Results 20,001-20,020 of 45,789 for speaker:Simon Harris
- National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements (6 Feb 2019)
Simon Harris: The Taoiseach has spoken about why he, I and everyone else said we wanted to find alternatives to the court process. Deputy Catherine Murphy is right. It did turn out to be very complex. People do have a constitutional right as well and that cannot be infringed upon. As the Deputy also pointed out, there are also parties other than the State involved. We have since brought in the very...
- National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements (6 Feb 2019)
Simon Harris: I will not give a response on the floor of the Dáil but I will speak to the Deputy about it, reflect on it and see what can be done. With regard to the HPV vaccination, I am really pleased to hear the Deputy pay tribute to Laura Brennan because she is an inspirational woman and we all wish her well. The HPV vaccine for boys is something the Deputy has campaigned for and it will come...
- National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements (6 Feb 2019)
Simon Harris: -----which, sadly, results in people actually getting cancer. It is a bizarre position to hold while expressing concern for women's health. It is still the plan to introduce HPV testing in 2019. As Deputy Clare Daly said, the capacity report due from the HSE in the coming weeks will inform the specific timeline in 2019. Deputies Bríd Smith and Coppinger-----
- National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements (6 Feb 2019)
Simon Harris: That would be useful. I thank the Deputy.
- National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements (6 Feb 2019)
Simon Harris: Yes.
- National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements (6 Feb 2019)
Simon Harris: Yes.
- National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements (6 Feb 2019)
Simon Harris: Absolutely.
- National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements (6 Feb 2019)
Simon Harris: Deputy Bríd Smith raised an issue on the validation report from the 221+ group and Deputy Kelly will know about this from his contact with the group. In the interest of fairness, this was a report sought by the patient advocates. They issued a statement, yesterday or the day before, very much welcoming the work. If Deputy Smith was of the view it was something the patient advocates...
- National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements (6 Feb 2019)
Simon Harris: -----and to suggest they are now champions for women's health is utter hypocrisy. On the two issues referenced by the Deputy, the HPV testing is an important shift to make because, as Deputies will know, Dr. Scally very usefully in his report states that for every 1,000 women who are screened, 20 will have cell changes and the standard screening programme we use now will detect those cell...
- National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements (6 Feb 2019)
Simon Harris: Yes, I have an open mind on how we deliver HPV testing. I will be led in the first instance by the capacity report I will receive from the HSE in the coming weeks.
- National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements (6 Feb 2019)
Simon Harris: Deputy Joan Collins raised the issue of the legal system and how we move to a better system. We are trying to do a number of things. We are reviewing tort law in general and how we deal with clinical negligence better and this body of work is still ongoing. We are introducing an ex gratiascheme and I mentioned this earlier. I first spoke directly to the 221+ group about this last Thursday...
- National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements (6 Feb 2019)
Simon Harris: I will ask the HSE to correspond directly with the health committee on that. I thank the Deputy for reminding me that I have been assured that women who have been referred for colposcopy are triaged. It is an important reassurance for many that I am happy to record in the House. Deputy Louise O'Reilly paid tribute to Vicky Phelan and others and I join her in doing so. The Deputy asked...
- National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements (6 Feb 2019)
Simon Harris: The decision to provide free repeat smear tests was made at a time when women were turning up to their GPs and asking for them. They wanted to know if they would have to pay or wait a number of years. I am not going to suggest an exercise was done to estimate or guesstimate how many women would come forward. I am informed by officials that it would have been almost impossible to do so, in...
- National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements (6 Feb 2019)
Simon Harris: One of those questions overlaps with questions from Deputy Ó Caoláin on Mr. Justice Meenan and the courts' process. I thank Deputy Kelly for his work and advocacy on the issue of pembro and I am glad we could advance that issue. With regard to the Meenan report, we have taken the step to appoint Ms Justice Mary Irvine, a very experienced judge in this area, to chair the tribunal....
- National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements (6 Feb 2019)
Simon Harris: We can have a back-and-forth format.
- National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements (6 Feb 2019)
Simon Harris: I will do my very best. If any Member notices that I have missed a question I ask that they flag it with me. I will take Deputy Joan Collins' last question first while it is fresh in my mind. When I receive Dr. Scally's report - which is phase 2 of his work - I absolutely intend to publish it. Obviously, I also intend to act upon his recommendations. Dr. Scally very kindly attended a...
- National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements (6 Feb 2019)
Simon Harris: Absolutely. That is my clear understanding. I want to do what I have always done along this process, which is to wait for Dr. Scally's report, publish it and then act upon it. Deputy Donnelly asked a number of questions on the backlog, the waiting times, the clinical risk, what is behind the delays and if they could and should have been avoided. I shall take those questions in sequence. I...
- National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements (6 Feb 2019)
Simon Harris: That is personal.
- National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements (6 Feb 2019)
Simon Harris: It was the chief medical officer.
- National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements (6 Feb 2019)
Simon Harris: No.