Results 1,081-1,100 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (10 Feb 2005)

Mary Harney: With effect from 1 January 2005, under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive has responsibility for the delivery of health services. Under section 31(1) of the Act, the executive is obliged to prepare, adopt and then submit to me for approval a service plan for the financial year or other period as may be determined by me. Subsection (8) provides that not later than 21 days after...

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (10 Feb 2005)

Mary Harney: I have discussed the progress made to date regarding the recruitment of a chief executive officer of the Health Service Executive with the chairman of the Health Service Executive. The chairman, who also chairs the recruitment committee, has informed me that the recruitment process started again in December. The position was advertised in the national media during December. An extensive...

Written Answers — Hospital Staff: Hospital Staff (10 Feb 2005)

Mary Harney: The provisions of the European working time directive as it relates to the working hours of doctors in training came into force on 1 August 2004. The relevant provisions were transposed into Irish law by way of the European Communities (Organisation of Working Time) (Activities of Doctors in Training) Regulations 2004. Employers and the Irish Medical Organisation have been engaged in...

Written Answers — Influenza Pandemic: Influenza Pandemic (10 Feb 2005)

Mary Harney: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 16, 46 and 62 together. Ireland's first influenza pandemic preparedness plan was finalised in 2002. "A Model Plan for Influenza Pandemic Preparedness" was prepared by a committee under the chairmanship of Professor William Hall, director of the national virus reference laboratory, NVRL, and was presented to the Department of Health and Children in September...

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (10 Feb 2005)

Mary Harney: It is regrettable that the Irish Hospital Consultants Association and the Irish Medical Organisation should have decided to take industrial action in pursuit of a resolution of the dispute surrounding medical indemnity cover for consultants. The only people who suffer as a consequence of this, or any, industrial action in the health service are patients. It is particularly unfortunate that...

Written Answers — Hospital Accommodation: Hospital Accommodation (10 Feb 2005)

Mary Harney: A joint steering committee involving representatives of health service management and representatives of the nursing unions is at present working towards the implementation of the recommendations of the CAPITA report on the bed management function. The joint steering committee is requesting the chief officers in each Health Service Executive area to examine the recommendations of the CAPITA...

Written Answers — Health Strategy: Health Strategy (10 Feb 2005)

Mary Harney: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 21, 44 and 106 together. The primary health care strategy, "Primary Care: A New Direction", which was published in 2001, sets out the Government's broad vision for the development of multidisciplinary team based primary health care. The principal objective of the strategy is to strengthen primary care so it can play a more central role as the first and...

Written Answers — Irish Blood Transfusion Service: Irish Blood Transfusion Service (10 Feb 2005)

Mary Harney: On 3 December last, I received a copy of an internal audit report of the Irish Blood Transfusion Services Board, IBTS, on discard blood products. The audit involved a search of available records to determine if blood or blood products were issued or sold to commercial companies and what volumes were involved from the 1980s to date. This audit was carried out at the request of the chief...

Written Answers — Control of Infectious Diseases: Control of Infectious Diseases (10 Feb 2005)

Mary Harney: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 24 and 28 together. The strategy for the control of antimicrobial resistance, SARI, was launched in June 2001. Since then, approximately €20.5 million in funding has been made available by my Department for this purpose. Of this, approximately €4.5 million has been made available in the current year. This SARI funding is in addition to normal hospital...

Written Answers — Ambulance Service: Ambulance Service (10 Feb 2005)

Mary Harney: The Health Act 2004 provided for the Health Service Executive, HSE, which was established on 1 January 2005. Under the Act, the executive has the responsibility to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. This includes responsibility for the development of a new ambulance station in Monaghan. A design team is currently working on this...

Written Answers — Health Service Executive: Health Service Executive (10 Feb 2005)

Mary Harney: The Health Act 2004 provided for the Health Service Executive which was established on 1 January 2005. Under the Act, the executive is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. The Health Service Executive has informed me that the initial cost of developing the HSE logo was €3,146.00, including VAT. Subsequent costs were...

Written Answers — Health Strategy: Health Strategy (10 Feb 2005)

Mary Harney: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 27 and 41 together. The strategy "Primary Care: A New Direction" recognises that the provision of modern, well equipped, accessible premises will be central to the effective functioning of primary care teams and networks. Therefore, one of the key objectives is to facilitate and encourage the development, where appropriate, of modern, well equipped, user...

Written Answers — Ministerial Meetings: Ministerial Meetings (10 Feb 2005)

Mary Harney: I met with a delegation from the Cancer Care Alliance last week which included representatives from the western, north-western and south-eastern areas. I listened carefully to the delegates' views concerning the development and improvement of oncology services at regional level and, in particular, radiation oncology services, breast cancer screening and capital funding for oncology...

Written Answers — Accident and Emergency Services: Accident and Emergency Services (10 Feb 2005)

Mary Harney: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 31, 42, 50, 76, 88 and 135 together. The areas referred to by the Deputies are part of a ten point action plan on accident and emergency services, which I announced on the publication of the Estimates for 2005. A sum of €70 million is available to the Health Service Executive this year for these initiatives. I have met with senior management of the HSE and...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (10 Feb 2005)

Mary Harney: A statutory complaints framework is provided for under the provisions of Part 9 of the Health Act 2004, which was enacted in December 2004. This provides for the establishment of a statutory complaints framework to apply to complaints about the actions of the Health Service Executive or a service provider. The establishment of such a framework follows on the commitment in the health strategy...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (10 Feb 2005)

Mary Harney: The Health Act 2004 provided for the Health Service Executive, which was established on 1 January 2005. Under the Act, the executive has the responsibility to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. This includes responsibility for the provision of CAT scanning services in hospitals. Accordingly, my Department has requested the Health...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (10 Feb 2005)

Mary Harney: I had a meeting earlier today with representatives of the University of Pittsburgh's cancer institute and EuroCare International at which they outlined their plans to provide acute hospital services, including radiotherapy, in Waterford, for patients in the south-eastern area. I am in the process of developing an overall policy framework which will identify the policy issues which need to be...

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (10 Feb 2005)

Mary Harney: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 36 and 37 together. The report of the panel reviewing the events surrounding the death of Róisín Ruddle was published on my Department's website earlier today. First, I wish to express my sympathy to Róisín's parents and to her extended family. They have been through extremely difficult times in the past and the publication of the report of the panel...

Written Answers — Health Reports: Health Reports (10 Feb 2005)

Mary Harney: I welcome the recent Pollock report commissioned by the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland on the treatment of cystic fibrosis in Ireland. The Health Service Executive, which has the responsibility to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services, recently met with the association and has agreed to its request to establish a working...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (10 Feb 2005)

Mary Harney: Protocols for the diagnosis and treatment of clinical conditions are matters for the attending doctor and his-her patients. The use of any particular diagnostic test such as the RAST test, either in its own right or as an alternative to another test, would be a decision that a doctor and a patient would make given the nature of the condition involved and, in particular, any specific features...