Results 7,121-7,140 of 21,128 for speaker:James Reilly

Written Answers — Hospital Staff: Hospital Staff (11 Jan 2012)

James Reilly: While the Programme for Government provides for a reduction in consultants' remuneration, my immediate priority is to achieve more effective implementation of the existing contract so that patients get faster access to services and achieve better outcomes within the budgets available to hospitals. I believe there is plenty of scope under the existing contract and the Croke Park agreement to...

Written Answers — Mental Health Services: Mental Health Services (11 Jan 2012)

James Reilly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 18 and 840 together. The Government is committed to a reduction in public service numbers to 282,500 by 2015. This represents a reduction of 37,500, or 12% of staff, compared to 2008 levels. The health service must make an appropriate contribution to this reduction. The draft National Service Plan 2012, which is the subject of discussions between my...

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (11 Jan 2012)

James Reilly: As part of new management arrangements for hospitals in the west of Ireland, designed to deliver improved performance, organisational coherence and effectiveness, I recently announced the appointment of Mr Bill Maher as CEO to the Galway/Roscommon Hospitals Group. Mr Maher commenced duties on the 9th of January. The new management structure will provide accountability, greater efficiency and...

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (11 Jan 2012)

James Reilly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 20, 41 and 992 together. The most recent information available from the HSE indicates that over the period September 2011 to end February 2012 some 3,200 health service staff, equating in wholetime equivalent terms to approximately 2,700 employees will have retired. These retirements will contribute significantly to the achievement of the staffing reductions...

Written Answers — Assisted Human Reproduction: Assisted Human Reproduction (11 Jan 2012)

James Reilly: My Department is currently examining policy proposals on Assisted Human Reproduction and related practices in Ireland. I will consider such proposals when presented to me.

Written Answers — Vaccination Programme: Vaccination Programme (11 Jan 2012)

James Reilly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 25 and 43 together. On 11 August 2011, my Department placed notices in the national press advising that, in accordance with the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2009 (FEMPI), I had initiated a review of the fees payable to General Practitioners (GPs) in respect of the provision of immunisation services. As part of the process,...

Written Answers — Health Insurance: Health Insurance (11 Jan 2012)

James Reilly: I am concerned that private health insurance is becoming harder to afford, especially for older people, as insurers increasingly tailor their insurance plans towards younger, healthier customers. I am strongly committed to protecting community rating, whereby older and less healthy customers should pay the same amount for the same cover as younger and healthier people. As part of Budget...

Written Answers — Hospital Accommodation: Hospital Accommodation (11 Jan 2012)

James Reilly: I have said clearly on many occasions that the situation in our hospital emergency departments where people must wait for unacceptably long periods on trolleys will not be allowed to continue. For this reason, one of my first actions as Minister for Health was to set about establishing the Special Delivery Unit. The unit is establishing an infrastructure based on information collection and...

Written Answers — Hospital Equipment: Hospital Equipment (11 Jan 2012)

James Reilly: Following the publication of the Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2012-2016: Medium Term Exchequer Framework, the Health Service Executive commenced drawing up its capital programme for the multi-annual period 2012-16. The Executive is required to prioritise the capital infrastructure projects within its overall capital funding allocation taking into account the existing capital...

Written Answers — Hospital Accommodation: Hospital Accommodation (11 Jan 2012)

James Reilly: Of the total of 445 beds in the new children's hospital, 62 beds are to be allocated to Paediatric Intensive Care and High Dependency areas, representing a one third increase in the number of critical care beds provided by the existing children's hospitals. This includes a dedicated Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, High Dependency beds and cardiac and neurosurgical critical care beds....

Written Answers — Health Insurance: Health Insurance (11 Jan 2012)

James Reilly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 36 and 965 together. I am concerned that private health insurance is becoming harder to afford, especially for older people, as insurers increasingly tailor their insurance plans towards younger and healthier customers. I am strongly committed to protecting community rating, whereby older and less healthy customers should pay the same amount for the same...

Written Answers — Cancer Screening Programme: Cancer Screening Programme (11 Jan 2012)

James Reilly: The HSE National Cancer Screening Service (NCSS) encompasses BreastCheck (the national breast screening programme) and CervicalCheck (the national cervical screening programme). The NCSS is preparing for the introduction of a national population-based colorectal cancer screening programme, which will be available to men and women aged between 65 and 69. International evidence does not...

Written Answers — Health Insurance Levy: Health Insurance Levy (11 Jan 2012)

James Reilly: Community rating, in principle, provides that everybody is charged the same premium for a particular health insurance plan, irrespective of age, gender and the current or likely future state of their health. The only exceptions to this rule relate to children less than 18 years of age and students in full time education. Community rating therefore means that the level of risk that a...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (11 Jan 2012)

James Reilly: There is no doubt that there are challenges facing the mental health, disability and child care services as a result of reduced resources by way of an additional efficiency target of €50 million in 2012. This target is in addition to savings in employment and procurement costs which are required of the health services as a whole next year. The precise level of savings required will vary...

Written Answers — Clinical Indemnity Scheme: Clinical Indemnity Scheme (11 Jan 2012)

James Reilly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 808 and 823 together. Cord blood is a recognised source of stem cells. However, there are other sources of stem cells including bone marrow. The benefit of stem cells for a range of issues is being explored by scientists around the world. In these studies the use of stem cells have been derived from a variety of sources, not just cord blood. Thus, while cord...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (11 Jan 2012)

James Reilly: As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (11 Jan 2012)

James Reilly: As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (11 Jan 2012)

James Reilly: It is clear that 2012 will be a very challenging year for the health services. The combination of the savings measures, the absence of extra funding for unavoidable extra costs and service needs plus the further reductions in numbers employed will inevitably impact on services across all care programmes. The extent and nature of the impact on specific services will be set out in the HSE's...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (11 Jan 2012)

James Reilly: As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (11 Jan 2012)

James Reilly: It is widely recognised that secondary or acute care alone cannot cope with the current and increasing burden of disease. This is true for many chronic diseases but diabetes in particular presents an opportunity for a more integrated disease management approach. Indeed Irish health policy recognises this, and more recently the policy framework for the management of chronic diseases in...