Results 15,221-15,240 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Health Service Reform. (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Harney: We cannot do that. I have no expertise in this area but I have spoken to quite a few people in other sectors who have and they all say that we need to centralise before we devolve and know what we have in place. For Professor Drumm or the board of the HSE to decide before the organisation was put together who they would get rid of would not have made sense. Some people, like CEOs, went...

Health Service Reform. (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Harney: The organisation has to be put into effect before deciding the management structure that is required, the individuals or whatever. The idea is to have fewer layers of bureaucracy. The Deputy asked me about regional structures. We have regional structures currently. We have eight network managers for hospitals and four such persons for community continuing care. In the first instance they...

Health Service Reform. (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Harney: It is not. This State does not have a good history of redundancy programmes. Sometimes the best people go and then they come back as consultants. We want to ensure before a redundancy programme is devised that we put this organisational structure in place. On communications, even Deputy Reilly's own organisation, Fine Gael, has a director of communications, who is an excellent person....

Health Service Reform. (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Harney: If I could start with Deputy Barrett, I would be horrified to think that it was an official letter. I would like to see the letter, if he would share it with me.

Health Service Reform. (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Harney: Of course it is not the policy. The policy is to allocate long-stay beds to those who need them most. In fact, the policy is very much to keep people out of long-term care and to encourage people to stay at home with home-care packages and clinical support. From a zero base five years ago, we now have 11,000 such persons being supported at home. That is what older people want. If the...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (3 Jul 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 case raised by the Deputy. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division...

Written Answers — Nursing Homes Repayment Scheme: Nursing Homes Repayment Scheme (3 Jul 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 — National Treatment Purchase Fund: National Treatment Purchase Fund (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Harney: Statutory responsibility for the collection, collation and validation of data on waiting times and numbers of persons waiting for hospital treatment rests with the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF). My Department has, therefore, asked the Chief Executive of the NTPF to reply directly to the Deputy in relation to the information requested.

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Harney: The provision of the appropriate infrastructure to facilitate the delivery of primary care services is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have the matter raised by the Deputy investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy as a matter of urgency.

Written Answers — Hospital Waiting Lists: Hospital Waiting Lists (3 Jul 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 case raised by the Deputy. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division...

Written Answers — Pharmacy Regulations: Pharmacy Regulations (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Harney: The Pharmacy Act 2007 is being commenced in three stages. The first stage of the process involved the establishment of a Council of the new Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, the second stage will put in place a new registration regime for pharmacists and pharmacies, and the third stage will deal with complaints, inquiries and fitness to practice provisions. As part of the second stage,...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Harney: As the Deputy will be aware my Department is not one of the Departments scheduled for decentralisation under the Government's Decentralisation Programme. To date fifty-four civil servants have transferred to decentralising Departments from my Department. Further details in respect of the transfer of these officers are available from the decentralising Departments.

Written Answers — Nursing Homes Repayment Scheme: Nursing Homes Repayment Scheme (3 Jul 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 — Efficiency Reviews: Efficiency Reviews (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Harney: In the context of the Efficiency Review announced by the then Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, Mr. Brian Cowen,T.D. in his 2008 Budget Speech, my Department has been examining various areas where potential savings and efficiencies can be achieved. In relation to Bodies under the aegis of my Department the position is that agencies (other than the HSE and HIQA) are predominantly small in...

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 90 to 93, inclusive, together. The Health Service Executive is the appropriate body to consider the particular questions raised by the Deputy. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to examine the issues raised by the Deputy, and to furnish me with a report containing the relevant information as soon as possible. I will...

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Harney: Under Section 18 of the Health Act, 1970, qualifications for the employment of clinical psychologist and psychologist community care grades were declared by the Minister for Health and Children, in consultation with the relevant professional organisation for psychologists in Ireland. My Department has met, and been in correspondence with, the Psychological Society of Ireland on many occasions...

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Harney: I would like to assure the Deputy that tackling Healthcare Associated Infections (HCAIs), including MRSA, continues to be a priority for the Government and for the Health Service Executive (HSE). The Strategy for the control of Antimicrobial Resistance in Ireland (SARI) was launched in 2001. This strategy, which is based upon best international practice, represents a road map for tackling...

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (3 Jul 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 — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Harney: A total of 38 staff of my Department received or are receiving support for post-graduate educational courses between 2004 to 2008 inclusive.

Written Answers — Hospital Accommodation: Hospital Accommodation (8 Jul 2008)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 201, 247 and 251 together. The Government in 2001 made a commitment, in the context of the Health Strategy Quality and Fairness, to increase public acute hospital bed numbers by 3,000 over ten years. This commitment included both acute in-patient beds and day places. The Government is substantially on target to reach this objective. In 2001 the average...