Results 1,541-1,560 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Report on Long-Stay Care Charges: Motion. (10 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: That is a long-standing——

Report on Long-Stay Care Charges: Motion. (10 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: We are acting on the findings of the report.

Report on Long-Stay Care Charges: Motion. (10 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: Any fair-minded person who reads the report could not call on people to resign on the basis of it.

Report on Long-Stay Care Charges: Motion. (10 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: The Bill was introduced for a number of reasons. As I have said in this House, I believe we were acting in good faith when we decided to introduce the Bill. In other words, there was no legal knowledge in the Department of Health and Children that the matter was unconstitutional and did not have a safe legal basis. That is a fact. If one reads the opinion——

Report on Long-Stay Care Charges: Motion. (10 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: No.

Report on Long-Stay Care Charges: Motion. (10 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: No.

Report on Long-Stay Care Charges: Motion. (10 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: The Deputies can read the report that was prepared for the Government.

Report on Long-Stay Care Charges: Motion. (10 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: It is at the back of the Travers report. It was during the Christmas holiday break that the Keane judgment came to light.

Report on Long-Stay Care Charges: Motion. (10 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: As I said in my speech, the discovery process for the Supreme Court hearings started in parallel with the discovery process for the Travers report. I remember getting a call and being told about the Keane judgment. I was surprised to hear that the Government had been advised in such strong terms in 1978 that this was wrong. As a result, the State did not argue in the Supreme Court case that...

Report on Long-Stay Care Charges: Motion. (10 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: The Travers report makes clear that the foundation decision was taken in 1976 and not in 2002, although it points out that things were brought into focus in 2002. The commission on health funding drew attention to the matter in the late 1980s, as did the health strategy of 1994. The Department received legal advice on the issue in 1975-76. As Mr. Travers states in his report, a great deal of...

Report on Long-Stay Care Charges: Motion. (10 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: Litigation is pending in that regard. When this matter arose last December, I asked the assistant secretary of the Department, Mr. Smyth, to conduct an audit of the regulations which impose charges so that a legal opinion on their status could be acquired. That audit is under way and will be finalised as quickly as possible. We have been working extremely hard on it. Meetings will be held...

Report on Long-Stay Care Charges: Motion. (10 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: On Deputy Ó Caoláin's question, I do not know the precise number of cases. I did say — this is in the report — that anyone who challenged the making of the payments did not have to pay. The advice from the Department to the health board was not to pursue the matter legally. When invited by the registrar of the wards of court to pursue it legally, the Department's advice was that this...

Report on Long-Stay Care Charges: Motion. (10 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: I do not know whether people were refunded if they had been paying for a couple of years. I will revert to the Deputy on this matter.

Report on Long-Stay Care Charges: Motion. (10 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: They were certainly not charged going forward. I am not in a position to state whether they were refunded. On Deputy Healy's question, legal advice was obtained on the nursing home subvention. Where people are in public beds or in beds contracted by a public authority in a private nursing home the State is exposed. However, issues arise regarding the nursing home subvention. In this regard,...

Report on Long-Stay Care Charges: Motion. (10 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: Yes. Is the Deputy referring to the nursing home subvention? Nobody could expect us to pay for every private bed in a private nursing home environment. I assure the Deputy this would cause financial disequilibrium.

Report on Long-Stay Care Charges: Motion. (10 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: I accept that.

Report on Long-Stay Care Charges: Motion. (10 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: I am aware of that and it is on that issue that the advice has been sought.

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (10 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: My Department is currently involved in drafting new legislation which will amend the Nurses Act 1985. The new legislation will modernise the regulatory framework operated by An Bord Altranais for nurses and midwives. Work on the draft Heads of the Bill is at an advanced stage and all stakeholders will have an opportunity to comment on the draft legislation. It is my intention that the new...

Written Answers — Accident and Emergency Services: Accident and Emergency Services (10 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: I presume the Deputy is referring to a series of inspections being undertaken by officials of the Health and Safety Authority to address occupational health and safety concerns in emergency medicine departments of acute hospitals. The authority recently announced that it would launch a programme of inspections this week and that it hoped to inspect 11 emergency departments by 8 April 2005. It...

Written Answers — Hospital Staff: Hospital Staff (10 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive, HSE, which was established on 1 January 2005, has responsibility for pension arrangements for staff of the former health boards. Accordingly, my Department has requested the chief officer for the executive's north eastern area to investigate the matter raised and to reply directly to the Deputy.