Results 21,781-21,800 of 46,014 for speaker:Simon Harris

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

Simon Harris: The Deputy is right to highlight the fact that more and more people are being and will continue to be diagnosed with dementia. Eleven of us will receive that diagnosis each and every day. It is estimated that there are over 55,000 people who have a form of dementia. There are about 4,000 new cases each year. After the age of 65 years, the prevalence of dementia nearly doubles every five...

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

Simon Harris: I have heard the Deputy advocate for dementia care advisers and appreciate and acknowledge the role they play at the eight locations. I also acknowledge that an independent evaluation has been conducted by UCC which very much sees the merit in and the need to expand the service. Obviously, we are having this conversation at a time when the HSE has received a budget of €17 billion....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Health Services Staff Remuneration (5 Dec 2018)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 41, 63 and 85 together. I thank the Deputy for his question and acknowledge the fact that he has raised this matter on a number of occasions. He will be aware that in February an agreement was reached at the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, between my Department, the HSE and health sector trade unions on a process aimed at resolving the pay...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Health Services Staff Remuneration (5 Dec 2018)

Simon Harris: The answer to the Deputy's last question is "Yes". They will be provided with funding to meet the cost of pay restoration to ensure it will not impact on the delivery of services. I accept that many section 39 organisations applied pay cuts. I also accept, as I think the Deputy does, that section 39 employees are not State employees. Therefore, it is different and the position varies from...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Health Services Staff Remuneration (5 Dec 2018)

Simon Harris: I ran out of time during my last reply. On the issue of information and returning information for those 50 organisations, there was a deadline date of 23 November. As of 29 November, of the 50 organisations, just over half had returned their applications. A further group have asked for an extension and this has been granted until this Friday, 7 December. The Deputy logically asked what...

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...