Results 12,081-12,100 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Seanad: Cancer Services: Statements (20 Nov 2007)

Mary Harney: Under the competition Acts and the Treaty of Rome price-fixing provisions for self-employed professionals, it is not possible for direct negotiations to take place with the pharmacists. The Government has deliberated on this, Bill Shipsey, Senior Counsel, has been hearing the concerns of the Irish Pharmaceutical Union and I have discussed these matters with the HSE. I hope we will be able...

Community Pharmacy Services. (21 Nov 2007)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 43 and 46 together. I previously outlined in detail to the Oireachtas the legal provisions under competition law which prevent the Health Service Executive, HSE, from negotiating with the Irish Pharmaceutical Union, IPU, on fees, prices and margins for its members. When it became clear that the HSE could not negotiate with pharmacists or wholesalers on fees...

Community Pharmacy Services. (21 Nov 2007)

Mary Harney: I welcome what the Deputy said on behalf of his party and I share his view. As the Deputy is aware, this legal advice came to hand as a result of the negotiations that had begun with the wholesalers. The intention, always, was to negotiate and we respect bodies that organise around trade unions and have always dealt with organisations on that basis. Clearly, we cannot breach Irish...

Community Pharmacy Services. (21 Nov 2007)

Mary Harney: To answer the first of the Deputy's three questions, I do not know how one might define "eminent" in this context, but the idea of a neutral, independent, acceptable person is a mechanism for consideration within the legal advice that has been given to me to date.

Community Pharmacy Services. (21 Nov 2007)

Mary Harney: I want to clarify on the record that the Attorney General is not involved in the advice procedure because of a conflict of interest. He has made arrangements for counsel to advise us. Whether the person is eminent or well known, it is the objectivity and acceptability of the incumbent that matters and it may well turn out to be a process for more than one person. Clearly, the same process...

Community Pharmacy Services. (21 Nov 2007)

Mary Harney: This is not a question of representation but of price fixing and setting prices and margins, and European law is very clear on this issue. It has wide implications for staff other than health service personnel, including self-employed veterinarians and, perhaps, some members of the legal profession. That is why so much advice is required. This matter was brought to the attention of the HSE,...

Community Pharmacy Services. (21 Nov 2007)

Mary Harney: I do not believe large numbers of professional pharmacists will not supply medical card patients and others with their necessary medication. I salute the efforts made by the Irish Pharmaceutical Union when methadone was withdrawn by a number of pharmacists.

Community Pharmacy Services. (21 Nov 2007)

Mary Harney: It was extraordinarily professional and courageous. I will not state what personalities would be acceptable because it would not be advisable to do so. The contract is between the pharmacists and the HSE, not between me and the pharmacists. Clearly, I have an important role to play in this regard and the meeting last night was very positive, but I do not want to say anything in the House...

National Cancer Strategy. (21 Nov 2007)

Mary Harney: Professor Tom Keane took up his position as interim director of the national cancer control programme last Monday. Implementation of the programme is a major priority for me and the Government. The delivery of cancer services on a programmatic basis will serve to ensure equity of access to services and equality of patient outcome, irrespective of geography. The recent decisions of the HSE...

National Cancer Strategy. (21 Nov 2007)

Mary Harney: On the question of women awaiting test results from the Midland Regional Hospital in Portlaoise, all 3,037 mammograms have been reviewed and nine women have been diagnosed with cancer, all of whom are now receiving treatment or counselling.

National Cancer Strategy. (21 Nov 2007)

Mary Harney: There was one new case.

National Cancer Strategy. (21 Nov 2007)

Mary Harney: The original number was seven; the figure is now nine. The media were referring to eight women but, as far as Dr. O'Doherty is concerned, she diagnosed nine women as having cancer among the 3,037 tested. When we were debating this matter two weeks ago, we were relying on a figure of seven.

National Cancer Strategy. (21 Nov 2007)

Mary Harney: Two more were diagnosed, resulting in a total of nine, all of whom are receiving treatment and counselling. I reiterate my apology of some weeks ago to the women concerned for the delay in diagnosing their cancers. We are trying to minimise the possibility of this happening again. An additional €1 billion has been invested in cancer care in the past ten years. This is a considerable...

Hospital Services. (21 Nov 2007)

Mary Harney: The Department of Health and Children acted on my behalf in this matter and I am totally satisfied in every respect that the Department acted in a thorough, timely and appropriate manner on foot of the information received. It is entirely without foundation for the Deputy to claim the letter "lay languishing" in the Department. The facts are as follows. On 5 July 2005, a consultant at the...

Hospital Services. (21 Nov 2007)

Mary Harney: In response to the last question, I understand that Dr. Ann O'Doherty was a member of the interview panel. It was a Public Appointments Service interview process that appointed the radiologist who is currently on administrative leave. I believe we answered a parliamentary question here recently. We get about 6,000 letters, excluding telephone calls, e-mails, representations from...

Hospitals Building Programme. (21 Nov 2007)

Mary Harney: On 31 October last, the HSE announced the details of the high level framework brief for the new national paediatric hospital. The brief was prepared by Rawlinson Kelly & Whittlestone Limited, RKW, an established UK-based health care planning company. The content of the report was informed by the views of a range of international experts, including architectural and clinical experts. The...

Hospitals Building Programme. (21 Nov 2007)

Mary Harney: I agree it is essential they open together because the two are part of the same facility. The ambulatory care centre at Tallaght will be under the auspices of the national hospital. The timeframe we are working to is 2012. I had a meeting recently with the development board, which is working to the same timeframe. There are many projects seeking capital funding in health but this is a...

Hospitals Building Programme. (21 Nov 2007)

Mary Harney: It is envisaged that the hospital will be open 18 hours per day, from 8 a.m. to 12 midnight. It will be closed between 12 midnight and 8 a.m. because the level of attendances during that period would be low. Other issues to be considered include the availability of ambulances at Tallaght so that those patients can be taken to the hospital at the Mater site.

Hospitals Building Programme. (21 Nov 2007)

Mary Harney: I do not accept that. This accident and emergency unit will deal with 48,000 attendances as opposed to 31,000 in Tallaght at present, 9,000 day cases as opposed to 3,500 at present and 58,000 outpatients as opposed to 30,000. The advice is that it is not necessary to have the facility open between midnight and 8 a.m. because a small number of cases would arise during that period. This is...

Vaccination Programme. (21 Nov 2007)

Mary Harney: Following the introduction of human papilloma virus, HPV, vaccine internationally its safety, as is the case with all other vaccines, is being carefully monitored. At national level, the Irish Medicines Board is responsible for monitoring national and international emerging evidence about vaccine safety. The Irish Medicines Board, IMB, is also represented on the national immunisation...