Results 15,641-15,660 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (25 Sep 2008)

Mary Harney: I understand that the Deputy is referring to treatment for gland melanoma. The specific question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the HSE under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to respond directly to the Deputy in this regard.

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (25 Sep 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 — Health Services: Health Services (25 Sep 2008)

Mary Harney: The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal 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 case investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Hospital Waiting Lists: Hospital Waiting Lists (25 Sep 2008)

Mary Harney: The management of waiting lists generally is a matter for the Health Service Executive and the individual hospitals concerned. Therefore, the Executive is the appropriate body to consider the matters raised by the Deputy. Accordingly, my Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have the matters investigated and to issue a reply directly to...

Written Answers — Hospital Staff: Hospital Staff (25 Sep 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. Therefore, the Executive is the appropriate body to consider the particular matter raised by the Deputy. My Department has requested the...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (25 Sep 2008)

Mary Harney: The Health Service Executive (HSE) has responsibility for administering the health repayment scheme in conjunction with the appointed scheme administrator KPMG/McCann Fitzgerald. The HSE has advised that the following payments were made since the scheme was introduced: Company Amount Paid to 31/8/2008 2007 2006 Total € € € € Scheme Administrator 6,869,615.89 2,274,000.00...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (25 Sep 2008)

Mary Harney: Both the Minister for Health and Children and I are fully committed to introducing the new Nursing Homes Support Scheme in 2009. The Minister for Health and Children, expects to bring the Bill before the Houses of the Oireachtas for debate in this Dáil session. As regards the number of people on waiting lists for enhanced subvention, the Department has asked the Health Service Executive to...

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (25 Sep 2008)

Mary Harney: There has been a growing demand for, and investment in, physiotherapy in the health services over the last number of years. There were a number of issues contributing to difficulties accessing physiotherapy services, one of which had been the supply of qualified personnel available to fill vacant posts. A particular priority for my Department and the Department of Education and Science in...

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (25 Sep 2008)

Mary Harney: There has been a growing demand for, and investment in, speech and language therapy in the health services over the last number of years. There were a number of issues contributing to difficulties accessing Speech and Language Therapy services, one of which had been the supply of qualified personnel available to fill vacant posts. A particular priority for my Department and the Department...

Written Answers — Hospital Staff: Hospital Staff (25 Sep 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. Therefore, the Executive is the appropriate body to consider the particular matter raised by the Deputy. My Department has requested the...

Written Answers — Community Care: Community Care (25 Sep 2008)

Mary Harney: Subject to overall parameters set by Government, the Health Service Executive has the responsibility for determining the composition of its staffing complement. In that regard, it is a matter for the Executive to manage and deploy its human resources to best meet the requirements of its Annual Service Plan for the delivery of health and personal social services to the public. The Executive...

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (25 Sep 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 issue raised by the Deputy. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (25 Sep 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-five 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.

Health Service Executive Expenditure. (30 Sep 2008)

Mary Harney: In the first half of the year the Health Service Executive identified a projected deficit for this year in the region of €300 million if no remedial action were taken. The executive brought forward proposals to address the deficit and bring expenditure back in line with its Vote. The proposals were agreed by the board of the HSE. I was advised of the measures by the chairman of the HSE...

Health Service Executive Expenditure. (30 Sep 2008)

Mary Harney: To deal with the last issue first, some of the matters covered by that saving were not proceeding this year, for example, the fair deal. It is also——

Health Service Executive Expenditure. (30 Sep 2008)

Mary Harney: It is also the case that a number of issues must be addressed for the remainder of this year, one being the repayments, which will be funded separately. By way of general comment, the Government has not found €400 billion to bail out banks. What the Government has done is given a guarantee against a very strong asset base, a matter we will be debating in the House later today. With regard...

Patient Safety Authority. (30 Sep 2008)

Mary Harney: The health sector is one of the most complex areas of activity in every country and it must by its very nature command the confidence of those who use it. While I am confident that the majority of patients in Ireland receive effective and safe treatment, unfortunately, errors do occur in any health service and it is important that we have systems in place to detect and respond appropriately...

Patient Safety Authority. (30 Sep 2008)

Mary Harney: I will take the last issue first, namely, the case raised by Deputy Michael Noonan. I was not aware of this when I was answering questions last Wednesday, but in fact the patient was contacted and given all the facts before I was aware of the need to establish facts. The authorities had made contact directly with the patient and given him the facts. That remains the position in the vast...

Medical Insurance. (30 Sep 2008)

Mary Harney: A primary objective of Government policy in health insurance is that it should be affordable for the broadest possible cross section of the community including older people and those who suffer ill health. This policy objective has been implemented through a substantial body of primary and secondary legislation providing for open enrolment, community rating and lifetime cover. Although the...

Medical Insurance. (30 Sep 2008)

Mary Harney: The legislation that was struck down had its origins in the 1994 Act. It was initiated by the then Government and the Minister was Deputy Brendan Howlin but I am not making an issue of that. I am simply saying that is the factual position. Every Minister for Health who has been in office since 1994 has strongly supported, through legislative measures, risk equalisation. The Supreme Court...