Results 10,061-10,080 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Cancer Screening Programme. (29 Mar 2007)

Mary Harney: The former Minister, Deputy Noonan, established a pilot project in the mid-west, which was not the beginning of a national roll-out and much has been learned from that. I do not disagree with much of the Deputy's contribution. Cervical smear testing was introduced in Canada in the late 1960s while it was introduced in the UK in 1988.

Cancer Screening Programme. (29 Mar 2007)

Mary Harney: Since 1988, results in the UK have improved. Approximately 73 women a year die from cervical cancer in Ireland, even though significant numbers of opportunities for smears are conducted. There is a number of issues. The HSE did not go to tender because of the emergency resulting from a five-month backlog for such tests.

Cancer Screening Programme. (29 Mar 2007)

Mary Harney: It was done to speed up the process on an emergency basis because generally one is required to go to tender. Two issues are involved relating to capacity and quality. We all accept BreastCheck is a quality assured programme. It must be ensured cervical screening is quality assured and, therefore, that the laboratories are accredited and meet the standard required, which has not been the...

Cancer Screening Programme. (29 Mar 2007)

Mary Harney: We know the age group and the programme will operate similarly to BreastCheck. Everybody accepts that is a terrific programme and the same people will be responsible for the cervical screening programme. When a screening programme is rolled out, quality assurance is essential. The roll-out will begin later this year and it will take a while to roll it out to the entire population. The...

Hospital Services. (29 Mar 2007)

Mary Harney: I am familiar with difficulties that have recently arisen both in Cork and in Drogheda regarding the provision of maternity services. As the House will be aware, the new state-of-the-art Cork University Maternity Hospital was due to open last Saturday but did not because of non co-operation on the part of the Irish Nurses Organisation, which has been claiming that midwifery staffing levels...

Hospital Services. (29 Mar 2007)

Mary Harney: I am not familiar with the CSO figures that were released today as, in common with the Deputy, I have been very busy. However, the population is undoubtedly increasing in the eastern region in particular, which puts pressure on the system. I understand the number of births in County Louth has doubled in a six-year period, which constitutes a considerable increase. As for Cork University...

Cancer Screening Programme. (29 Mar 2007)

Mary Harney: I am committed to ensuring the BreastCheck service is rolled out to the remaining regions as quickly as possible. I have allocated additional revenue funding of €8 million for this year to meet the additional costs involved and I have approved an additional 69 posts for the roll-out. BreastCheck appointed the clinical directors for the south and west last November and has recently...

Cancer Screening Programme. (29 Mar 2007)

Mary Harney: The cancer plan is not in a shambles and the radiotherapy plan has not been removed from the public private partnership process. The construction stage will be carried out in the traditional manner and the linear accelerator element will be carried out through the public private partnership. This is because the money has been allocated in the capital plan, which was done for reasons of...

Cancer Screening Programme. (29 Mar 2007)

Mary Harney: The Deputy understands that with regard to screening programmes it is not a case that one presses a button and suddenly everyone is covered. It is an issue I discussed——

Cancer Screening Programme. (29 Mar 2007)

Mary Harney: I wish it could be done a lot quicker and no one is exerting more pressure than me to expedite this.

Cancer Screening Programme. (29 Mar 2007)

Mary Harney: Sometimes the recruitment of key staff takes longer than expected. Above all else, it must be done on a quality assured basis and the multidisciplinary approach works extraordinarily well. I discussed population screening programmes with other countries. I know of no country which was able to do it quickly. I do not state it took seven years. I cannot state that and put my hand on my...

Cancer Screening Programme. (29 Mar 2007)

Mary Harney: The mobile unit will start its work in April in the west. The stationary unit will be handed over in September and it will take three weeks to commission it.

Cancer Screening Programme. (29 Mar 2007)

Mary Harney: I apologise, I said "stationary". It has been a long day. It is the same in the south where the static unit will be available in September and commissioned three weeks later. An issue is raised with regard to the mobile unit for the south with regard to recruiting manager radiographers. The process is aggressively under way by BreastCheck but it has not yet succeeded. I had a meeting with...

Cancer Screening Programme. (29 Mar 2007)

Mary Harney: Yes, I believe so.

Legislative Programme. (29 Mar 2007)

Mary Harney: I have not made any decision to break up the VHI. The Government's legislative programme provides for legislation to be brought forward to amend the existing Voluntary Health Insurance Acts. The Parliamentary Counsel is drafting the related Bill and this is to be published before the summer recess. The main provisions of the Bill include giving the VHI commercial freedom on products and...

Written Answers — Health Insurance: Health Insurance (29 Mar 2007)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 14 together. This Government is intent on supporting genuine competition in the best interests of health insurance consumers and its development in the private health insurance market. At the same time, consideration has to be given to the stability of the community rated health insurance system, and the safeguards necessary to protect it, including risk...

Written Answers — MRSA Incidence: MRSA Incidence (29 Mar 2007)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9, 10, 32, 40, 42, 57, 63, 64, 78 and 101 together. Tackling Healthcare-Associated Infections (HCAIs), including MRSA is a priority for the Government and for the Health Service Executive. Recently-published studies show that in Ireland, the overall rate of HCAIs, which includes MRSA, is lower than our UK counterparts. However, it is generally accepted that...

Written Answers — Health Service Executive Remuneration: Health Service Executive Remuneration (29 Mar 2007)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 and 37 together. As part of the arrangements for the appointment of Professor Brendan Drumm as Chief Executive Office, the Board of the HSE agreed that support and advisory resources would be provided for the implementation of the health service reform programme. Section 24 of the Health Act, 2004 empowers the HSE to engage such advisers as it considers...

Written Answers — National Cancer Strategy: National Cancer Strategy (29 Mar 2007)

Mary Harney: 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. This Government is committed to investing significantly in the implementation of the Strategy to build on the improvements we have made in recent years, particularly the improvements in...

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (29 Mar 2007)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 and 45 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; analyse...