Results 13,781-13,800 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Written Answers — Hospital Staff: Hospital Staff (2 Apr 2008)

Mary Harney: The Report of the National Task Force on Medical Staffing, 2003 set out a detailed implementation plan for reducing NCHD hours to meet the requirements of the European Working Time Directive (EWTD). Its recommendations centred on the introduction of a consultant-provided service and the appointment of additional consultants under new contractual arrangements. A national coordinator and...

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (2 Apr 2008)

Mary Harney: I recognise that the number of General Practitioners (GPs) being trained at present is not sufficient to meet anticipated manpower need. In 2004, my Department agreed with the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) that the number of GP vocational training places should be increased from 84 to 150 on a phased basis over three years. Since 2005, an additional €6 million has been...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (2 Apr 2008)

Mary Harney: The Health Service Executive (HSE) as part of its financial monitoring and control process introduced a number of measures in September 2007. These measures included: all recruitment be suspended for September after which the situation would be reviewed; all foreign travel was cancelled for the remainder of the year; all Hotel bookings for meetings etc. were cancelled for the remainder of...

Written Answers — Community Care: Community Care (2 Apr 2008)

Mary Harney: Under the Health Act 2004, the management and delivery of health and personal social services is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive. This includes operational responsibility for the establishment of Primary Care Teams with the funding provided and the recruitment of additional front-line professionals for these teams. Accordingly, my Department has requested the...

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (2 Apr 2008)

Mary Harney: Demand for occupational therapy in the health services has been significant, hence the substantial investment which has been provided over the last number of years. The number of occupational therapists employed in the public health service has grown from 287 wholetime equivalents in 1997 to 1,025 in December 2007. This is an increase of 738 wholetime equivalents in that period which...

Written Answers — Patient Information Website: Patient Information Website (2 Apr 2008)

Mary Harney: Operational responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services was assigned to the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004 and funding for all health services has been provided as part of its overall vote. The Executive is responsible for funding this website and is therefore the appropriate body to consider the issue raised by the Deputy. My...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (2 Apr 2008)

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 issues raised by the Deputy. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division...

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (2 Apr 2008)

Mary Harney: An overall employment ceiling of 112,560 whole time equivalents has been set for the public health services for 2008. This level of employment provides for 1,050 additional new posts arising from development funding provided by the Government in the Budget Day package for 2008. Following consideration of the requirements to deliver the priorities identified by Government in the Budget...

Written Answers — Hospital Waiting Lists: Hospital Waiting Lists (2 Apr 2008)

Mary Harney: Statutory responsibility for the collation, management and publication of data on waiting times and numbers of persons waiting for surgical procedures rests with the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF). I am aware that a number of hospitals, including Tallaght, continue to have unacceptably long waiting times. The other hospitals concerned are Letterkenny General Hospital, the Midland...

Written Answers — Vaccination Programme: Vaccination Programme (2 Apr 2008)

Mary Harney: The Deputy's question relates to the funding, 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 — Hospital Staff: Hospital Staff (2 Apr 2008)

Mary Harney: Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive has primary responsibility for determining the terms and conditions of employment of its staff include the determination of eligibility for employment in terms of the assessment of qualifications, skills, knowledge and competence to perform the role/responsibilities required of any particular post. Therefore, the Executive is the...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (2 Apr 2008)

Mary Harney: The information requested by the Deputy is detailed in the following table. Year Number of Staff Associated Costs Wholetime Equivalents â'¬ December 2003 649.06 28,102,845 December 2004 625.52 30,113,552 December 2005 602.54 31,947,688 December 2006 590.99 33,495,992 December 2007 547.42 35,384,556 February 2008 487.65 34,692,000 The above figures reflect core Department of Health...

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (2 Apr 2008)

Mary Harney: I am aware of the concerns of independent midwives in relation to indemnity insurance. The Irish Nurses Organisation provides a certain level of insurance cover to independent midwives who are members of the organisation. The INO has confirmed that this cover will be provided until the end of September. I support choice for women in childbirth. The option of domiciliary births must only be...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (2 Apr 2008)

Mary Harney: The Primary Care Strategy aims to increase health service capacity through the development of services in the community to give people direct access to integrated multi-disciplinary teams of general practitioners, nurses, home helps, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and others. It has been estimated that up to 95% of people's health and social services needs can be properly met...

Written Answers — National Treatment Purchase Fund: National Treatment Purchase Fund (2 Apr 2008)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 364 and 365 together. The role of the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) is to purchase treatment, primarily from private hospitals in Ireland, with the aim of reducing the length of time that public patients have to wait for surgery. Taking both in-patient and out-patient activity, I am pleased to say that, to date, over 100,000 people have benefited...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (2 Apr 2008)

Mary Harney: The Health Service Executive has responsibility for administering the Repayment Scheme and the information sought by the Deputy relates to matters within the area of responsibility of the Executive. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have the matter investigated and to have a reply issued to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (2 Apr 2008)

Mary Harney: I have not issued any instruction of the kind referred to in the Deputy's question. The Health Service Executive has advised my Department that it has not issued any such instruction. In November 2007, the Data Protection Commissioner issued a Guidance Note for Data Controllers on the Release of Personal Data to Public Representatives, in line with which the Executive has prepared a Standard...

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (2 Apr 2008)

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 — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (2 Apr 2008)

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 — Departmental Facilities: Departmental Facilities (2 Apr 2008)

Mary Harney: The following table lists the number of car park spaces the Department of Health and Children uses in Dublin, showing their location, number per location and their relevant costs. Car park spaces at Hawkins House do not involve any additional costs. Rental costs arising from other locations are paid directly by the Office of Public Works. The position regarding the HSE and the other...