Results 21,561-21,580 of 45,789 for speaker:Simon Harris

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Dementia Strategy (5 Dec 2018)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for her succinct question. The short answer is "Yes" but the slightly longer answer is that we must wait for the service plan for 2019 to be finalised. There is ongoing engagement between my Department and the HSE in that regard and, as would normally be the case, I expect to be in a position to approve the service plan this month and to publish it before Christmas. I...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Maternity Services Provision (5 Dec 2018)

Simon Harris: The issue is very straightforward. The Mulvey agreement was negotiated between St. Vincent's University Hospital and Holles Street Hospital. Many people, in particular women, made their views very clearly known to me, loudly and articulately, that they were not satisfied that it was robust enough on the issues of governance and ownership. In effect, they asked me to revert to seek more...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Maternity Services Provision (5 Dec 2018)

Simon Harris: I welcome this question because it provides me with an opportunity to debunk a few myths. I am not giving any hospital to the nuns. With regard to people handing out flyers stating that I am giving the hospital to the nuns, let us debate facts in politics and not try to demonise each other. I am a strong advocate for the separation of church and State and respecting the role of each while...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Maternity Services Provision (5 Dec 2018)

Simon Harris: The National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street, is an excellent institution providing wonderful care for women in this country. The current facility is not fit for purpose. The idea of having stand-alone maternity hospitals is not in compliance with our national maternity strategy or best international norms. It makes sense to co-locate maternity hospitals with adult acute hospitals for...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Maternity Services Provision (5 Dec 2018)

Simon Harris: A seat at the table.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: HSE Planning (5 Dec 2018)

Simon Harris: At the emergency department taskforce meeting last week we heard from HSE management, as the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO, would have heard at the meeting that it co-chairs, that there was significant buy-in for this plan from health service staff, including its own members around the country. It is important to point that out. Much of what we are asking people to do is a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: HSE Planning (5 Dec 2018)

Simon Harris: I do not want to speak for the INMO but my recollection of its request at the emergency department taskforce last week, which it co-chaired - that is an important point - was that there would be a meeting of the staff panel. That is happening this week as a result of its request. We were also told at the emergency department taskforce that staff around the country had volunteered for...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: HSE Planning (5 Dec 2018)

Simon Harris: This matter came up at the emergency department taskforce meeting co-chaired by the HSE and the INMO which I attended last week in Dr. Steevens' Hospital. The response from the HSE was that at individual site level rostering was being addressed. It was satisfied rostering was being addressed but, as appropriate, it was seen as beneficial to brief the staff panel this week, which is exactly...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Cancer Screening Programmes (5 Dec 2018)

Simon Harris: It is important to remember why I took the decision, which was widely supported in this House, of offering people a repeat smear test. That is because one of the number one queries coming in on the helpline to CervicalCheck was women saying they had a smear test and they would like another one. It is also important to say I did not offer it without a GP consultation so the GP had to feel...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Cancer Screening Programmes (5 Dec 2018)

Simon Harris: We came within hours of the collapse of the cervical screening programme because laboratories did not want to be involved in screening in this country any more in a situation where contracts were due to expire the following week. That would have meant we would have had a pause on screening. That was the priority issue to resolve for the HSE. I pay tribute to those involved, in particular...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: HSE Planning (5 Dec 2018)

Simon Harris: I may have interpreted the question wrongly. I think there are two aspects to it: one is the winter plan but also how we are engaging with the staff, I presume in relation to the roll out of the winter plan, as opposed to more broadly. Ensuring that services are planned to meet critical periods of demand is a core operational function of the HSE. My Department has engaged extensively with...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Cancer Screening Programmes (5 Dec 2018)

Simon Harris: The delay in receiving smear tests results which has arisen as a result of out-of-cycle smears and a general increase in uptake is a priority concern for me, my Department and the HSE. The HSE is working to source additional capacity, notwithstanding global challenges with cytology capacity and resources, and also works closely with the laboratories in maximising their capacity to deal with...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (5 Dec 2018)

Simon Harris: I am committed to securing and further developing the role of the Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise as a constituent hospital within the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group. Since 2014, the focus has been on supporting the hospital to develop and enhance management capability, implementing changes required to address clinical service deficiencies, and incorporating the hospital into the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (5 Dec 2018)

Simon Harris: Developing all aspects of our Mental Health services, including Child and Adolescent services (CAMHS) remains a priority for Government. The recent Budget provided an additional €55 million to progress new developments in mental health, which brings overall HSE mental health funding to nearly €1 billion in 2019. There are now 70 CAMHS teams, and 3 Paediatric Liaison Teams....

Written Answers — Department of Health: Ambulance Service (5 Dec 2018)

Simon Harris: There is no specific review of ambulance services in Arklow and West County Wicklow planned at present. The National Ambulance Service continues to monitor its services provided to the public in order to ensure a safe, efficient and timely response to requests for assistance. Current rostering arrangements of ambulance services in County Wicklow were adjusted in 2012 following a Labour...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Emergency Departments Services (5 Dec 2018)

Simon Harris: I have been informed by the HSE that St Luke's Hospital, Kilkenny has two Consultants in Emergency Medicine and that the hospital provides a 24/7 consultant service in all emergency specialty areas. There has been significant investment in recent years St Luke's Hospital in developing the Acute Floor which encompasses the Emergency Department, the Acute Medical Assessment Unit and the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Home Care Packages Administration (5 Dec 2018)

Simon Harris: The Home Support Service is a core service for older people and is highly valued by service users, their families and by the HSE. It provides supports which assist older people to live independently in their own homes for longer and enables large numbers of people to return home following acute hospital admission who otherwise would remain in hospital or would be admitted to long stay...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Suicide Incidence (5 Dec 2018)

Simon Harris: The claim that Ireland has the highest suicide rate of child suicide for girls in the European Union was made in a report by the National Women’s Council of Ireland, which was launched on 6 November last. On the day the report was launched, officials in my Department contacted the National Office for Suicide Prevention in light of the associated media coverage. The NOSP confirmed...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Accommodation Provision (5 Dec 2018)

Simon Harris: To support demographic projections and the increase in demand for services, the Health Service Capacity Review 2018 and the Slaintecare Implementation Strategy recommends, in addition to major reform of the health system, an increase in acute hospitals beds of over 2,600 by 2031. The National Development Plan provides capital funding to support this increase in acute hospital beds, over the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff Data (5 Dec 2018)

Simon Harris: The HSE has responsibility for consultant posts which previously came under the remit of Comhairle na nOspideal. The HSE has advised that at the 30th November 2018, there were 3,215 approved consultant posts and 199 unapproved posts. This gives a total of 3,414 consultant posts. Unapproved posts are those that never went through Comhairle na nOspideal or, more recently, the HSE's Consultant...