Results 16,061-16,080 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Written Answers — Voluntary Sector Funding: Voluntary Sector Funding (30 Oct 2008)

Mary Harney: Following the recent Budget, I have notified the Health Service Executive (HSE) of its allocation for 2009. In my letter of the 15th October 2008 to the Chairman of the HSE, I indicated the budget was framed in the context of the fiscal challenges facing the country. I also indicated a number of cost saving measures which the HSE would need to achieve to ensure it remained within its...

Written Answers — Price Increases: Price Increases (30 Oct 2008)

Mary Harney: The charge for attending accident and emergency, outpatients or casualty departments increased by 10% to €66 euro on 1st January 2008. Private patients in public hospitals who are treated as private patients are currently charged at the rates set out in the table below. These charges are in addition to a charge equivalent to the public hospital statutory in-patient charge which is €66...

Written Answers — Nursing Homes Repayment Scheme: Nursing Homes Repayment Scheme (30 Oct 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 (30 Oct 2008)

Mary Harney: As the Deputy's question relates to the operation of the National Treatment Purchase Fund, my Department has asked the Chief Executive of the Fund to reply directly to the Deputy in relation to the information requested.

Written Answers — Medical Inquiries: Medical Inquiries (30 Oct 2008)

Mary Harney: I wish to extend my sincere sympathies to the family of the person concerned at this very difficult time. I am not aware of the circumstances of this case. However, if a family has concerns about the care or treatment their family member received in a hospital, they should in the first instance contact the hospital directly where their concerns will be addressed. My Department has also...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (30 Oct 2008)

Mary Harney: My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Health Service Executive to arrange to expedite the issuing of a reply to the Deputy on the matter.

Written Answers — Hospitals Building Programme: Hospitals Building Programme (30 Oct 2008)

Mary Harney: My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Health Service Executive to arrange to expedite the issuing of a reply to the Deputy in the matter.

Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (30 Oct 2008)

Mary Harney: The Government recently announced, as part of its budget proposals, the withdrawal of automatic entitlement to the medical card from people aged 70 years and over and the introduction of new income thresholds for entitlement to a medical card for those aged 70 and over of €700 (gross) per week for a single person and €1,400 (gross) per week for a couple. Legislation, which will give...

Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (30 Oct 2008)

Mary Harney: The Government recently announced, as part of its budget proposals, the withdrawal of automatic entitlement to the medical card from people aged 70 years and over and the introduction of new income thresholds for entitlement to a medical card for those aged 70 and over of €700 (gross) per week for a single person and €1,400 (gross) per week for a couple. When a person's means are in...

Written Answers — Drug Treatment Programme: Drug Treatment Programme (30 Oct 2008)

Mary Harney: As the Deputy will be aware any re-orientation of services takes place over a period of time. Existing HSE services are being re-oriented under the HSE's Transformation Programme 2007-2010 and a key aspect of the re-orientation of addiction services is the training and up-skilling of staff to address the needs arising from changing patterns of drug use in the population e.g. poly drug use...

Written Answers — Health Insurance: Health Insurance (30 Oct 2008)

Mary Harney: Following the Supreme Court finding that the 2003 Risk Equalisation Scheme was ultra vires, I initiated a consultative process on the implications of the decision and on the measures that might be taken to protect the principle of community rating. In the course of this process, I and officials of my Department have held meetings with the Health Insurance Authority, VHI, Quinn Insurance and...

Written Answers — Hospitals Building Programme: Hospitals Building Programme (30 Oct 2008)

Mary Harney: Responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services including estate management was assigned to the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Therefore the Executive is the appropriate body to respond to the particular query raised by the Deputy. Accordingly, my Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to...

Seanad: Mental Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (30 Oct 2008)

Mary Harney: I thank the Cathaoirleach and I am grateful to the House for agreeing at short notice to sit this evening to consider this emergency legislation. The necessity for legislation arises because a patient in a psychiatric hospital who has been involuntarily detained therein since summer 2007 initiated a judicial review of her case in June 2008. The case was heard during early October and...

Seanad: Mental Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (30 Oct 2008)

Mary Harney: I am grateful for the support from Senators. We are not making legal something that is declared illegal. If the court decision tomorrow finds against the Mental Health Commission and we are here tomorrow afternoon or on Monday, that is what we may do. It has not been established that these orders were made illegally. We are, as a precaution and on the advice of the Attorney General, in...

Seanad: Mental Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Oct 2008)

Mary Harney: Perhaps the last point is relevant to some of the other issues raised. Notwithstanding these forms, patients are reviewed all the time and are seen on a weekly basis by their psychiatrists. The argument advanced by the Attorney General in this case is along the lines of section 28 of the Act, that notwithstanding the forms and whether they are deficient, this does not take from the...

Seanad: Mental Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Oct 2008)

Mary Harney: For all these patients, the procedure, if this case goes down tomorrow, will be that a new renewal order must be made before five working days have elapsed. When that new renewal order is made, an independent psychiatrist must review these patients who also will go before a tribunal at which a different psychiatrist, a lawyer and a layperson will review their cases. This process happens all...

Seanad: Mental Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Oct 2008)

Mary Harney: That is the argument the Attorney General made in this case. I repeat the Government is by no means pessimistic about losing this case tomorrow. I have learned from experience that one case can cause much disquiet and upset and that over this weekend, were this case to go down and were one very sick person to be discharged home or into the community in such circumstances, there would be...

Seanad: Mental Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Oct 2008)

Mary Harney: First, I am grateful to the House for extending its sitting at short notice to deal with this important legislation. I thank everyone for their co-operation. I apologise to the Independent Senators as we overlooked inviting them to the briefing today — it was my fault. I also thank my wonderful officials, the Secretary General and the director of the mental health office in the...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (4 Nov 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 — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (4 Nov 2008)

Mary Harney: As the Health Service Executive has the operational and funding responsibility for the medical card benefit, it is the appropriate body to consider the particular case raised by the Deputy. My Department has therefore requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to address this matter and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.