Results 19,721-19,740 of 46,095 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Expenditure (10 May 2018)

Simon Harris: Tobacco Free Ireland addresses a range of tobacco control issues and initiatives and contains over 60 recommendations.  The recommendations include a variety of measures, for example, legislation, awareness, taxation, enforcement and smoking cessation.  Many of these measures specifically seek to prevent our young people from starting to smoke which is one of the key priorities of...

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE Staff (10 May 2018)

Simon Harris: In May 2017, Mr Tony O’Brien sought my consent within the terms of his contract of employment as Director General of the HSE to accept an appointment as a non-Executive Director of a commercial business. The Director General advised that the business was based outside the State, concerned with research and development and was not engaged in business with the HSE.  He advised that...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Cancer Screening Programmes (10 May 2018)

Simon Harris: This question relates to matters which are now the subject of a Scoping Inquiry. I announced the terms of reference of this Inquiry, following agreement by Government, on 8th May 2018. The Inquiry, led by Dr Gabriel Scally, will examine the facts, including details of the non-disclosure to patients relating to CervicalCheck clinical audits and the management and level of knowledge of...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Car Parks (10 May 2018)

Simon Harris: In March, I requested that the HSE carry out a review of hospital car parking charges, with the aim of establishing clear national guidelines in this area. The review will involve the relevant stakeholders and will take account of the income generated by charges, the impact of any reduction in car parking income on hospital services and the views of patient advocacy groups. The HSE...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Cancer Screening Programmes (10 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 208 and 209 together. This question relates to matters which are now the subject of a Scoping Inquiry. I announced the terms of reference of this Inquiry, following agreement by Government, on 8th May 2018. The Inquiry, led by Dr Gabriel Scally, will examine the facts, including details of the non-disclosure to patients relating to CervicalCheck clinical...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Building Programme (10 May 2018)

Simon Harris: As the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of health care infrastructure projects, the Executive has been requested to reply directly to you in relation to the development at St. Columbas Hospital in cloghabrody, Co Kilkenny.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Staff Data (10 May 2018)

Simon Harris: The staff of my Department are on centrally negotiated civil service pay scales. There are a number of Clerical Officers on the lower end of the pay scale for that grade who are on salaries below the living wage of €11.70 per hour but as they progress over time on the Clerical Officer pay scale, their salaries will exceed the living wage.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Agencies Staff Data (10 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Agencies Staff Data (10 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Practitioner Services (10 May 2018)

Simon Harris: As this question relates to a service matter, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Building Programme (10 May 2018)

Simon Harris: The new children’s hospital capital project is progressing well. Excavation and other construction works on the main site such as piling, service diversions and building a utility tunnel for the campus are continuing. The temporary compound at Davitt Road is operational, the purpose of this compound is to store building materials and to allow for the controlled arrival of...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Staff Data (10 May 2018)

Simon Harris: As part of the planning and analysis to support the development of the new children’s hospital a Workforce Planning Strategy for two Paediatric OPD and Urgent Care Centres at Connolly and Tallaght Hospitals and the new children’s hospital was commenced in 2015 by the Children’s Hospital Group. The workforce priority this year is to progress the consultant post...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists Data (10 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I continue to support the HSE in its efforts to bring down the waiting times for and improve access to scoliosis services. The long-term strategy to develop sustainable scoliosis services from 2018 has been prioritised by the Department of Health and the HSE in the 2018 HSE National Service Plan.   €9 million funding has been provided in 2018 to improve access to paediatric...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Assisted Human Reproduction (10 May 2018)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy will be aware, the Government approved the drafting of a Bill on assisted human reproduction and associated areas of research in October last year and the General Scheme is published on my Department’s website. The General Scheme does not include any provisions relating to foetal reduction.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Assisted Human Reproduction (10 May 2018)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy will be aware, the Government approved the drafting of a Bill on assisted human reproduction (AHR) and associated areas of research in October last year and the General Scheme is published on my Department’s website. Officials in my Department are engaging with the Office of the Attorney General in relation to the process of drafting this Bill. In addition, the Joint...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Staff (10 May 2018)

Simon Harris: As this is a service issue, I have asked the HSE to reply to you directly.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Narcolepsy Issues (10 May 2018)

Simon Harris: The details supplied indicate that the question concerns legal proceedings being managed by the State Claims Agency. As of 9 May 2018, legal proceedings against the Minister, the Health Services Executive and GlaxoSmithKline Biological SA have been initiated by seventy individuals.  The plaintiffs allege personal injury in which they claim the development of narcolepsy resulted from the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Service Capacity Review (10 May 2018)

Simon Harris: In the light of the conclusions of the Health Service Capacity Review that the system will need nearly 2,600 additional acute hospital beds by 2031, I have asked my Department to work with the HSE to identify the location and mix of beds across the hospital system which can be opened and staffed this year and into 2019 in order to improve preparedness for Winter 2018/2019. This work is...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Strategies (10 May 2018)

Simon Harris: The impact of demographic changes is one of a number of issues that must be taken into account when considering how current and future demand for services is to be measured and assessed. Global and regional health workforce demand is expected to increase in the coming decades because of population and economic growth, combined with demographic, epidemiological and other factors.   ...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Strategies (10 May 2018)

Simon Harris: The Department of Health has commissioned a number of reports on future demographic demands for the health system, including the Health Service Capacity Review 2018.  From such reports we can see that, under current delivery models, the costs of care for older people, as well as those with chronic illness, will put pressure on funding going forward.  However, the actual forecast...