Results 22,841-22,860 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Written Answers — Ministerial Responsibilities: Ministerial Responsibilities (23 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: Under the Health and Children (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2004, I have assigned and delegated certain departmental functions to my Ministers of State. Such functions reflect their areas of responsibility. The following functions have been assigned to the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Lenihan, with special responsibility for child care and children's policy: the Adoption Acts...

Written Answers — Nursing Home Charges: Nursing Home Charges (23 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: No record has been found in my Department which indicates clearly why the legislative proposals to address the issue of charging of long stay patients put to Government while John Boland was Minister for Health were not proceeded with. As reported in the Travers report, the Government decision in relation to this matter stated that the proposals concerned were to be addressed "on the basis in...

Written Answers — Ministerial Meetings: Ministerial Meetings (23 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: I regret to inform the Deputy that I cannot report on each and every meeting held between my predecessor as Minister for Health and Children and the Secretary General of my Department. Such meetings would be too numerous to recount and report on, and I have not asked to be briefed on them. It is not uncommon for Secretaries General to talk to previous Ministers in their Department. I...

Written Answers — Nursing Home Charges: Nursing Home Charges (23 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: The letter and briefing documents in the file the Deputy refers to were sent to the Attorney General last October at my request following the issue being raised in the House. The original file drawn up in January 2004 containing these documents was not found in the Department despite an extensive search undertaken in January and February this year to facilitate the work of Mr. John Travers on...

Written Answers — Influenza Outbreak: Influenza Outbreak (23 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 54 and 83 together. The overall aims of pandemic influenza preparedness planning are to reduce morbidity and mortality, and to minimise the resulting disruption to society. However, the consequences of a global pandemic are still likely to be serious. Pandemic planning can only mitigate the effects. The influenza pandemic expert group which is reviewing and...

Written Answers — Nursing Home Charges: Nursing Home Charges (23 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: My Department is currently studying the Supreme Court judgment in relation to repayment of charges for publicly-funded long term residential care in detail and will take on board all the consequences for policy and law arising from the judgment. A special Cabinet sub-committee comprising the Taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern, the Minister for Finance, Deputy Cowen, the Attorney General, Mr....

Written Answers — Cancer Screening Programme: Cancer Screening Programme (23 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 57 and 60 together. I am aware of the benefits of an organised screening programme to detect breast cancer in women. The early detection of breast cancer results in less radical medical and surgical interventions. In that regard, I am confident that the target date of 2007 for the expansion of BreastCheck nationally will be met. Any woman irrespective of her...

Written Answers — Hospital Accommodation: Hospital Accommodation (23 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: The Health Act 2004 provided for the Health Service Executive, which was established on 1 January 2005. Under the Act, the executive has the responsibility to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. This includes responsibility for the provision of transplantation services. Accordingly, my Department has requested the chief officer...

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (23 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: The number of consultant rheumatologists has increased by one third in the last three years from 16 to 21.5 whole-time equivalents. However, I am aware that difficulties are still being experienced in accessing rheumatology services. At the beginning of February I had a very useful meeting with Arthritis Ireland and representatives of the Irish Society for Rheumatologists when we discussed a...

Written Answers — Hospital Staff: Hospital Staff (23 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 66 and 78 together. The Health Act 2004 provided for the Health Service Executive, which was established on 1 January 2005. Under the Act, the executive has the responsibility to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Accordingly, my Department has requested the director of the national hospitals...

Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (23 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: I understand the Deputy is referring to the amounts deducted from persons aged 70 and over in relation to charges in publicly funded long stay care institutions. The Health Act 2004 provided for the Health Service Executive, which was established on 1 January 2005. Under this Act, the executive has the responsibility to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and...

Written Answers — Cancer Screening Programme: Cancer Screening Programme (23 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: I am aware of the recommendations on breast screening contained in the documents referred to by the Deputy. The national breast screening programme currently covers the eastern, north eastern, midland and parts of the south eastern areas of the country. Screening is being offered free of charge to all women in those areas in the target age group 50 to 64 years of age. The current priority of...

Written Answers — Health Service Reform: Health Service Reform (23 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: On taking up my current office, as Minister for Health and Children, I have identified the implementation of the Government's health service reform programme among my priorities. On 11 November 2004, the interim Health Service Executive announced a high level organisational design and structure for the executive. This process is very well advanced and the HSE is currently engaged in...

Written Answers — Hospital Waiting Lists: Hospital Waiting Lists (23 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: The Health Act 2004 provided for the Health Service Executive, which was established on 1 January 2005. Under the Act, the executive has the responsibility to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. This includes responsibility for diabetes services. Accordingly, my Department has requested the director of the national hospitals...

Written Answers — Nursing Home Charges: Nursing Home Charges (23 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: Ministers accepted an invitation to attend a joint meeting on 16 December 2003 of the management advisory committee of the Department of Health and Children and health board chief executive offices in order to hear and take part in the exchange of views on the range of issues on the agenda for the meeting and thereby assist them in the discharge of their ministerial functions.

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (23 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that I appeared before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children on 3 February last at which a range of cancer related issues, including radiation oncology services, were discussed.

Written Answers — Hospital Accommodation: Hospital Accommodation (23 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 77 and 113 together. The Health Act 2004 provided for the Health Service Executive, HSE, which was established on 1 January 2005. Under the Act, the executive has the responsibility to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. This includes responsibility for services at Letterkenny General Hospital....

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (23 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: The information requested by the Deputy is not available in my Department as the staffing information collected through the health service personnel census is done on the basis of grade and employing agency only. The chief officer of each Health Service Executive area has been requested by my Department to investigate the matter raised by the Deputy and to reply directly to him in relation to it.

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (23 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: The Health Act 2004 provided for the Health Service Executive, which was established on 1 January 2005. Under the Act, the executive has the responsibility to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. This includes responsibility for orthodontic services. The aim of my Department is to promote the development of the treatment capacity...

Written Answers — Organ Retention: Organ Retention (23 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: On 1 September 2004 the Government decided that the post mortem inquiry should furnish its final report not later than the 31 March 2005 and that the inquiry would then cease to exist. The chairman of the inquiry has been so advised and I expect to have her final report on or before that date. The chairman had sought approval to appoint additional legal staff to the inquiry team, but approval...