Results 18,801-18,820 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Hospitals Building Programme. (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: The Finance Act 2009 provides that the schemes of capital allowances for private hospitals and certain other health facilities will be terminated, subject to transitional arrangements for projects already in development. Provided that a co-located private hospital project conforms to the requirements of these transitional arrangements and otherwise satisfies the general requirements of the...

Hospitals Building Programme. (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: The answer to that is "No". Among the reasons for the delay was the fact that planning applications were opposed and appealed to An Bord Pleanála, mainly by a former Deputy who is now a member of the European Parliament.

Hospitals Building Programme. (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: No, I do not think he was involved in an appeal to An Bord Pleanála. He may have had issues concerning location. At around 1.30 p.m. Deputy O'Sullivan said her party wants to keep the VHI - which provides private health insurance and guarantees people preferential access to public hospitals and super-dooper hospitals - in State ownership, yet when we try to reduce the level of private...

Hospitals Building Programme. (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: That would be a lot more expensive. The reality is that when we put private patients into public hospitals, we pay for all the staff and all the diagnostics, yet only insured patients or those who can pay themselves can get into those beds. The State is paying all the overhead costs, including staffing, so that does not make sense.

Hospitals Building Programme. (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: I want to see people admitted to our public hospitals on the basis of medical need. Although it does not concern a member of Deputy O'Sullivan's party, it is ironic to see that I am being criticised in a County Louth newspaper by a public representative because a doctor who signed a public-only contract will not get a fee for private patients. That public representative of the Sinn Féin...

Hospitals Building Programme. (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: All our current hospitals are co-located. Some 20% of the beds within them are ring-fenced for private patients only and I do not think that is acceptable.

Hospitals Building Programme. (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: A major contribution to that is the new consultant contract where there will be a one-for-all list of diagnostics and there will not be preferential treatment. Under the Deputy's model of supporting private health insurance-----

Hospitals Building Programme. (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: -----whether it is public or private, a VHI member has preferential access to public hospitals and super-dooper hospitals.

Hospitals Building Programme. (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: The Deputy wants to preserve that in State ownership, but I do not understand the strategic reason. They have preferential access to super-dooper clinics as well as private and public hospitals.

Hospitals Building Programme. (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: The new consultant contract greatly improves matters, as we will see. It has only been in operation for a few weeks and there have already been complaints in Louth because of the one-for-all access. Co-location means that one will have virtually no private preferential access to public hospitals which have a co-located facility.

Hospitals Building Programme. (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: In this city we have two co-located hospitals, the Mater and St. Vincent's. The St. Vincent's project, which was commented upon by a member of Deputy Jan O'Sullivan's party on the radio recently, is not even part of the co-location. St. Vincent's is a not-for-profit, private institution, which provides an outstanding service. They are building their own new co-located facility, which has...

Hospitals Building Programme. (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: The facts are that we need a lot of investment in our public hospitals. We are moving to an environment where more single rooms are required for hygiene and infection control. There is a huge capital expenditure involved. The tax regime we have had in place both for private hospitals and nursing homes has been very beneficial in delivering capital.

Hospital Funding. (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: The purpose of health policy is to achieve the best health status and health outcomes for the whole population. We are succeeding in Ireland in many respects. Life expectancy is now at the highest level it has ever been. Infant mortality is one of the lowest in the world. Survival from many cancers is improving. Death rates from cardiac disease are falling. We are now allocating €16...

Hospital Funding. (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: The Deputy is correct and we have substantially increased the budget in Crumlin by 39% since 2004. However, I believe that many initiatives can be taken and are being taken by the hospital, such as the decision by the board last week not to have any further ward closures this summer. That is to be welcomed, and it was done without any additional money. There is no system in the world with...

Hospital Funding. (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: Everybody must be allocated a budget. The reduction in the allocation to Crumlin was less than many other places. Professor Drumm will be addressing the health committee next week on the children's hospitals, specifically regarding the issues on Crumlin. He is familiar with them, having been a clinician there for many years. There is a 17,000 day overtime bill in Crumlin. By the end of...

Hospital Funding. (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: I accept that, but the resources allocated to Crumlin have also increased. There was an 18% increase in medical staff and there are also more day cases, which is much less expensive for a hospital than overnight stays. We are hoping to arrive at a situation in Ireland where about 85% of surgery will be done on a day-case basis. We are at about 62% at the moment. Professor Drumm will...

Hospital Accommodation. (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: More than 50% of adults with cystic fibrosis in the State attend St. Vincent's University Hospital for their treatment due to the expertise established there. The hospital is also designated as the national referral centre for all other hospitals providing treatment for people with cystic fibrosis. St. Vincent's hospital is undergoing a process of complete redevelopment. The new ambulatory...

Hospital Accommodation. (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: I have been in touch with the hospital and the clinical nurse manager did the work the Deputy suggested was done by the family. She confirmed that. She also confirmed that she spoke to the patient on foot of the question tabled by Deputy Shatter, which was unusual - I would have thought it more appropriate that the question would have been raised and dealt with privately in the hospital -...

Hospital Accommodation. (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: The delay arose because of dialogue between the architects nominated by the association, or the people involved in the cystic fibrosis community, and the architects and design team for St. Vincent's hospital. As I said in the House some time ago, that delayed it. I am not blaming anybody but I understand from the HSE that added to the timeframe. I am advised by the HSE that it will go to...

Hospital Accommodation. (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: I do not know whether it means next week or the week after but contracts will be signed this year, the facility will be constructed next year and will be paid for at the start of 2011 and commissioned at that point. I am not aware of the plan to close St. Christopher's ward. I will have that matter checked and revert to the Deputy.