Results 7,421-7,440 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Hospitals Building Programme. (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Harney: I assure the Deputy there was no political interference — that is certain. The group that has been established to make progress with this initiative, which comprises officials from the Health Service Executive and the Department of Health and Children, will examine the submission made by Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin. I accept there is disappointment in certain...

Hospital Staff. (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Harney: I am aware the Irish Medical Organisation has, on behalf of junior hospital doctors, submitted a claim to the Public Service Benchmarking Body for a 20% pay increase. The benchmarking body, which is independent, examines and reports on the pay of public service grades with reference to pay rates for similar types of employment in the private sector. A media report has suggested that a...

Hospital Staff. (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Harney: I want to refute the term "yellow pack" consultants. I do not know what that is supposed to mean. I will not be appointing consultants; they will be appointed on the basis of their expertise. In many countries, after a doctor is trained as a consultant, he or she then takes up a consulting position. In Ireland one could be training for 20 years and never, unfortunately, be given a...

Hospital Staff. (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Harney: The Deputy need not apologise for calling me Tánaiste. For the first two months when I had the job, I always thought it was Dick Spring was being referred to when the title was used. It does get confusing. I also remember the Taoiseach, on this side of the House, referring to John Bruton as Taoiseach. I do not share the Deputy's perspective on consultants. What is needed with the...

Hospital Staff. (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Harney: It should be 58 hours. I was wrong when I said 55 hours. Agreement has been reached on nine pilot sites where this working time structure will be implemented. It is, however, on hold pending the talks at the LRC and I cannot say when these will be completed. The sooner, the better because no one wants junior hospital doctors working the hours they have to now. It is neither good for them...

Hospital Staff. (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Harney: I do not know the breakdown.

Departmental Expenditure. (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Harney: The Health Service Executive has confirmed the position in relation to the company in question to be as follows. The company is a major supplier of information technology systems to the health services in Ireland, the UK and several other countries. Financial difficulties at the company, combined with changes at senior management level and staff lay-offs in the UK have been widely reported...

Departmental Expenditure. (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Harney: I thank Deputy McManus for her kind comments. One would be concerned when we have contractual arrangements with any company that gets into difficulties, but the banks, in the case of this company, have reconfirmed the borrowings and that is encouraging. The HSE believes that its legal position is protected. As the company has a major contract with the NHS, we therefore believe that if it...

Written Answers — Ambulance Service: Ambulance Service (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Harney: I am aware of the report referred to in the question which calls for retrieval teams to be put in place to transfer critically ill patients between hospitals. The current position here is as follows. A Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance Service (MICAS) is in place to facilitate the transfer of critically ill adult patients for intensive care and other specialist health care services. The...

Written Answers — Hospitals Building Programme: Hospitals Building Programme (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Harney: I presume the question refers to allegations published in a number of newspapers in relation to a company which, I understand, has expressed an interest in operating private hospitals on the sites of public hospitals. The company in question has refuted the charges made in the newspaper articles. The Health Service Executive are currently engaged in a public procurement process in relation...

Written Answers — Hospitals Building Programme: Hospitals Building Programme (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 118, 119, 143 and 210 together. This Government is committed to exploring fully the scope for the private sector to provide additional capacity in the health system. In this context, I issued a policy direction to the Health Service Executive in July 2005 which is aimed at freeing up 1,000 additional beds for public patients. This will be achieved through the...

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Harney: It is regrettable that some patients have their operations postponed and I recognise that this can cause upset and inconvenience for them and their families. The Health Service Executive endeavours to keep postponements to a minimum and to have postponed operations rescheduled as soon as possible. However due to the nature of the demands on the acute hospital system, in some instances, it...

Written Answers — National Cancer Strategy: National Cancer Strategy (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Harney: The Strategy for Cancer Control published last June encompasses all aspects of cancer, including prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, supportive and palliative care. My objective is to develop an integrated cancer control programme based on: evidence of what works to prevent and treat cancer standards that assure quality in all aspects of cancer control and fairness, so that all...

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Harney: The provision of acute hospital services including the commissioning of additional beds is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive (HSE). The HSE has informed my Department that the following additional in-patient beds and day treatment places are in the process of being brought into use: 1. Cork University Hospital — Day Procedures Unit — 35 day treatment places 2....

Written Answers — Infectious Diseases: Infectious Diseases (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Harney: The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) collects data on MRSA bacteraemia (also known as bloodstream infection or "blood poisoning") as part of the European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System (EARSS). EARSS collects data on the first episode of blood stream infection per patient per quarter. The Irish data for EARSS, which is published on a quarterly basis by the HPSC,...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Harney: The HSE has informed me that in November 2005, a sub-committee of the Executive's National Primary and Community Care Reform Working Group was established to review the current status of GP access to diagnostics; to explore current and potential capacity; and make short, medium and long-term recommendations. I am advised that work is being undertaken at present to progress two specific...

Written Answers — Health Service Management: Health Service Management (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Harney: Section 35 of the Health Act, 2004 requires the Health Service Executive to submit a code of governance for my approval. This code is to include, amongst other things: an outline of the guiding principles applicable to the Executive the structure of the Executive including the roles and responsibilities of the board and management the methods to bring about the integration of health and...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Harney: The specific information requested by the Deputy on waiting lists for methadone treatment for areas outside Dublin is not routinely collected by my Department. I have asked the Health Service Executive to collate the requested information and to send it to the Deputy as a matter of urgency. I am, however, informed that at the end of August 2006 there were 224 doctors prescribing methadone...

Written Answers — Medicinal Products: Medicinal Products (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Harney: I noted with some concern that there has been a significant increase in overall antibiotic consumption in Ireland from 1993 to 2004. This means that compared with other European countries, we are in the high to moderate range of antibiotic consumers. The Health Service Executive has prepared an overview of a three year plan for the implementation of the SARI recommendations which include the...

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Harney: My Department does not set employment quotas at national level for any grade in the public health service. It is a matter for the Health Service Executive, as part of its management of its employment ceiling, to determine the appropriate staffing mix required to deliver its service plan priorities. My Department is currently in discussions with the Department of Finance and the Health...