Results 9,161-9,180 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Written Answers — Parliamentary Questions: Parliamentary Questions (20 Feb 2007)

Mary Harney: In 2006 the Ministers of State and I answered a total of 5,991 Parliamentary Questions. Of this total, 3,494 Parliamentary Questions tabled were appropriate for reply, in whole or in part, by the Health Service Executive under its statutory remit and replies have issued to 3,368 (96%) of these Questions. The HSE has informed my Department that its Parliamentary Affairs Division is actively...

Written Answers — Hospital Staff: Hospital Staff (20 Feb 2007)

Mary Harney: Operational responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services is a matter for the Health Service Executive and funding for all health services has been provided as part of its overall Vote. Therefore, the Executive is the appropriate body to consider the particular issue raised by the Deputy. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division...

Written Answers — Health Insurance: Health Insurance (20 Feb 2007)

Mary Harney: The question of whether companies entering the health insurance market by acquiring the business of an existing operation could avail of the three year exemption for new entrants was raised by the Health Insurance Authority (HIA) in July 2006 as part of the information collection phase of its study of competition in the market. At that point the HIA and the Competition Authority were...

Written Answers — Hospital Waiting Lists: Hospital Waiting Lists (20 Feb 2007)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 121 and 166 together. It is my objective and that of the Health Service Executive (HSE) to see the earliest delivery of the Government's National Plan for Radiation Oncology. I am determined that the HSE will deliver on this Plan in 2011 as originally scheduled. The Board of the HSE is considering how best to procure the radiation oncology facilities and...

Written Answers — Health Insurance: Health Insurance (20 Feb 2007)

Mary Harney: I welcome the reports from the Competition Authority and the Health Insurance Authority on increasing competition in the private health insurance market. The two reports have produced a wealth of useful information and analysis. I am in the process of studying the recommendations made in the two reports. I am also awaiting a report from the Market Review Group which has been asked to examine...

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (20 Feb 2007)

Mary Harney: Operational responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services is a matter for the Health Service Executive and funding for all health services has been provided as part of its overall Vote. The HSE has established a Steering Group and a Project Group to oversee a programme designed to improve safety and standards across the acute hospital network in the...

Written Answers — Hospitals Building Programme: Hospitals Building Programme (20 Feb 2007)

Mary Harney: The decision by the Government to locate the new National Paediatric Hospital at the Mater has recently been re-affirmed. The development of the hospital is being overseen by a joint HSE/Department of Health and Children Transition Group and the project is proceeding as planned. The next stage of the process involves the preparation of a high level framework brief for the new hospital. The...

Written Answers — Cancer Screening Programme: Cancer Screening Programme (20 Feb 2007)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 126, 130, 135 and 144 together. An effective national cervical screening programme will result in a substantial reduction in the incidence of cervical cancer. It is my objective to have such a programme rolled out, beginning late this year, based on an affordable model. For that purpose, on 1 January 2007, I established a National Cancer Screening Service...

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (20 Feb 2007)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 127 and 190 together. The HSE has 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, including Monaghan. The decision was taken having regard inter alia to the issues raised in the report prepared for the HSE by Teamwork...

Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (20 Feb 2007)

Mary Harney: Details of the numbers of medical card holders are provided to my Department by the Health Service Executive's (HSE), Primary Care Reimbursement Service (PCRS). The following table shows the number of medical card holders for each year from 1997 to date, together with the number of GP visit card holders for 2005, 2006 and to date. There are a number of contextual factors which must be taken...

Written Answers — Influenza Pandemic: Influenza Pandemic (20 Feb 2007)

Mary Harney: The purpose of the National Pandemic Influenza Plan is to limit the effects of a potential pandemic and to inform the public about pandemic influenza, explain what the Government and the health services are doing to prepare for a possible pandemic, and give information on what members of the public need to do if there is a pandemic. The plan will be updated on a regular basis to reflect the...

Written Answers — Hospital Waiting Lists: Hospital Waiting Lists (20 Feb 2007)

Mary Harney: My objective is to reduce waiting times as much as possible for patients. With this in mind, in 2005, I asked the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) set up a number of out-patient pilot projects to seek to reduce waiting times for patients on public hospital waiting lists. 17 hospitals responded and the pilot programme operated successfully; arranging appointments for 4,500 in the last...

Written Answers — Cancer Screening Programme: Cancer Screening Programme (20 Feb 2007)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 133 and 142 together. The aim of the National Cancer Control Strategy, which was published in June 2006, is to reduce our cancer incidence, morbidity and mortality rates relative to other Member States of the European Union. The Strategy encompasses all aspects of cancer control, including prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, supportive and...

Written Answers — Hospital Waiting Lists: Hospital Waiting Lists (20 Feb 2007)

Mary Harney: Statutory responsibility for the collation, management and publication of data on waiting times for surgical procedures rests with the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF). The Patient Treatment Register (PTR) operated by the NTPF shows that patients waiting for the 20 most common surgical procedures are now treated within two to five months. The PTR is also in a position to give an...

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (20 Feb 2007)

Mary Harney: This Government is committed to the provision of high quality acute hospital 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 concentrated at regional centres, or in the case of highly specialised services in national...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (20 Feb 2007)

Mary Harney: The information requested is being collated in my Department and will be forwarded directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Antibiotic Use: Antibiotic Use (20 Feb 2007)

Mary Harney: The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has asked the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (20 Feb 2007)

Mary Harney: During 2006 the Health Service Executive undertook an extensive survey of capacity across all acute hospitals, including in-patient beds, day beds and other treatment placements, on a speciality by speciality basis. I understand that the HSE intends to publish the results of the survey in March 2007 and to make copies available to members of the Oireachtas. My Department has asked the HSE...

Written Answers — Pathology Services: Pathology Services (20 Feb 2007)

Mary Harney: I take it that the Deputy is referring to the review of pathology services which was commissioned by the Health Service Executive. My Department has therefore requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have the matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Health Insurance: Health Insurance (20 Feb 2007)

Mary Harney: Variations on the proposal suggested by the Deputy have been made in the past. However they have been dismissed on the grounds that they are impractical given the requirement for open enrolment in the Irish health insurance regulatory framework.