Results 14,881-14,900 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Health Service Staff. (5 Jun 2008)

Mary Harney: I have previously made it clear that I want to see appropriate staffing structures in place throughout our public health service. This includes management structures and front line service delivery. My main aim in management structures is to ensure clarity of roles, responsibilities and reporting relationships to improve the overall governance and management of our health services. The...

Health Service Staff. (5 Jun 2008)

Mary Harney: Since I became Minister, 423 fewer people are working in the corporate headquarters of the HSE, 6,000 more people are working in hospitals and 5,600 more in primary care. I could give Deputy Reilly all the percentages across all the professions. One cannot decide in advance of establishing an organisation who should be made redundant. Deputy Reilly knows that.

Health Service Staff. (5 Jun 2008)

Mary Harney: The appropriate action is to establish an organisation on a statutory basis, which happened in January 2005, and charge the management and board of that organisation with making decisions on appropriate staffing levels. I repeat that nothing on this scale has ever been embarked on in the public or private sector in Ireland by way of reorganisation and transformation. We are in active...

Health Service Staff. (5 Jun 2008)

Mary Harney: Some of them are working on the primary care teams——

Health Service Staff. (5 Jun 2008)

Mary Harney: ——or as physio managers, for example.

Health Service Staff. (5 Jun 2008)

Mary Harney: I understand there are 700 grade eights

Health Service Staff. (5 Jun 2008)

Mary Harney: That is the same. There has not been any increase. There are actually 710.

Nursing Homes Repayment Scheme. (5 Jun 2008)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 and 32 together. The Health (Repayment Scheme) Act 2006 provides a legal framework to repay recoverable health charges for publicly-funded long-term care. The Health Service Executive, HSE, has advised that as of 16 May 2008, more than 14,000 offers of repayment totalling more than €250 million have been made. Further offers continue to be issued every...

Nursing Homes Repayment Scheme. (5 Jun 2008)

Mary Harney: It was brought in because the HSE felt it would not be able to cope. It has dealt with 39,000 claims and €15 million exclusive of VAT would be regarded by any standards — especially with the overtime bills I see — as enormous value for money.

Nursing Homes Repayment Scheme. (5 Jun 2008)

Mary Harney: If we were to make the system, with its current staffing complement, deal with this issue, it would have been dealt with on an overtime basis. It would have taken substantially longer and cost substantially more. An assessment was made and that was the recommendation.

Nursing Homes Repayment Scheme. (5 Jun 2008)

Mary Harney: Perhaps some of the Deputy's friends in some of the vested interests could have done it. Perhaps the Deputy should have put in a bid for it. Some 39,000 claims have been dealt with.

Nursing Homes Repayment Scheme. (5 Jun 2008)

Mary Harney: This money must be paid in accordance with the law enacted by the Oireachtas. We must ensure, in the first instance, that the correct people are paid their money. We do not want a family member or distant relative who may never have visited the old person getting money that somebody else may be entitled to. There is no doubt that it is a very complex legal process but this is necessary...

Nursing Homes Repayment Scheme. (5 Jun 2008)

Mary Harney: The only one I am aware of is that which arose in the newspaper last week and which was the subject of a Dáil question by one of the Deputy's colleagues. When I sought to establish the facts, they were very different from what had appeared. The individual who made the application was in her early 80s, which in itself was unusual because generally the applicants are younger relatives or...

Nursing Homes Repayment Scheme. (5 Jun 2008)

Mary Harney: Is it 35%? I do not have that data.

Nursing Homes Repayment Scheme. (5 Jun 2008)

Mary Harney: I do not have it. If there was a high level of successful appeals, it would indicate first that the appeals process is working. I do not have the figure read out by the Deputy from some note I presume he has from the HSE. It is not in my note that it is as high as 35%. I did say that of the number of appeal applications made, 35% have been dealt with.

Nursing Homes Repayment Scheme. (5 Jun 2008)

Mary Harney: Yes, one in four has been dealt with but my note does not tell me they have been successful. I am sorry I do not have that information.

Health Services. (5 Jun 2008)

Mary Harney: The money is used for services, drugs, medical cards and hospital care. People are not putting the money in their pockets.

Health Services. (5 Jun 2008)

Mary Harney: The Deputy is ranting again.

Written Answers — Infectious Diseases: Infectious Diseases (5 Jun 2008)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9, 46 and 110 together. The HSE launched a National Infection Control Action Plan in March 2007. An Infection Control Steering Group is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the plan. Over the next five years, the HSE aims to reduce HCAIs by 20%, MRSA infections by 30% and antibiotic consumption by 20%. Achievement of these targets will benefit...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (5 Jun 2008)

Mary Harney: I am aware of recent issues which have arisen regarding the "Hospital in the Home" service. One of the key challenges facing the health service is the need to ensure that services are planned and provided in line with the clinical needs of the patient. A number of experimental initiatives have been put in place by the Health Service Executive with a view to providing care in community based...