Results 11,961-11,980 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney
- Written Answers — Hospitals Building Programme: Hospitals Building Programme (15 Nov 2007)
Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 80 and 87 together. I have no plans to review the decision to locate the new National Paediatric Hospital on a site to be made available at the Mater Hospital, Dublin. On 31st October last, the Health Service Executive announced the details of the High Level Framework Brief for the new hospital. The Brief was prepared by Rawlinson Kelly & Whittlestone Ltd...
- Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (15 Nov 2007)
Mary Harney: My Department is not currently in receipt of Reasoned Opinions from the European Commission in respect of any Directives awaiting transposition. My Department has received a Letter of Formal Notice in respect of Directive 2007/1/EC (amending Directive 76/768/EEC concerning cosmetic products for the purposes of adapting Annex II thereof to technical progress). This Directive is expected to...
- Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (15 Nov 2007)
Mary Harney: The 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 — Ambulance Service: Ambulance Service (15 Nov 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 — Drug Abuse: Drug Abuse (15 Nov 2007)
Mary Harney: The information which the Deputy has sought on the number of people who have died from the use of cocaine and ecstasy tablets in 2006 and to date in 2007 is not available. The General Mortality Register, the main source of information on drugârelated deaths prior to the establishment of the National Drug Related Deaths Index in 2005, shows that there were 9 cocaine-only deaths in 2004 â...
- Written Answers — Hospital Charges: Hospital Charges (15 Nov 2007)
Mary Harney: Officials of my Department have been informed by the HSE that a reply issued to the Deputy on 16 October 2007 in relation to this matter. The Mater Misericordiae University Hospital reviewed the bill in question and the patient was subsequently billed for the appropriate Statutory Charge which was duly paid.
- Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (15 Nov 2007)
Mary Harney: The recent decisions of the HSE to designate four managed cancer control networks and eight cancer centres will be implemented on a managed and phased basis. Professor Keane, interim Director of the Programme, is due to take up his post next week. The HSE has advised that meetings and discussions are already underway with the eight designated centres and with those centres currently...
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (15 Nov 2007)
Mary Harney: The Irish Patients' Association is a voluntary, independent organisation which advocates issues relating to quality, safety and patients' rights within the healthcare system. The Association plays a significant and useful role in representing the concerns and needs of patients. The recent 'Clean Hospital Summit', the second in two years, is an excellent example of a successful Irish...
- Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (15 Nov 2007)
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 — Pharmacy Regulations: Pharmacy Regulations (15 Nov 2007)
Mary Harney: As the Health Service Executive (HSE) has operational responsibility, under the Health Act 2004, for the management and delivery of health and personal social services no direct meetings have taken place between my Department and the Irish Pharmaceutical Union (IPU) on the matters referred to by the Deputy. To address concerns expressed by the IPU, on behalf of community pharmacists, about...
- Written Answers — Hospital Waiting Lists: Hospital Waiting Lists (15 Nov 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 case raised by the Deputy. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division...
- Written Answers — Hospital Staff: Hospital Staff (15 Nov 2007)
Mary Harney: Almost 130,000 people work full-time or part-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 numbers 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...
- Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (15 Nov 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 case raised by the Deputy. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division...
- Seanad: Voluntary Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Nov 2007)
Mary Harney: These amendments simply insert additional definitions in the original section 1, consequent on the more significant amendments which I will ask the House to approve today.
- Seanad: Voluntary Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Nov 2007)
Mary Harney: This amendment is associated with the proposal in the new section 7, which I will introduce later, to allow the board of the VHI to establish a subsidiary company for the specific purpose of carrying on its health insurance and health related insurance schemes. The intention is that the board will, on the appointed day, transfer all of its health insurance business to the new subsidiary....
- Seanad: Voluntary Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Nov 2007)
Mary Harney: I am happy to do that. I indicated when we discussed the Bill on Second Stage that I intended to introduce a date by which the VHI had to become authorised and that date is dealt with in a further amendment, with which we will deal later. Senator Fitzgerald has an amendment tabled to this section which provides that the VHI shall not engage in any further new business before its becomes...
- Seanad: Voluntary Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Nov 2007)
Mary Harney: As I indicated in my comments, the purpose of Senator Fitzgerald's amendment has been encompassed in the amendment I have tabled. Amendment No. 9 deals with the date issue, which is to be by the end of 2008, quite an onerous date in many respects. The intention originally was by 2012, so we have effectively brought it back by three full years, and I believe that will be onerous on VHI. In...
- Seanad: Voluntary Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Nov 2007)
Mary Harney: Amendment No. 6 is a technical drafting amendment to open the section further to enable the inclusion of paragraph (d). Amendment No. 7 provides for subsection 5 being subject to subsection (5A) which follows as amendment No. 11. Amendment No. 11 sets out in greater detail than contained in the present section 2 the means by which the board may accumulate the reserve required to secure...
- Seanad: Voluntary Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Nov 2007)
Mary Harney: Yes, it is.
- Seanad: Voluntary Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Nov 2007)
Mary Harney: Obviously the VHI has to build up its reserves. To be authorised it will have to meet the 40% requirement its competitors have to meet. The Financial Regulator will not authorise the VHI unless it puts aside approximately 40% of its premium income by way of a reserve fund. At the moment it hasââ-