Results 6,081-6,100 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Cancer Screening Programme. (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: As the Deputy is aware, we have mobile units that go to more remote areas to do the screening. Not everybody has to come to the big centre. Among the people I referred to earlier, one person in particular whom I met last weekend lives within a mile and a half or two miles of St. Vincent's Hospital where BreastCheck is located in Dublin. There are different issues. I am not taking away from...

Cancer Screening Programme. (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: I am not the Minister for Transport. My job is to try and provide health services and that, as the Deputy knows, is a challenge even with a budget of €13 billion.

Cancer Screening Programme. (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: Transport is a matter for others.

Proposed Legislation. (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: Work on the new medical practitioners Bill is well advanced and it is envisaged the heads of the Bill will be circulated for comment to interested parties, including the Deputy, before the summer. This will assist in drafting the Bill. I intend to publish the Bill later this year.

Proposed Legislation. (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: I certainly hope it will be enacted because otherwise it will fall. A huge effort is being made in the Department of Health and Children to try to make sure we have modern and robust legislation enacted with great speed. Clearly, there are deficiencies in the 1978 legislation. We need more modern and robust legislation but, notwithstanding the deficiencies, that is no excuse for what happened...

Proposed Legislation. (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: I intend to release the heads of the Bill. This will be helpful given that it will be major legislation that will be of great interest not only in this House. A better debate on the Bill will ensue if there is feedback and input at an earlier stage. There will be an ongoing process of competence assurance because we have noted this happens elsewhere. Most of our best doctors constantly attend...

Proposed Legislation. (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: This is a medical practitioners Bill, so clearly it does not deal with anyone other than medical practitioners. The Deputy is well informed about the date of 12 May because I did not know the specific date. It is a good report which makes some very practical suggestions.

General Medical Services Scheme. (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: The financial report to the board of the Health Service Executive in respect of the cumulative expenditure to end December 2005 highlighted the growth in expenditure on drugs and medicines of €65 million over the 2004 expenditure level. This represents an increase of 13% on a total expenditure figure for 2004 of €500 million on both major hospitals and the community drug schemes. This...

General Medical Services Scheme. (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: No. These are very controversial areas and they are probably more appropriate for those with medical expertise. I am aware that many countries have protocols regulating when particular drugs may be used, for example, drugs that can cure as opposed to drugs used for an incurable illness. We have not considered going down that road as it is a very sensitive issue. In the first instance it is...

General Medical Services Scheme. (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: In answer to the question about the chief pharmacist — until we can pay a public sector salary commensurate with what the market regards as reasonable we will find it considerably difficult. This has been the experience when the Department recruited some professionals in recent times. It is a real issue because of the salaries being earned in the private sector. In some of these areas we...

Written Answers — Medical Negligence Claims: Medical Negligence Claims (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: The estimated cost of settling the 1,300 claims notified to the State Claims Agency since the establishment of the clinical indemnity scheme in July 2002 is based on advice received from consulting actuaries appointed by the State Claims Agency and my Department. The estimate of €160 million is the projected cost of settling these claims over the ten years or so that it will take to dispose...

Written Answers — Hospital Waiting Lists: Hospital Waiting Lists (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: Responsibility for the collection and reporting of waiting lists and waiting times for inpatient hospital treatment falls within the remit of the National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF. Based on the latest information provided to the NTPF by Beaumont Hospital there were 351 patients waiting for elective neurosurgical procedures in mid-April 2006. This represents a decrease of approximately...

Written Answers — Health Service Management: Health Service Management (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: I assume the Deputy is referring to a media report some time back referring to a meeting last September between the Secretary General of my Department and the chief executive officer of the Health Service Executive about my initiative to free up public hospital beds for public patients. I can assure the Deputy that there is no question of a lack of accountability by or within my Department or...

Written Answers — Infectious Diseases: Infectious Diseases (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: In January 2006, the WHO Stop TB Partnership launched the Global Plan to Stop TB 2006-2015. This plan sets out actions towards a world free of tuberculosis. The plan outlines what needs to be done to make an impact on the global burden of TB and to achieve the partnership's goal of reducing TB deaths and disease by 50% by 2015. The WHO goal for 2050 is the elimination of TB as a public health...

Written Answers — Hospital Service Management: Hospital Service Management (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: I visited Louth County Hospital on 27 January 2006 and met the hospital network manager, the group general manager, the Medical Board, consultants, hospital staff and also a group of general practitioners from the Dundalk area. I also visited Our Lady's Hospital, Navan and Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda in 2005. I look forward to visiting Cavan and Monaghan General Hospitals as soon...

Written Answers — Hospital Procedures: Hospital Procedures (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: The hospital inpatient inquiry, HIPE, system collects information from acute hospitals on every patient. Discharge information for 2005 continues to be notified to the HIPE system, and as a result the data for 2005 are not yet complete. In 2004, there were 2,988 neurosurgical procedures carried out as emergency admissions, in addition to 1,998 procedures carried out on an elective basis.

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: Responsibility for improvements in specialist health services in the former Midland Health Board region rests with the Health Service Executive, HSE. The executive has advised that a number of capital and service developments have been progressed in the area in recent years to facilitate the improvement of specialist health services in the region. Principal among the capital developments that...

Written Answers — Hospitals Building Programme: Hospitals Building Programme (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 64 and 76 together. On 3 February last, the Health Service Executive published a report which was prepared by McKinsey & Co., on the delivery of tertiary paediatric services in this country. This report was commissioned by the HSE following my request to it to arrange a review of those services. The report recommends that best outcomes for children would be...

Written Answers — Parliamentary Questions: Parliamentary Questions (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: Prior to the establishment of the Health Service Executive, parliamentary questions concerning access to services, by individuals or in specific geographic areas, were referred to the chief executive officer of the relevant health board-ERHA for direct reply. The establishment of the HSE brought into being a new unitary system for the delivery and management of health services at local,...

Written Answers — Accident and Emergency Services: Accident and Emergency Services (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 66, 67, 101, 111, 139 and 144 together. Tackling the current difficulties with accident and emergency departments is the Government's top priority in health. The service being provided to some patients in accident and emergency departments is unacceptable and must be improved. Our objectives are to reduce the numbers waiting for admission, the time spent...