Results 19,641-19,660 of 46,095 for speaker:Simon Harris

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (9 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I am not going to discuss somebody's contract here, because I would not discuss the contract of employment of anybody, but I mean-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (9 May 2018)

Simon Harris: The truth is what I have just said, that I believe that he is best placed to provide answers, help the scoping enquiry and help the process that CervicalCheck needs to undergo over the next few weeks. On the issue of the labs, Deputy Coppinger has been asking a lot of questions, and I am not suggesting that they are not important. They are important questions. The Deputy also made a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (9 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I see Mr. McCallion had to go back to CervicalCheck. What we can categorically say this morning is that all of the 209 or 208 women have been contacted. The director general said earlier that with eight women, there seems to be great difficulty in making contact. If someone has not been contacted now, and they are contactable, they are not one of the 201. However for all 3,000 women, that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (9 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I take Deputy Brassil's point on the last issue. As I tried to outline to the Dáil last night work has begun, through the Public Appointments Service, in identifying an executive search. My Department is in contact with the Public Appointments Service and I expect the advertisement to be placed very shortly. It will become apparent in due course that there has been a body of work to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (9 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I do not believe that advice was given by the HSE. It is advice that was given by the Chief Medical Officer, which was also advice given at this committee by the Chief Medical Officer. It was accepted by this committee in a report that was produced, and which the Taoiseach has referenced on the floor of the Dáil. I want to be very clear with the Senator that this issue was scrutinised...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (9 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I do not mean to correct the Senator, but in the interests of fairness to everyone, it is the Department of Health and the Chief Medical Officer rather than the HSE.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (9 May 2018)

Simon Harris: Not that I am aware of.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (9 May 2018)

Simon Harris: Dr. Tony Holohan.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (9 May 2018)

Simon Harris: No. He is in my Department.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (9 May 2018)

Simon Harris: Only if it is made a problem.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (9 May 2018)

Simon Harris: No I would not. I welcome the back and forth but perhaps the Senator will allow me to answer the question. The Chief Medical Officer is the medical adviser to the Minister for Health. I do not believe there is any confusion or lack of transparency about that. The Chief Medical Officer's name is Dr. Tony Holohan and he is very well known to Members of these Houses. Dr. Holohan gave a view...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (9 May 2018)

Simon Harris: There will be a list of definitions in the Act, and it is a really important job for this House to do that. I have already said very clearly that as a result of Vicky Phelan's case, screening will be clearly identified in the definitions of serious. There will be a list of definitions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (9 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I followed the advice. It was justice legislation, the Civil Liability (Amendment) Act. The Government's intention for the legislation was, as I have outlined, to have open disclosure for everything; involuntary for some and mandatory for serious incidents. Deputy Daly produced an amendment on that issue that was out of kilter with this approach. The Joint Committee on Health considered...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (9 May 2018)

Simon Harris: The Taoiseach gave a commitment in the Dáil last week that there will be redress by the Government. The Government has had some initial conversations on the matter but has yet to make a decision on what the scheme might look like. The Taoiseach outlined in the Dáil yesterday that he believed it was sensible to establish all the facts first. I have heard some of the women impacted...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (9 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I will answer with the caveat that I am not a lawyer and I am not the Attorney General. The idea that the State should not be in conflict with the women who it wishes to help absolutely makes sense. What is the best mechanism to do that? What if the liability rests with the laboratory? I know we might have privilege at this committee but I have no wish to say anything that poses any...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (9 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Donnelly for his questions. I will try to rattle through them and take them in the order in which they were put. Deputy Donnelly has made an important point about high-risk women and how we can ensure that we specifically target groups of women most at risk. I will certainly pass that on to CervicalCheck and to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (9 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I do not believe there is any difficulty there at all.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (9 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I think Deputy Donnelly made a fair point on the issue of laboratory accuracy. It is difficult for those of us who are not clinical experts to interpret the data that is being produced. I take assurance from the chief medical officer's statement that "none of the evidence that we have available to us at this point gives us any reason to have any concern about the quality assurance of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (9 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I took a note on that question, but then I could not read my writing. I do not have any difficulty with working out a mechanism for that to happen. Maybe the Taoiseach and I could get the report at the same time. As Minister for Health, I have duties to discharge. The concern, health and well-being of women in Ireland is one of my main priorities. It is my main priority as a result of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (9 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I will start. I noted seven questions. If I missed any, I ask Deputy O'Reilly to let me know. I will ask the HSE to start with most of them. The Deputy raised the issue of posters. I thank her for her comments. The Deputy and I obviously have the same view on this issue - heaven forbid we might have the same view on any other. Largely speaking and regardless of one's view on the...