Results 8,401-8,420 of 45,622 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Administration (24 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual. The scheduling...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Status (24 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual. The scheduling...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Vaccination Programme (24 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: I can confirm that parents of all babies born on, or after 1 October 2016, will be able to have their children vaccinated by their family doctor against Meningococcal B (Men B) and Rotavirus as part of the Primary Childhood Immunisation Programme (PCIP) from 1 December next. This follows consultation under the Framework Agreement between the Irish Medical Organisation, the Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE Governance (24 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: As set out in the HSE's Code of Governance (October 2015) the HSE has a Governance Framework in place which incorporates national standardised documentation, and guidance documents, that enables it to contractually underpin the grant-funding to service providers for the provision of health and personal social care on its behalf. This Framework seeks to ensure the standard and consistent...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Status (24 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual. The scheduling...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Children's Hospital Location (24 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: The campus at St. James’s hospital benefits from a full suite of transport options including private car, national rail, LUAS, bus, bicycle, pedestrian and taxi. Notwithstanding the public transport accessibility of the site, the need of most parents to access the hospital by car is recognised, and ample parking has been provided for families based on current and projected future...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Treatment Purchase Fund Data (24 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: The NTPF was established on a statutory basis in 2004 and previously arranged for the provision of hospital treatment to classes of persons determined by the Minister. Since 2011 this function has been suspended. Currently, in accordance with Reg 4(1) of the NTPF Board (Establishment) Order 2004, the NTPF carries out activities in respect of data and analytics, audit and quality assurance...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Cancer Screening Programmes (24 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 208, 209 and 215 together. The Deputies' questions relate to service delivery matters and accordingly I have asked the HSE to respond directly to them.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Information and Communications Technology (24 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: The following table sets out the planned ICT capital envelope for health for the period 2016 to 2021. It is proposed that there will be a mid-term review of the State’s capital envelope, which will assess progress, review emerging pressures and demands. It is expected that this mid-term review will be completed in 2017. My Department published an eHealth strategy in 2013 which...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Beds Data (24 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: The Department of Health has been overseeing a range of measures to reduce the pressure of overcrowding in our hospital system. There are a number of initiatives which have been directed towards increasing hospital capacity. As part of the 'Winter Beds Initiative, 2015-16', over 300 additional hospital beds were added to the system; these remain open. Also a number of capital...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Data (24 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: The following are Medical Card and General Practitioner Visit Card figures as of 1 November 2016, as requested by the Deputy: Card Type Total Cards Medical cards 1,700,803 of which granted involving discretion 113,210 GP Visit cards 467,001 of which granted involving discretion 44,600

Written Answers — Department of Health: Ambulance Service Data (24 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.

Select Committee on Health: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (24 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: As Members will be aware from the debate on Second Stage, the main purpose of the Bill is to specify the amount of premium to be paid from the risk equalisation fund in respect of age, gender and level of cover from 1 April 2017 and to revise the stamp duty levels required to fund the proposed risk equalisation credits. The Bill makes two changes to the operation of the scheme. It sets a...

Select Committee on Health: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (24 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for the amendment which I did consider following our discussion on Second Stage. Since there has been a lot of misinformation in the public commentary on the linkage between stamp duty and affordability, although not from the Deputy, there is a point worth making in this regard. It must be recognised that any changes to the operation of the scheme which result in lower...

Select Committee on Health: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (24 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: This question is important, valid and timely because, currently, the scheme targets credits to people based on age. It makes it easier for a private health insurance company to make the decision to take on a 70 year old rather than a 30 year old. That is at the core of the scheme but we need to get to a better place in terms of refining where we want credits to go and make sure we are...

Select Committee on Health: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (24 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: I would very much welcome the opportunity for the committee to engage with the HIA. As I said to Deputy Kelleher, the function available to me to ask the HIA to review and report on various issues is a mechanism I am happy to use in collaboration with this committee. As members know, we brought in lifetime community rating to ensure there would be an incentive and reason for people to sign...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Home Help Service (29 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: I understand the Deputy is referring to Home Help workers who are employed by voluntary providers of home help services which are funded under section 39 of the Health Act 2004. It is important to note that these home help workers are not employed by the HSE and therefore the HSE and the Department has no role in determining the salaries or other terms and conditions applying to these staff...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Blood Donations (29 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: The IBTS has extensive deferral criteria for donors, and only a minority of these are permanent. The rate in donor deferral in the year to date is 21.96% and the most common categories for deferral are as follows: Category of Deferral % of Deferrals Low Haemoglobin 39.93% Recent medical investigation 5.23% Donor left clinic 3.1% Actively deferred 2.98% Letter required from...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Speech and Language Therapy (29 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 497 and 498 together. I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Speech and Language Therapy (29 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter.