Results 21,821-21,840 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney
- Written Answers — Hospital Accommodation: Hospital Accommodation (21 Jun 2005)
Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 76 and 130 together. Representatives from my Department and the Health Service Executive have made a number of site visits to St. Bricin's Military Hospital to review the facilities and to consider the feasibility of the hospital being utilised for public health purposes. Following detailed consideration, the view is that St. Bricin's is not suitable for use...
- Written Answers — National Treatment Purchase Fund: National Treatment Purchase Fund (21 Jun 2005)
Mary Harney: My Department does not maintain data on the average cost of the specific operations arranged by the national treatment purchase fund, NTPF. My Department has, therefore, asked the chief executive of the NTPF to reply directly to the Deputy with regard to the specific information requested.
- Written Answers — Hospital Accommodation: Hospital Accommodation (21 Jun 2005)
Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 78 and 127 together. On foot of the commitment in the health strategy, funding has been provided to open an additional 900 inpatient beds and day places in acute hospitals. Health agencies have informed my Department that at 17 June 2005, 780 beds were in place. The Health Service Executive has informed my Department that the remaining 120 beds-places will...
- Written Answers — Care of the Elderly: Care of the Elderly (21 Jun 2005)
Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 79, 139 and 154 together. In line with action 36 of the health strategy, my Department has commenced work on a new legislative framework for eligibility for health and personal social services. The aim is to produce a clear set of statutory provisions that ensure equity and transparency. This is a very complex task but my Department is working to prepare...
- Written Answers — Health Service Reform: Health Service Reform (21 Jun 2005)
Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 80, 173 and 205 together. The report of the National Task Force on Medical Staffing â the Hanly report â makes important proposals for reducing the working hours of non-consultant hospital doctors, NCHDs, in line with the European working time directive and highlights the need to implement changes in medical staffing to ensure safety and quality of patient...
- Written Answers — Water Fluoridation: Water Fluoridation (21 Jun 2005)
Mary Harney: Fluoridation of public water supplies as a public health measure is accepted as being one of the most effective methods of ensuring against tooth decay. The World Health Organisation, WHO, recommends fluoridation of public water supplies and has stated that "fluoridation of water supplies, where possible, is the most effective public health measure for the prevention of dental decay". The WHO...
- Written Answers — Cystic Fibrosis Services: Cystic Fibrosis Services (21 Jun 2005)
Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 82, 179 to 189, inclusive, 247 to 250, inclusive, 257 to 266, inclusive, 268, 275 to 281, inclusive, 284 to 292, inclusive, and 319 to 323, inclusive, together. I have seen the report which the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland commissioned from Dr. Ronnie Pollock. The report confirms that Ireland has the highest incidence of cystic fibrosis in the world....
- Written Answers — Health Service Funding: Health Service Funding (21 Jun 2005)
Mary Harney: The 2004 revised determinations for all health boards, after adjustment is made for the national PPARS project, totalled â¬8,169.398 million. The net expenditure reported by health boards for 2004, per the unaudited annual financial statements, AFS, is â¬8,195.792 million. Under the 1996 accountability legislation, health boards were required to transfer a deficit or a surplus for the...
- Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (21 Jun 2005)
Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 84, 128, 174 and 190 together. The Deputy may be aware that I have appointed Professor Brendan Drumm as the first chief executive of the Health Service Executive, following his recommendation by the board of the executive. Professor Drumm will take up duty on 15 August 2005 and, in the meantime, Mr. Kevin Kelly will remain as interim chief executive. The final...
- Written Answers — Infectious Diseases: Infectious Diseases (21 Jun 2005)
Mary Harney: My Department undertook a search of the available files dealing with the issue of MRSA as a result of the Deputy's question. From this initial search of the files it was not possible in the time available to identify any correspondence on file from any acute hospital or health board specifically regarding the implementation of the 1995 guidelines on the control of MRSA in health care...
- Written Answers — Health Service Funding: Health Service Funding (21 Jun 2005)
Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 86 and 105 together. The Health Act 2004 provided for the Health Service Executive, established on 1 January 2005, to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. This includes responsibility for progressing the bulk of the health capital programme in 2005 and in future years. The total capital provision...
- Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (21 Jun 2005)
Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 88, 161 and 237 together. The Deputies' questions relate to matters which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have these matters investigated and to have replies issued directly to the Deputies. The position...
- Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (21 Jun 2005)
Mary Harney: First, I should state that the superannuation arrangements for retired employees are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive. However, I have made inquiries with the superannuation department of the HSE â shared services â eastern region. I understand that letters have recently issued to both persons concerned, setting out the options available to them. In each case the persons...
- Written Answers — Irish Blood Transfusion Service: Irish Blood Transfusion Service (21 Jun 2005)
Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 90 and 175 together. I am satisfied that the Irish Blood Transfusion Service, IBTS, has adequate financial resources at its disposal. The recent blood shortage was not related to funding but was due to increasing demands on the blood supply and more stringent controls and testing. Since 2001 the IBTS has introduced a series of measures to minimise the threat...
- Written Answers — Primary Health Care Strategy: Primary Health Care Strategy (21 Jun 2005)
Mary Harney: The Strategy, Primary Care: A New Direction, provides a template for the development of primary care over a period of ten to 15 years. Considerable work has been undertaken by my Department and the former health boards to advance implementation. There are three broad approaches required to enable the primary care strategy to be implemented. These are revenue and capital investment by the...
- Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (21 Jun 2005)
Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 93, 101, 144 and 171 together. The Government is committed to making the full range of cancer services available and accessible to cancer patients throughout Ireland. To this end, we will provide considerable investment in radiation oncology facilities in the coming years. The Government's policy on radiation oncology is based on the report on the development...
- Written Answers — Hospital Charges: Hospital Charges (21 Jun 2005)
Mary Harney: I, and my colleague, the Minister for Finance, signed the Health (Charges for In-Patient Services) Regulations 2005 on 14 June last, and these regulations reinstate charges for inpatient services and put them on a sound legal basis for the first time in 29 years. The regulations were laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas on 16 June. These regulations provide for the levying of a charge in...
- Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (21 Jun 2005)
Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 96, 310 and 311 together. The latest available employment data for the health services is in respect of year end 2004. The information requested by the Deputy on health service staff, including employment growth in each of the grade categories from end 1997 up to that date, is set out in the table below. However, some caution should be exercised in comparing...
- Written Answers — Cancer Screening Programme: Cancer Screening Programme (21 Jun 2005)
Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 98, 160, 169 and 253 together. The national breast screening programme commenced in 2000 and covers the eastern, midland, north-eastern and parts of the south-eastern regions of the country. There are approximately 160,000 women in the target age group in these regions. New facilities for the expansion of BreastCheck to the remaining regions are included in...
- Written Answers — Hospital Waiting Lists: Hospital Waiting Lists (21 Jun 2005)
Mary Harney: The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.