Results 11,821-11,840 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Cancer Services: Statements (Resumed). (7 Nov 2007)

Mary Harney: If the Ceann Comhairle is flexible, I will be happy to answer all of them, if Deputy Reilly wishes to put them again.

Cancer Services: Statements (Resumed). (7 Nov 2007)

Mary Harney: I will respond first to the last question. Triple assessment applies where cancer is suspected or diagnosed. The point the Taoiseach made was that in the seven cases in question the radiologist gave the women concerned the all clear. Therefore, the triple assessment did not apply.

Cancer Services: Statements (Resumed). (7 Nov 2007)

Mary Harney: That is the serious question, that the radiologist in question gave the all clear. I wish to clarify that one consultant radiologist is on administrative leave but the inquiry does not concern only the work of that person. There are two consultant radiologists. There were two locums during that period. The interview was held by the Public Appointments Commission and I understand there were...

Cancer Services: Statements (Resumed). (7 Nov 2007)

Mary Harney: We will see what the report reveals. Three radiologists attached to the BreastCheck service in Dublin read the same mammograms and diagnosed cancer. That is not to say we do not need the most modern equipment but it is separate to the diagnosis issues in this case.

Cancer Services: Statements (Resumed). (7 Nov 2007)

Mary Harney: I apologise to Deputy Reilly for not answering the question on resources. The National Hospitals Office is undertaking an audit of existing resources, examining each hospital and isolating the money spent on cancer care. The intention is that Professor Keane will control the budget. That is how it worked in British Columbia and the only way it would work here. Professor Keane will come...

Cancer Services: Statements (Resumed). (7 Nov 2007)

Mary Harney: I will start with the Deputy's final question because Tallaght Hospital is situated in my constituency. Tallaght Hospital lost the children's hospital and is not one of the designated cancer centres. There are world class experts working at the hospital and a huge volume of their activity revolves around cancer care. I refer to people such as Professor Conlon, Dr. Geraghty, an expert...

Cancer Services: Statements (Resumed). (7 Nov 2007)

Mary Harney: Northern Ireland requires an additional centre to meet its capacity and the authorities there are examining the position in that regard. While a formal decision has not been made — it is not my place to announce decisions on behalf of the authorities north of the Border — I understand that part of Northern Ireland which would suit patients from County Donegal is under consideration. I...

Cancer Services: Statements (Resumed). (7 Nov 2007)

Mary Harney: If one of my predecessors, Deputy Noonan, had stood here in 1996 and stated that in ten years we would be spending four times more on health, that there would be 45,000 additional people working in the system and that there would be an extra 110 consultants working in the area of cancer care, nobody would have believed it was possible. If people did believe it, they would have stated it...

Cancer Services: Statements (Resumed). (7 Nov 2007)

Mary Harney: I made all of the information at my disposal available to the House in my statement. I asked Professor Drumm to provide me with a report as soon as possible on the circumstances which led to the decision at the end of August to suspend the mammography service. In my comments today I paid tribute in particular to the director of nursing. She wrote the letter to the HSE on 15 August...

Cancer Services: Statements (Resumed). (7 Nov 2007)

Mary Harney: I do not believe anybody was removed. An appointment was made. Locums were in place. I did not speak to Mr. Naughten about this although I met him in September at the opening of the hospital which I believe Deputy Enright attended when he was supportive of the new centres of excellence even though Portlaoise lost out. The complaint was that the service was being run with locums. A...

Cancer Services: Statements (Resumed). (7 Nov 2007)

Mary Harney: They will go to St. Vincent's Hospital. The mammography service has been suspended and will not be restored pending the outcome of Dr. O'Doherty's investigation which we will have at the end of the month.

Cancer Services: Statements (Resumed). (7 Nov 2007)

Mary Harney: We spend a considerable amount of money on transport, with €20 million spent on taxis alone last year. Yesterday, when I spoke with a group from County Donegal I made the point that €100,000 is spent on radiation transport from Donegal. The HSE has put together a group chaired by Mr. McClintock from the ambulance service to examine transport issues. It includes people from other public...

Cancer Services: Statements (Resumed). (7 Nov 2007)

Mary Harney: The Midland Health Board was given €7.8 million since 2001 for implementation of the O'Higgins guidelines. I do not know where that money went but surgeons, pathologists and radiologists have been employed.

Cancer Services: Statements (Resumed). (7 Nov 2007)

Mary Harney: I do not know whether these specialists sat down on a weekly basis to discuss cancer cases, as was recommended. The issue pertaining to the seven women in question was they had been given the all-clear. They were told everything was fine and to go home. Ten women who were identified as having cancer had no such ailment. They were probably subjected to a triple assessment.

Cancer Services: Statements (Resumed). (7 Nov 2007)

Mary Harney: Yes.

Cancer Services: Statements (Resumed). (7 Nov 2007)

Mary Harney: I do not know whether there was a lump because I am not a clinical expert. Irrespective of the reason, they were sent to the hospital. Clearly, they had some symptoms, presumably including a lump, and were given the all clear. Reference was made earlier to eight women, one of whom had a second mammography carried out in St. Vincent's Hospital after cancer was confirmed. I believe she...

Cancer Services: Statements (Resumed). (7 Nov 2007)

Mary Harney: Yes, because symptomatic cases are supposed to be easier to identify than screening an entire population. A second radiologist is recommended internationally in those instances because it is more difficult to diagnose cancer among an entire population when the people coming for screening have no symptoms. I am not a clinician and do not draw up the guidelines. They are developed by...

Cancer Services: Statements (Resumed). (7 Nov 2007)

Mary Harney: I did not respond to one of the questions posed by Deputy Varadkar. The universities had nothing to do with the selection of the centres. I know the Deputy has a particular interest in Blanchardstown where many of my friends feel this was the case. In response to Deputy Flynn, there are no National Cancer Registry data for 2006. My advice is that the data are not available. Our data, the...

Cancer Services: Statements (Resumed). (7 Nov 2007)

Mary Harney: My apologies, next year.

Cancer Services: Statements (Resumed). (7 Nov 2007)

Mary Harney: As I understand it, it will not be done in the same way as BreastCheck. I apologise to Deputy Reilly for calling him Deputy O'Reilly. My very efficient press officer sent me a note saying "I think you said O." If I did, I apologise. As I understand it, the screening service will be inviting expressions of interest from those who have the capacity to take smears. We must then deal with...