Results 17,281-17,300 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney
- Health Service Staff. (19 Feb 2009)
Mary Harney: I answered that question. As I said, a substantial amount of work has taken place involving my officials and officials from the Department of Finance. As I explained earlier, the Minister for Finance, not the Minister for Health and Children, has responsibility for public service staffing. I am not free to devise and implement a redundancy plan. The Minister for Finance must be centrally...
- Health Service Staff. (19 Feb 2009)
Mary Harney: The intention is that the first redundancies will take place this year.
- Health Service Staff. (19 Feb 2009)
Mary Harney: No performance-related awards have been paid to the chief executive officer and eligible senior managers in the Health Service Executive in respect of 2008. The executives' payment-related award scheme operates in accordance with the principles set out by the review body on higher remuneration in the public sector. Given the current difficult financial circumstances, the Health Service...
- Health Service Staff. (19 Feb 2009)
Mary Harney: The bonus scheme was introduced as part of the remuneration process for higher public servants. Therefore, it applies not only to the Health Service Executive but to the entire public sector. It was introduced many years ago, long before I became Minister for Health and Children. The Minister for Finance indicated in the House some time ago that this review scheme was being suspended. I...
- Health Service Staff. (19 Feb 2009)
Mary Harney: That is correct. The board has made no determination in that matter.
- National Health Strategy. (19 Feb 2009)
Mary Harney: I hope the Leas-Cheann Comhairle goes to the doctor.
- National Health Strategy. (19 Feb 2009)
Mary Harney: Only when provoked.
- National Health Strategy. (19 Feb 2009)
Mary Harney: We have given enough time to men's health.
- Written Answers — Hospitals Building Programme: Hospitals Building Programme (19 Feb 2009)
Mary Harney: The Children's Health First Report commissioned by the Health Service Executive indicated that the population and projected demands in this country can support only one world class tertiary paediatric hospital. It recommended that the hospital should be in Dublin and should, ideally, be co-located with a leading adult academic hospital. Following detailed consideration, it has been agreed...
- Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (19 Feb 2009)
Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 and 42 together. I recognise that there is a need to strengthen rheumatology services through the appointment of additional consultant rheumatologists and a range of other measures. In 2006, the HSE established a working group, in association with Arthritis Ireland, to examine how rheumatology services could be improved. A report based on the Group's work...
- Written Answers — Hospitals Building Programme: Hospitals Building Programme (19 Feb 2009)
Mary Harney: The current configuration of services in the North East is unsustainable from a safety and financial perspective. In order to address this, acute and complex care is being moved from the current five hospital sites to two at Cavan and Drogheda. Enhancements to community services, including the necessary developments to support care in the community through development of primary care teams...
- Written Answers — Hospital Waiting Lists: Hospital Waiting Lists (19 Feb 2009)
Mary Harney: In the twelve months to November 2008, there was a reduction of two thirds in the number of patients waiting for colonoscopies for longer than 12 months, and a 31% reduction in the overall number of patients waiting longer than 3 months. The pattern of lengthy waiting times is confined to a small number of hospitals. All hospitals where patients are waiting over three months for a...
- Written Answers — Vaccination Programme: Vaccination Programme (19 Feb 2009)
Mary Harney: All of the clinical advice available to me indicates that the national roll-out of a cervical screening programme should take precedence over the introduction of a HPV vaccination programme. The National Cervical Screening Programme, CervicalCheck, is being implemented at a full year cost of â¬35m. In relation to the cost of the HPV vaccine, it is a matter for the Health Service Executive,...
- Written Answers — Hospital Accommodation: Hospital Accommodation (19 Feb 2009)
Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 18, 30 and 61 together. I am determined to ensure that all possible measures are taken to facilitate the discharge of patients in a timely manner. At present, there are approximately 750 patients whose discharge is delayed. This represents over 6% of the total in-patient capacity. There are many reasons for discharges being delayed including the need for...
- Written Answers — Hospitals Building Programme: Hospitals Building Programme (19 Feb 2009)
Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 19, 45 and 136 together. The co-location initiative is a complex process but it is an efficient means of delivering extra bed capacity. Significant progress has been made in advancing the individual projects involved. The Board of the HSE has approved preferred bidder status for the development of co-located hospitals at Beaumont, Cork University, the...
- Written Answers — Hospital Waiting Lists: Hospital Waiting Lists (19 Feb 2009)
Mary Harney: I recognise the need to improve access for public patients for outpatient consultations. The HSE has identified outpatient services as an area requiring substantial improvement and its 2009 National Service Plan contains a number of specific objectives in this regard. Unnecessary return attendances and non-attendance by patients for such appointments reduce the capacity of outpatient...
- Written Answers — Private Health Insurance Levy: Private Health Insurance Levy (19 Feb 2009)
Mary Harney: The interim scheme to support the operation of the community rated market, including the intergenerational solidarity levy, was notified to the European Commission in the normal course in November 2008. Officials in my Department have since provided some further material requested by the Commission to facilitate its considerations. It is expected that the Commission will give its assessment...
- Written Answers — Hospitals Building Programme: Hospitals Building Programme (19 Feb 2009)
Mary Harney: The Children's Health First Report commissioned by the Health Service Executive indicated that the population and projected demands in this country can support only one world class tertiary paediatric hospital which should be in Dublin, and should ideally be co-located with a leading adult academic hospital. Arising from this, the development of the new National Paediatric Hospital on the...
- Written Answers — Drugs Payment Scheme: Drugs Payment Scheme (19 Feb 2009)
Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 24 and 59 together. The report of the group chaired by Dr. Barry, entitled "Economies in Drug Usage in the Irish Healthcare Setting" has been published on my Department's website, www.dohc.ie. One of the recommendations made in the report is that General Practitioners should be encouraged and facilitated to prescribe generic products. I am in the process of...
- Written Answers — Hospital Accommodation: Hospital Accommodation (19 Feb 2009)
Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 25 and 50 together. As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.