Results 1,501-1,520 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (9 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: The Health Act 2004 provided for the Health Service Executive, which was established on 1 January 2005. Under the Act, the executive has the responsibility to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. This includes responsibility for the provision of services at Mayo General Hospital. Accordingly, my Department has requested the chief...

Written Answers — Nursing Home Costs: Nursing Home Costs (9 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: My Department is studying the Supreme Court judgment in detail and will take on board all the consequences for policy and law arising from the judgment. The details of a repayment scheme to address the situation following the Supreme Court decision are being finalised and it is only following this that it will be possible to provide information on the estimated refund to be paid overall. My...

Written Answers — Departmental Inquiries: Departmental Inquiries (9 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 160 to 169, inclusive, together. Following a Government decision in April 2000, the post mortem inquiry was established to investigate post mortem practice and procedure in all hospitals in the State since 1970. The terms of reference include the issue of the retention by hospitals of pituitary glands. Neither I nor my Department has been advised that any...

Written Answers — Hospital Waiting Lists: Hospital Waiting Lists (9 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 170 to 173, inclusive, 178 and 179 together. Responsibility for the collation and publishing of waiting list and waiting time data now rests with the national treatment purchase fund, NTPF. The NTPF, which is now a statutory body, was established as one of the key actions for dealing with public hospital waiting lists arising from the health strategy. My...

Written Answers — Health Care Training: Health Care Training (9 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 180 and 181 together. The Health Act 2004 provided for the Health Service Executive, which was established on 1 January 2005. Under the Act, the HSE is required, to the extent practicable and necessary to enable it to perform its functions, to facilitate the education and training of its employees and the employees of service providers. My Department has been...

Order of Business. (10 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: It is proposed to take No. 17, Finance Bill 2005 — Report Stage, resumed, and Final Stage; and No. 17a— statements on the Report on Certain Issues of Management and Administration in the Department of Health and Children associated with the practice of charges for persons in long-stay care in health board institutions and related matters. It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in...

Order of Business. (10 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: I can deal with that.

Order of Business. (10 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: Contrary to an impression created this morning, no file was found overnight in the Department of Health and Children.

Order of Business. (10 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: Can I not respond to the issues raised?

Order of Business. (10 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: As Deputy Rabbitte has acknowledged, Mr. Travers makes the point on page 54 of the report that the letter sent at my request in October was a copy of the letter in the file. I have it here and will circulate it. It is a copy which was held in the line division that prepared the submission for the Attorney General and prepared the letter. Mr. Travers refers to it in his report and he saw it....

Order of Business. (10 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: It is important and I have asked——

Order of Business. (10 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: I have asked the press office in the Department of Health and Children to ask for a correction to a story that was circulated this morning. I do not know the source of the story but it is not accurate. On the legal implications of the inquiry and whether there will be a need for amending legislation, that matter has not been considered. Legislation may not be required in that there are...

Order of Business. (10 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: When I heard Deputy Ó Caoláin criticise the Taoiseach's absence, I was going to make the point Deputy Kenny made that his party did not attend the Whips' meeting yesterday when arrangements were being made to discuss the Travers report. I commend the parties who attended, reached an agreement and honoured that in the House this morning. It is much more sincere than being absent, then...

Order of Business. (10 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: Deputies will be aware that for many years it has been the tradition that many Ministers, Ministers of State and the Taoiseach visit the Irish diaspora, as the former President, Mary Robinson, referred to them, and attend various events where Irish people are proud to celebrate our national holiday. It is true that I am not travelling. I would be gone by now if I were travelling to San...

Order of Business. (10 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: A Supplementary Estimate will be necessary later this year; we have already made that clear. I do not know about an all-party committee but the Cabinet sub-committee, made up of the Taoiseach, the Minister for Finance, the Attorney General and myself, has reflected on whether there are other areas of Government where regulations may not be on a sound footing. In December, I asked the...

Order of Business. (10 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: I do not believe legislation is required, as I said earlier. That is my view and nobody has drawn to my attention any area where legislation would be required.

Order of Business. (10 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: There are two areas of responsibility. Of course Ministers are responsible to this House, as they hold constitutional office. Secretary Generals are accounting officers and they are accountable for public moneys. There are different areas of accountability in this whole matter and they are clear. There is no doubt about that. I am quite certain we will deal with these issues when we return to...

Order of Business. (10 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: Substantial work is under way in that area and I hope to have the heads of the legislation with the Government later this year. I share the Deputy's concern about many Irish graduates who could not get places in pharmacy schools here and had to go abroad. They are not in a position to own their own pharmacy and the position is unsatisfactory.

Order of Business. (10 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: The work permits Bill will be published shortly and is the responsibility of the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. The other matter raised by the Deputy has been routinely done over many years in the proper fora. Ministers are not going abroad to party, they are going abroad to work.

Order of Business. (10 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: If the Deputy thinks it is a party, he does not know the meaning of the word.