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: My Department has sought and obtained legal advice on a wide range of issues over the period in question. Many issues require several separate legal advices. Most of the legal advice is provided on an ongoing basis by the Department's own legal adviser. In addition legal advice is provided by the Office of the Attorney General. However, the information requested on the cost of other legal...

Written Answers — Legal Services: Legal Services (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: As the Deputy is aware, a substantial number of non-commercial semi-State bodies operate under the aegis of my Department. The staff employed in those agencies and their respective qualifications is a matter for the agencies concerned. Such information is not retained by my Department. Legal advice to the Adoption Board is a matter for consideration by the Office of the Attorney General and...

Written Answers — Legal Services: Legal Services (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: My Department employs Ms Angela Ó Floinn to provide highly specialist legal advice to my Department in respect of new and existing legislation and to represent this Department on various consultative groups and at Comite Directeur pour la Bioethique, CDBI, to negotiate on EU directives and the transposition of EU directives into Irish Law. My Department also keeps in close contact with the...

Accident and Emergency Services: Motion. (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: I move: That Dáil Éireann, —commends the Government and the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children for their commitment to improving care for patients in our hospitals; —recognises and supports the necessity for a substantial reform to accompany the unprecedented level of resources being invested in our health services and in hospitals in particular; —acknowledges and supports...

Accident and Emergency Services: Motion. (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: No, I am not. I look forward to the Deputy's contribution. I think he will be doing his own spinning, given what I have heard.

Accident and Emergency Services: Motion. (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: I am surprised to hear that.

Accident and Emergency Services: Motion. (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: There has been a 100% increase in day cases.

Health Service Staff. (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: The national task force on medical staffing was set up to devise a strategy for reducing the average working hours of non-consultant hospital doctors to achieve the requirements of the European working time directive, address the consequent medical staffing needs of Irish hospitals, analyse the practical implications of moving to a consultant-provided hospital system, and consider the...

Health Service Staff. (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: We would have agreement if we threw in the towel and gave everybody what they wanted, which seems to be Deputy Twomey's attitude, that is, every time we go into negotiations, we should agree and then they will be over. At present non-consultant hospital doctors get approximately €200 million per year in overtime for the long hours they work. One cannot reduce working hours and pay people...

Health Service Staff. (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: The process is under way in the LRC. I accept what the Deputy said, that we need changed work practices whereby doctors work as part of teams and clinical directors. We have already seen some initiatives, especially in Blanchardstown hospital where seven new consultants have been appointed. They will work on a team and on a 24-hour per day basis. These are the types of initiatives which will...

Hospital Services. (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: It is to be expected that diverse views are expressed at a gathering of the Irish Medical Organisation. For example, Professor John Higgins, consultant in obstetrics and gynaecology at Cork University Hospital, stated the following at the organisation's conference: "If dynamic, flexible arrangements are put in place then I think the co-location model recently suggested by the Tánaiste should...

Hospital Services. (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: There are 2,500 private beds in the public hospitals. The policy pursued by the Deputy's party, when it was in Government, was that 20% of beds in all new hospitals would be private. The taxpayer pays the full cost of these and, furthermore, staffs them and subsidises them to the tune of 40%. The only staff members getting any income from the insurers are the consultants. I recently compared...

Hospital Services. (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: No, I am not.

Hospital Services. (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: They will not have preferential entry.

Hospital Services. (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: It does not require rocket science to realise that one can provide 1,000 public beds for less than half the cost of building them in the traditional way, yet the Deputy says this does not make sense and suggests we should instead pay €1 million per bed to build the 1,000 beds, which sum we are currently paying. The public hospitals will either lease or sell the required land and will not...

Hospital Services. (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: At present they bring——

Hospital Services. (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: Under the Deputy's proposal, the consultants will do all their private work in the public hospitals and the State will continue to subsidise the beds to the tune of 40%. She obviously believes this is a good idea.