Results 19,001-19,020 of 46,095 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Eligibility (18 Apr 2018)

Simon Harris: The HSE's Expert Group on Medical Need and Medical Card Eligibility examined the issue of awarding medical cards on the basis of illness and concluded that it was not feasible, desirable, nor ethically justifiable to list medical conditions in priority order for medical card eligibility. The Expert Group also concluded that a person’s means should remain the main qualifier for a...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Primary Care Centres Provision (18 Apr 2018)

Simon Harris: As the HSE has responsibility for the provision, along with the maintenance and operation of Primary Care Centres and other Primary Care facilities, the Executive has been asked to reply directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff Remuneration (18 Apr 2018)

Simon Harris: In 2015, my Department completed a review of the appropriate salary levels for the CEOs of Section 38 funded agencies, in conjunction with the HSE and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER).  The review was carried out on foot of Recommendation No. 20 in the HSE’s Internal Audit report on the remuneration of senior managers in Section 38 agencies.  This...

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Practitioner Services (18 Apr 2018)

Simon Harris: The Government is committed to the continued development of GP capacity to ensure that patients across the country continue to have access to GP services, especially in remote rural areas and also in disadvantaged urban areas, and that general practice is sustainable in all areas into the future. I want to ensure that existing GP services are retained and that general practice remains an...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: General Practitioner Contracts (19 Apr 2018)

Simon Harris: I congratulate the Deputy on his appointment as his party's spokesperson on health. We obviously know each other well. It is a great day for Greystones and County Wicklow, with such great emphasis being placed by us on healthcare. I, too, look forward to us working together. As a much more accomplished politician than I once said, "I wish you luck but not too much." I also very much...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: General Practitioner Contracts (19 Apr 2018)

Simon Harris: I expect that we will, as part of the engagement on general practice, put together a roadmap to move to a post-FEMPI legislation era. I am glad that the Deputy mentioned other healthcare professionals because he is entirely correct. We have begun the process of unwinding the difficult FEMPI legislation pay cuts for all public servants, including other staff working in the health service,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: General Practitioner Contracts (19 Apr 2018)

Simon Harris: I appreciate the question raised by Deputy Donnelly and I am sure he appreciates the position I am in where I cannot negotiate on the floor of the House. I expect that we will be investing many millions more in general practice from 2019 and that we will be beginning to move post FEMPI in 2019 subject to us being able to agree a myriad of things we need to discuss. In any negotiation, both...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Health Services Staff (19 Apr 2018)

Simon Harris: I do not think Deputy O'Reilly and I disagree on quite as many things as we like to think. I know it is very important that we stress those differences but in respect of recruitment and retention, I certainly agree with her that this is a challenging area. As she is aware, the Public Service Pay Commission is doing a body of work. I know the unions and representative bodies have fed into...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Health Services Staff (19 Apr 2018)

Simon Harris: I can commit to increasing security in our emergency departments. Sorry, I thought that was what the Deputy asked.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Health Services Staff (19 Apr 2018)

Simon Harris: I believe that has already been agreed through the emergency department agreement negotiated with my predecessor in 2014. I have discussed this with the INMO and have made it very clear to it and the HSE that this needs to be addressed. When the INMO pointed out to me areas where it did not believe this to be the case, I asked the HSE to take action. I want staff in all our hospitals to be...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Health Services Staff (19 Apr 2018)

Simon Harris: I take what the Deputy said very seriously. This is a very important matter. The safety of staff in our emergency departments, which is an area on which she wishes me to focus with regard to this question, should be of paramount importance. I will get a report from the HSE about all our emergency departments. Where they have security staff within the emergency department, I will share...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Respite Care Services Provision (19 Apr 2018)

Simon Harris: Deputy Murphy O'Mahony will have to accept me as a substitute for the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, who is in New York for the signing of a UN convention. The Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose, as well as...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Respite Care Services Provision (19 Apr 2018)

Simon Harris: Not only do I see the need, I am determined we address it. We will provide 19,000 extra respite care nights this year. That is a large increase and has been welcomed by carers. However, they want to see the houses open and so do I. These houses will start to come on stream. We hope to be able to announce locations and target opening dates for all these houses in the coming weeks....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Respite Care Services Provision (19 Apr 2018)

Simon Harris: The Deputy is correct. Every CHO will receive one new respite house or facility this year. For some that will involve capital works to upgrade existing facilities, while for others it will involve the procurement, purchase or even construction of a new respite care centre. That is why there are tender processes in some CHOs. So far, two houses have opened in Kerry and north County Dublin...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Hospital Admissions (19 Apr 2018)

Simon Harris: I agree with the Deputy's analysis of the problem. It still beggars belief that we reduced the number of hospital beds in this country long before the troika arrived in town. I believe we can do much more in community and in primary care. Even as we do that, there is a clear, compelling and indisputable case that we need to provide more acute hospital beds. There will be certain things we...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Hospital Admissions (19 Apr 2018)

Simon Harris: I realise that fully, and the Deputy knows from our detailed discussions, both in one-on-one meetings that we have had in his capacity as Chairman of the Oireachtas Committee on Health and in my public actions and comments, that I fully recognise it. Mentioning Storm Emma is not about making an excuse, but about recognising what front-line staff and management tell me, which is that the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Hospital Admissions (19 Apr 2018)

Simon Harris: Yes.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Hospital Admissions (19 Apr 2018)

Simon Harris: We are going to deliver the Sláintecare report. As the Deputy knows, I have three big asks and projects that I had to bring to the Government for approval, and on which I had to work with colleagues in other Departments to make sure they are backed up by significant resources. One concerns the capacity report on capital. Health has been starved of capital for years, even during the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Treatment Purchase Fund (19 Apr 2018)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Shortall for the question. As the Deputy knows, the programme for Government commits to reducing waiting times for procedures in hospitals and to increase funding for the National Treatment Purchase Fund to deliver on this commitment. In the budget and Estimates for 2018, funding for the NTPF to treat public patients was increased to €50 million. The inpatient and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Treatment Purchase Fund (19 Apr 2018)

Simon Harris: I have outlined to the Deputy how we are using the capacity that is available in the private hospital sector while building up the capacity in the public health sector. I would much rather be able to have adequate capacity in the public health service but it is not possible to bring all of that capacity onstream overnight. I agree with the Deputy in regard to wanting to remove private...