Results 7,441-7,460 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Written Answers — Organ Retention: Organ Retention (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 133, 150 and 768 together. When Ms Anne Dunne SC presented her report and appendices on post mortem practice to me in March 2005, I was advised by the Attorney General that the full report was unpublishable for legal and natural justice reasons. Some sections of the report were released on 18 July last in response to a request under the Freedom of Information...

Written Answers — Vaccination Programme: Vaccination Programme (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Harney: In parallel with the roll-out of the Irish Cervical Screening Programme, we like other jurisdictions will examine the potential role of HPV vaccination. In Ireland we have a significant opportunity to assess the vaccination in advance of a national roll out. Issues to be examined include the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of the vaccine, categories of women who should be vaccinated,...

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

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 135, 149, 185 and 759 together. 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 (HSE) endeavours to keep postponements to a minimum and to have postponed operations rescheduled as soon as possible. However due to the...

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

Mary Harney: The Deputy's question relates to human resource management issues within the Health Service Executive. As this is a matter for the Executive under the Health Act, 2004, 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 (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Harney: I have had discussions with senior officials of the Health Service Executive (HSE) in relation to the future of Roscommon County Hospital. The HSE is moving forward with the creation of a joint department of surgery/anaesthetics located at Portiuncula and Roscommon Hospitals, with shared consultant appointments. At this time there are no plans to discontinue any surgical services at either...

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

Mary Harney: During the period January 1st to September 25th 2006, a total of 48 new consultants were appointed to permanent posts in the public health service. These posts are in a range of specialties, including medicine, surgery, anaesthesia, pathology, psychiatry, radiology and obstetrics & gynaecology. During the same period, a total of 102 consultant posts have been approved by the HSE, comprising...

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

Mary Harney: At the request of my Department, a committee was established by the former Comhairle na nOspidéal to review arrangements for the provision of neurosurgical services and consultant staffing nationally, and following consultation with the interests concerned, to make recommendations on the future organisation and development of neurosurgical services. My Department has been informed that the...

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

Mary Harney: As the Deputy is aware, the health service is currently going through the most significant reform programme in the history of the state and the demands on executives to manage the transition and implement the changes are immense. The whole objective of the reform programme is to improve services to patients and others users of our public health system and senior managers of the HSE have...

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (27 Sep 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 have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Medical Inquiries: Medical Inquiries (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 144 and 173 together. Following the death of Mr. Patrick J. Walsh in Monaghan Hospital on 14 October 2005 the Health Service Executive commissioned Mr. Declan Carey, a consultant surgeon at Belfast City Hospital and an honorary senior lecturer at Queen's University, and Professor John Monson, Professor of Surgery University of Hull, to carry out an independent...

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

Mary Harney: The Irish Medicines Board (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2006 (No. 3 of 2006) contains an enabling provision for the extension of prescriptive authority to nurses and midwives (Section 16 (l) (ii)). Under the terms of this provision nurses and midwives may be granted prescriptive authority subject to such conditions as may be specified in regulations. My Department launched a public...

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

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 146 and 790 together. The Taoiseach, Professor Brendan Drumm and I met with representatives of the Adelaide Hospital Society on 28 June 2006 to discuss a number of issues relating to the Adelaide and Meath Hospital incorporating the National Children's Hospital, Tallaght. The delegation included the Most Rev R.H.A. Eames, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of...

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

Mary Harney: Under Section 67 of the Health Act, 1970, the children eligible for Health Service Executive (HSE) ophthalmic services are pre-school and national school children in respect of defects noted at child health examinations. Child health examinations are provided by the HSE to children attending national school in accordance with Section 66 of the Health Act, 1970. The remainder of the Deputy's...

Written Answers — Assisted Human Reproduction: Assisted Human Reproduction (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Harney: There is no legislation in Ireland governing the intervention in the natural process of creating human life; instead, medical practice is governed by guidelines issued by the Medical Council. These provide that the creation of new forms of life for experimental purposes or the deliberate and intentional destruction of in-vitro human life already formed is professional misconduct. The...

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (27 Sep 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 — Cancer Screening Programme: Cancer Screening Programme (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Harney: I wish to see the Irish Cervical Screening Programme (ICSP) rolled out nationally by 2008, based on an affordable model and in line with international best practice. Significant preparatory work is well underway involving the introduction of new and improved cervical tests, improved quality assurance training and the preparation of a national population register. An additional €9m is...

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

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 154, 203, 594, 595, 604, 619, 629, 638, 669, 698, 710, 715, 726 to 728, inclusive, 735, 787 and 819 together. The Department has supported the National Council on Ageing and Older People and the Health Service Executive in the establishment of a steering committee to oversee the development of a strategy to prevent falls and fractures in the ageing population....

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

Mary Harney: The Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council is responsible for the development of professional and performance standards for the ambulance services and for the accreditation of institutions providing training for ambulance personnel. The Council maintains a register of pre-hospital emergency care practitioners, divided into Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Paramedic and Advanced Paramedic...

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

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 156 and 835 together. The National Task Force on Medical Staffing, chaired by Mr. David Hanly, was set up to: devise a strategy for reducing the average working hours of non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs) so as to achieve the requirements of the European Working Time Directive (EWTD); address the consequent medical staffing needs of Irish hospitals;...

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

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 158 and 176 together. The HSE has recently established a Steering Group and a North East Project Group to oversee a programme designed to improve safety and standards across the acute hospital network in the North East Region. The decision was taken having regard to the issues raised in the report prepared for the HSE by Teamwork Management Services -...