Results 19,461-19,480 of 46,575 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Expenditure (2 May 2018)

Simon Harris: Please see the following table which sets out the operational costs for the Department of Health for the years 2011 to 2017. Year Operational Costs €m 2011 26.531 2012 27.265 2013 25.926 2014 25.345 2015 26.215 2016 27.314 2017 30.559

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Status (2 May 2018)

Simon Harris: Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual. The National...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Patient Files (2 May 2018)

Simon Harris: Under the Medical Practitioners Act 2007, the functions of the Medical Council include the specification of standards of practice for registered medical practitioners, including the establishment, publication, maintenance and review of appropriate guidance on all matters related to professional conduct and ethics. The Council’s 2016 Guide to Professional Conduct for Registered Medical...

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Practitioner Services (2 May 2018)

Simon Harris: Under the terms of the current GMS contract, GPs are required to provide eligible patients with ''all proper and necessary treatment of a kind usually undertaken by a general practitioner and not requiring special skill or experience of a degree or kind which general practitioners cannot reasonably be expected to possess." There is no provision under the GMS GP contract for persons who hold...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Status (2 May 2018)

Simon Harris: As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Facilities (2 May 2018)

Simon Harris: The Minor Injuries Unit at Louth County Hospital was developed in 2010 to provide rapid treatment of minor injury patients aged 14 years and over. This service is available to the people of Louth 7 days per week from 9:00am to 8:00pm. As the query raised is a service matter, I have also asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly with any further information.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Funding (2 May 2018)

Simon Harris: As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to you directly, as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Commencement of Legislation (2 May 2018)

Simon Harris: A number of technical drafting issues have come to light in relation to Parts 2 and 3 of the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015. The implications of these issues are being explored by officials in my Department and the Office of the Attorney General, and as these discussions are ongoing, I do not wish to pre-empt the outcome by citing specific details. I would be happy to arrange a...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Commissions of Investigation (2 May 2018)

Simon Harris: The Commission of Investigation (certain matters relative to a disability service in the South East and related matters) (the Farrelly Commission) is an independent statutory Commission of Investigation. It commenced its investigations in May 2017 and its work is ongoing. The first phase of the Commission's work is to investigate the role of public authorities in the care and protection of...

Leaders' Questions (3 May 2018)

Simon Harris: She has no interest in that.

Questions on Promised Legislation (3 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for the question. I look forward to attending the INMO conference tomorrow and having an opportunity to engage with nurses and midwives on this issue. As the Deputy rightly said, the Public Service Pay Commission is considering issues to do with the recruitment and retention of staff in the healthcare sector. It is due to report shortly - I believe during the summer. I...

Questions on Promised Legislation (3 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. He is correct that one of the most tangible things this Oireachtas could do is pass legislation to provide for mandatory open disclosure in the health service of serious, reportable incidents. I will go to the Cabinet on Tuesday for permission to draft such legislation. 1 o’clock I have separated it from the broader Bill to which the...

Questions on Promised Legislation (3 May 2018)

Simon Harris: The contract of the director general who was appointed during the previous Fine Gael-Labour Party Government allows him to take up employment where the Minister sanctions it. This was employment of less than five hours a month but, rightly, considering the important issues the Deputy highlighted for women's health and the need for him to focus on that exclusively for the remaining few weeks...

Questions on Promised Legislation (3 May 2018)

Simon Harris: It was not within days.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products Availability (3 May 2018)

Simon Harris: The HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on medicine pricing and reimbursement in the community drugs schemes, in accordance with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. Before deciding whether to reimburse a medicine, the HSE considers a range of statutory criteria, including clinical need, cost-effectiveness and the resources available. The decisions on...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Disclosure Code (3 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I am, and have always have been, fully committed to open disclosure. It is a patient’s right to be provided with honest, open and prompt communication about adverse events that may have caused them harm. This is underpinned in the Medical Practitioners Code of Conduct. I have been progressing for some time a number of policy and legislative provisions to ensure full...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Meetings (3 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I have not had interactions with clinical pathology laboratories in my time as Minister for Health. I am not aware of interactions involving my predecessors in this role, ministerial advisers or departmental officials with clinical pathology laboratories.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Rare Diseases Strategy Implementation (3 May 2018)

Simon Harris: In 2017 the Department published a progress report on the National Rare Disease Plan and this is available on the Department’s website under ‘Publications’. An update is also provided on all 48 recommendations of the Plan and on progress to date. Establishment of a National Clinical Programme for Rare Diseases was one of the principal recommendations in the Plan. The...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Status (3 May 2018)

Simon Harris: As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Status (3 May 2018)

Simon Harris: Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual. The National...