Results 22,901-22,920 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Nursing Home Charges. (23 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 2 and 3 together. My Department is currently studying the Supreme Court judgment with regard 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...

Nursing Home Charges. (23 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: Regarding the Statute of Limitations, the period is six years. While I have not got definitive legal advice from the Attorney General, we are still in the process of drawing up a memorandum for Government that I hope to take to the Cabinet meeting on 6 April so that we can make a decision on how to proceed. Trying to assemble all the information and thereby get a definitive opinion from the...

Nursing Home Charges. (23 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: With regard to the cases to which I referred, there was a lawyer from Cork on the radio a few weeks ago, who may be associated with one of the parties in the House, who has taken on a number of cases on the nursing home and private nursing home issue. That matter was also dealt with in this advice. He is not the only one, but he is on public record as indicating that he was taking cases. I...

Nursing Home Charges. (23 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: It is not widely available, but available under privilege. They were all at the same meeting and all facing the same cases. The advice they were getting from the Department for many years, going back to 1978, was that they should not contest. Therefore, if one long-term bed occupant had a lawyer who could help him or her to take a case, he or she would no longer be charged while somebody not...

Nursing Home Charges. (23 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: The people included in these provisions are the people to whom the Health Act 1970 applies, people regarded as fully eligible, namely, medical card holders. That is the first time the concept of full eligibility was introduced. Those with physical disabilities may well be included. I am not certain that everybody with a physical disability would incur a maintenance-shelter charge. I...

Cancer Screening Programme. (23 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: I am committed to the national roll-out of a cervical screening programme in line with international best practice. International evidence demonstrates the proven efficacy of programmes that are effectively managed and meet quality assurance standards. Careful planning and consultation with relevant professional and advocacy stakeholders is required before I make policy decisions on a...

Cancer Screening Programme. (23 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: I would like to have a national roll-out. Professor Prendeville, who is one of our leading experts in this area, recently said an organised roll-out would be more effective than opportunistic screening, which is currently the case, in reducing the incidence of cervical cancer and he believes it could be reduced by 80%. I would like to discuss this issue in the context of the renewal of the...

Cancer Screening Programme. (23 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: That is a good idea. There is potential to do more on an all-island basis in the health care area. Unfortunately, because of the current political vacuum, it has not been possible to have a number of the meetings that might have been held in a different context. Perhaps following the Westminster elections, we might be in a position to discuss this. A number of issues have been raised on which...

Precautions against Influenza. (23 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: The influenza pandemic expert group is reviewing and updating Ireland's 2002 influenza pandemic preparedness plan. Once finalised, the updated plan will be published. The 2002 plan was based on the World Health Organisation, or WHO, blueprint for an influenza pandemic plan, published in 1999. It addresses a range of issues, including prevention strategies, scientific and medical issues, and...

Precautions against Influenza. (23 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: It is one thing to resign over events that have happened but the Deputy may be Minister for Health and Children by the time we have such a pandemic. I hope we will not have one soon.

Precautions against Influenza. (23 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: I am surprised to hear that. At least the Deputy is being honest.

Precautions against Influenza. (23 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: I will remember that. Is it a case of all advice and no bottle?

Precautions against Influenza. (23 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: I will have to ask the other Deputies the same question. Perhaps I will have to stay in the post forever.

Precautions against Influenza. (23 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: On the expert group, it was delayed because of the dispute but that dispute is now settled. It is imminent. I have had a number of discussions with the chairman of the group and some of the members and it is imminent. It is the type of expertise that is almost constant in that it is difficult to say that this is the final report because events are changing rapidly, and there is a good deal of...

Precautions against Influenza. (23 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: The Deputy should go there because he would see——

Precautions against Influenza. (23 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: ——what a war zone is really like, unfortunately. On the priority groups, I will take advice from the experts on the make-up of those groups. I doubt if we would include politicians in a priority group. I would certainly not want to show any preference to myself or my ministerial colleagues but I am sure best international practice in this area will be followed. The groups include...

Precautions against Influenza. (23 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: I cannot account for that difference. The Deputy made a good suggestion about having an all-Ireland approach. That is a good idea.

Precautions against Influenza. (23 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: I cannot account for the difference in the figures. The figures did not come from politicians. They came from the experts and I have to accept what the experts say in this area. To be honest, with an issue as serious as this one it is probably difficult to get exact figures. All we can do is take best advice and approximate because one never knows, as with SARS and other unknown viruses, what...

Health Service Staff. (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 the provision of neurological services. In April 2003, Comhairle na nOspidéal published the report of a review of neurology...

Health Service Staff. (23 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: To be honest, we have not made much progress. The Comhairle na nOspidéal recommendation was to increase from 14 to 39 in the long term and from 14 to 29 in the short term. The report also recommended that the number of consultant neurophysiologist posts be increased from three to nine. This year we have provided additional funding in the different regions for services in this area. As the...