Results 8,481-8,500 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (5 Dec 2006)

Mary Harney: The Health Service Executive (HSE) established an Orthodontic Review Group in 2006. The terms of reference for the group are: to review the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee Reports; to examine the recommendations within the operational remit of the HSE and to establish their status; to conduct an analysis of the HSE's existing orthodontic delivery structure and capacity....

Written Answers — Primary Care Strategy: Primary Care Strategy (5 Dec 2006)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 67 and 153 together. The Primary Care Strategy is the roadmap for the future development of primary care services in Ireland over a period of some ten years, both as the appropriate service for the delivery of the majority of people's health and social care needs, and to complement the services provided by acute hospitals. At the heart of the Strategy is the...

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (5 Dec 2006)

Mary Harney: The Health Service Executive is committed to progressing the development of neuroscience services. Neuroscience includes neurology, neurophysiology and neurosurgery. A national neurosciences needs assessment is currently underway. This assessment is guided by the previous Comhairle na nOspideal report on neurology and neurophysiology and the recently published report on neurosurgery. It aims...

Written Answers — Screening Programmes: Screening Programmes (5 Dec 2006)

Mary Harney: In March 2006, I established a Working Group to examine the nature and extent of haemochromatosis in Ireland and to advise on the actions necessary to address the problems caused by it. The Working Group presented its report to me in June 2006. It makes a series of recommendations relating to the management and treatment of haemochromatosis. The report has been circulated to the Health...

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (5 Dec 2006)

Mary Harney: The Health Service Executive has informed me that a ward at Mayo General Hospital which was being used for cardiac investigations is in the process of being refurbished as an admission lounge. This facility will provide 15 beds which will allow patients to be admitted to the Hospital from the A & E department in a timely manner, and be managed under the care of the appropriate consultant in...

Written Answers — Hospital Waiting Lists: Hospital Waiting Lists (5 Dec 2006)

Mary Harney: Responsibility for the collation and publication of waiting list information falls within the remit of the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF). The NTPF maintains public hospital waiting lists and waiting times nationally on a database, the Patient Treatment Register. My Department has, therefore, asked the Chief Executive of the NTPF to reply to the Deputy directly in relation to the...

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (5 Dec 2006)

Mary Harney: Almost 120,000 people work full-time in our public health services. In recent years, the Government's ongoing high level of investment in health has achieved and maintained significant increases in the number of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals employed in the public health services. The Government has also invested heavily in the education and training of such personnel in...

Written Answers — Industrial Relations: Industrial Relations (5 Dec 2006)

Mary Harney: The Irish Nurses Organisation (INO) and the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) are pursuing a number of claims in respect of pay and conditions. I have had no direct discussions with the Health Service Executive in relation to these claims. The claims were heard by the Labour Court on 20 June 2006 and a recommendation issued on 9 November 2006. The Court did not recommend concession of the...

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (5 Dec 2006)

Mary Harney: This Government is committed to the development of acute hospital services in each individual hospital, network, and region. Our policy is to provide safe, high-quality services that achieve the best possible outcomes for patients. This will mean that those services that can be safely delivered locally are delivered locally and the more complex services that require specialist input are...

Written Answers — National Treatment Purchase Fund: National Treatment Purchase Fund (5 Dec 2006)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 81, 93 and 134 together. I am satisfied that the taxpayer is receiving excellent value for money from the National Treatment Purchase Fund. I am not aware of evidence that the cost of procedures arranged by the Fund in the private sector is "substantially more" than similar procedures in public hospitals. It is difficult to make a direct comparison between the...

Written Answers — Hospitals Building Programme: Hospitals Building Programme (5 Dec 2006)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 82, 130 and 157 together. The Health Services Executive is currently undertaking a procurement exercise to select consortia to build and operate private hospitals on 10 public hospital sites utilising the competitive dialogue tendering process. Invitations to participate in dialogue issued to pre-qualified bidders in mid September 2006 with a deadline to...

Written Answers — Hospital Staff: Hospital Staff (5 Dec 2006)

Mary Harney: I have no direct function in relation to the staffing of private acute hospitals. According to the latest report on Consultant Staffing published by the National Hospitals Office, the number of consultants holding Category II posts, which entitles them to work in private hospitals, stands at 610 which represents 31% of the number of consultants available nationally. I would point out that it...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (5 Dec 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 — Screening Programmes: Screening Programmes (5 Dec 2006)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 85 and 107 together. Screening is a service provided to apparently healthy people so that some who may go on to develop the disease may be diagnosed and treated effectively. The aim is to reduce the number of people suffering and dying from a specified health condition. As a process, screening has risks and benefits and is not without cost. My Department...

Written Answers — International Agreements: International Agreements (5 Dec 2006)

Mary Harney: The Convention in question is primarily designed to reduce both the number of experiments and the number of animals used for such purposes. Parties to the Convention are encouraged not to experiment on animals except where there is no alternative and to encourage research into alternative methods. Animals to be experimented on should be selected on the basis of clearly established...

Written Answers — Infectious Diseases: Infectious Diseases (5 Dec 2006)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 88, 146 and 329 together. 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...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (5 Dec 2006)

Mary Harney: The Health Service Executive (HSE) established an Orthodontic Review Group. The terms of reference for the group are: to review the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee Reports; to examine the recommendations within the operational remit of the HSE and to establish their status; to conduct an analysis of the HSE's existing orthodontic delivery structure and capacity. Based on...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (5 Dec 2006)

Mary Harney: The Health Service Executive (HSE) established an Orthodontic Review Group. The terms of reference for the Group are: to review the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee Reports; to examine the recommendations within the operational remit of the HSE and to establish their status; to conduct an analysis of the HSE's existing orthodontic delivery structure and capacity. Based on...

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (5 Dec 2006)

Mary Harney: This Government is committed to the development of acute hospital services in each individual hospital, network, and region. Each hospital, including Roscommon, has a role to play in providing acute hospital services. Our policy is to provide safe, high-quality services that achieve the best possible outcomes for patients. This will mean that those services that can be safely delivered...

Written Answers — Hospital Waiting Lists: Hospital Waiting Lists (5 Dec 2006)

Mary Harney: Responsibility for the collection and reporting of waiting lists and waiting times now falls within the remit of the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF). My Department has, therefore, asked the Chief Executive of the NTPF to reply to the Deputy directly in relation to the information requested.