Results 21,841-21,860 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Written Answers — Ambulance Service: Ambulance Service (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 103 and 167 together. The Deputies' questions relate 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. I am advised by the HSE that its western area emergency ambulance service provides a service to a population of over 350,000 people from ten stations...

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: At the request of the Department of Health and Children, a committee was established by the former Comhairle na nOspidéal, currently the National Hospitals Office/Comhairle, to review the existing arrangements for the provision of neurosurgical services and consultant staffing nationally, and following consultation with the interests concerned, to make recommendations on the future...

Written Answers — Assisted Human Reproduction: Assisted Human Reproduction (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: I was pleased to receive the commission's report on 12 May 2005. As I indicated at that time, the Government has decided to refer the report to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children. This will allow for further public and political consideration of the complex issues involved. Following this process, the Government will, on the basis of the commission's report and the report...

Written Answers — Plastic Surgery Procedures: Plastic Surgery Procedures (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: Under the Medical Practitioners Act 1978, the Medical Council is charged with responsibility for the registration of medical practitioners and the regulation of their activities. The function of the Medical Council is to protect the public through implementing appropriate standards and controls on the medical profession. All doctors practising medicine in Ireland must be registered with the...

Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 112, 115, 134, 136 and 143 together. The number of medical cards issued and number of persons covered by a medical card for the dates requested are set out in the following table. Date Number of medical cards Number of persons covered by medical cards % of population Population June 1997 740,451 1,244,459 34.37 3,621,035 (1996 census) June 2002...

Written Answers — Parliamentary Questions: Parliamentary Questions (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: Since the establishment of the Health Service Executive, the chief officers, that is, the former health board CEOs, in each of its administrative areas have continued to deal with parliamentary questions in accordance with the arrangements which previously operated under the health boards. This arrangement was calculated to avoid any erosion in the accountability — as regards the timeliness...

Written Answers — Nursing Home Charges: Nursing Home Charges (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: The Government has agreed the key elements of a scheme for the repayment of long-stay charges for publicly funded long-term residential care. All those who were charged and are alive and the estates of all those who were charged and died in the six years prior to 9 December 2004 will have the charges repaid in full. It is estimated that the scheme will cost approximately €1 billion. The...

Written Answers — Alternative Medicine: Alternative Medicine (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: The national working group on the regulation of complementary therapists was established by my predecessor in May 2003 to advise, as indicated by the Deputy, on future measures for strengthening the regulatory environment for complementary therapists. The group was expected to report by the end of this year. In view of the urgency I attach to this matter, however, I asked that the work of the...

Written Answers — Water Fluoridation: Water Fluoridation (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: The Forum on Fluoridation was established to review the fluoridation of public piped water supplies in Ireland. The forum took an evidence based approach to its examination of water fluoridation. The Deputy should be aware that the forum addressed in the body of its report the "50 reasons to oppose fluoridation" raised by the person concerned. The forum comprehensively examined the benefits...

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (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

Written Answers — Nursing Home Care: Nursing Home Care (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.

Written Answers — Hospitals Building Programme: Hospitals Building Programme (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. This includes responsibility for considering new capital proposals or progressing those in the health capital programme. I am pleased to inform the House that I have this morning written to the HSE to...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: Primary community and continuing care will be delivered primarily through local health offices or LHOs based on the existing 32 community care areas. The information sought by the Deputy regarding the location of these offices is set out in the following table. I am advised by the HSE that, at present, there is a general manager assigned with responsibility for managing all community-based...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions. : Pension Provisions. (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.

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: Employment levels for the health service have been adjusted since 2002 in line with Government policy on public sector employment and service developments. The 2005 employment ceiling is 97,550. The latest available employment returns for the health services are in respect of end-2004 and are set out in the following table. The outturn, excluding home helps, at that date was 98,723 whole time...

Written Answers — General Practitioner Co-operatives: General Practitioner Co-operatives (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: Funding for full out of hours co-operatives commenced in 2000. Between 2000 and 2004 a total of €72.882 million was allocated to the Health Service Executive for out of hours co-operatives nationally, and in 2005, €31.98 million has been included in its baseline funding, which includes €5.6 million additional funding. These figures do not include the fees of the participating doctors....

Written Answers — Hospitals Building Programme: Hospitals Building Programme (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: I take it that the Deputy is referring to the announcement made by the previous Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Martin, on 15 September 2004, approving the commissioning of a number of new units in acute and non-acute hospitals throughout the country which have been funded under the national development plan. New units in the following locations have opened since September 2004: new...

Written Answers — Medical Inquiries: Medical Inquiries (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 145, 207 and 272 together. My Department is advised that the work of the inquiry is at an advanced stage and will be completed shortly. I have received a request from Patient Focus, a group representing a number of former patients of the person referred to by the Deputy, for an advance copy of the report prior to publication, and I would hope to be in a...

Written Answers — Irish Blood Transfusion Service: Irish Blood Transfusion Service (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: In 2004 the Irish Blood Transfusion Service invested over €3 million in an interim accommodation solution for the Cork centre and refurbished the existing premises which has ensured compliance with good manufacturing practice or GPM standards. As the House was informed last April, there is provision in the Department's capital programme to allow for the appointment of a design team and...

Written Answers — Hospital Waiting Lists: Hospital Waiting Lists (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Harney: Responsibility for the collection and reporting of waiting lists and waiting times now falls within the remit of the national treatment purchase fund. My Department has asked the chief executive of the fund to respond to the Deputy regarding the latest information available to the fund in respect of the number of patients waiting for treatment. A new, on-line, national patient treatment...