Results 23,021-23,040 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (22 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 medical cards. Accordingly, my Department has requested the Health Service Executive to investigate the...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (22 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: I have received the correspondence referred to by the Deputy. Shortly after taking the appointment as Minister for Health and Children I met with members of the western neurosurgery campaign. They outlined their case to me for the establishment of a regional neurosurgical unit in the west. I understand that the western neurosurgery campaign also had an opportunity to put its case to the...

Written Answers — Hospital Accommodation: Hospital Accommodation (22 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. As the person in question resides in County Donegal, my Department has requested the chief officer of the Executive's north western area...

Written Answers — Ministerial Responsibilities: Ministerial Responsibilities (22 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: I, as Minister for Health and Children, have responsibility for the performance of the functions of my Department in accordance with section 3 of the Public Service Management Act 1997. However, under section 4(1) of the Act, responsibility and accountability may be delegated to the Secretary General or head of the Department to manage the Department's day to day business, to implement and...

Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (22 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: As a general rule, I am anxious that all policy proposals are thoroughly researched and evaluated before decisions are taken. However, the Government remains free on occasions, and taking account of all relevant factors, to arrive at policy decisions without necessarily having received a detailed analysis. In the case referred to by the Deputy, I understand that the decision to make medical...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (22 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: The health service personnel census collects employment information on the basis of grade and employing agency and not on the basis of care group or speciality as sought by the Deputy. The total number of occupational therapists employed on 31 December 2004, in whole-time equivalent terms, was 704. The Health Service Executive, HSE, which was established on 1 January 2005 under the Health Act...

Written Answers — Nursing Home Subventions: Nursing Home Subventions (22 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: No cutbacks in capital or current spending or in services will result from the need to repay residents. The Revised Estimates Volume, REV, sets out the detail of Vote 40: Health Service Executive, HSE, for 2005. This represents the level of funding, both capital and non-capital, available for health and children's services in the current year. The board of the HSE has approved a service plan,...

Written Answers — Long-Term Illness Scheme: Long-Term Illness Scheme (22 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: Children with the following diseases or disabilities: mental handicap, mental illness, phenylketyonuria, cystic fibrosis, spina bifida, hydrocephalus, haemophilia and cerebal palsy are exempt from hospital inpatient charges. Outside of hospital, people with a long-term illness may be entitled to free drugs and medicines. Under the 1970 Health Act, the Health Service Executive may arrange for...

Written Answers — Departmental Appointments: Departmental Appointments (22 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 140 and 141 together. The provisions for the appointment and role of special advisers are clearly set out in section 11 of the Public Sector Management Act 1997. In accordance with that Act, the special advisers in my Department are appointed, inter alia, to assist me in the discharge of my functions as Minister for Health and Children. They are also available...

Written Answers — Departmental Transport: Departmental Transport (22 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: Information on mileage paid to State employees is not routinely collected by my Department. Therefore, I have requested the chief officer of each of the Health Service Executive's regional areas and the chief executive officers of other statutory health agencies to forward the requested information to the Deputy in respect of the year ended 31 December 2004.

Written Answers — Hospital Staff: Hospital Staff (22 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 responsibility to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. This includes responsibility for employment of staff. Accordingly, my Department has requested the chief officer for the executive's south...

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (22 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. As the person referred to by the Deputy resides in County Kilkenny, my Department has requested the chief officer for the executive's...

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (22 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 services at Naas General Hospital. Accordingly, my Department has requested the chief officer for the...

Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (22 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: It is estimated that 200,000 persons will become eligible for free general practitioner services under this initiative. The additional 200,000 "doctor visit" cards will be introduced progressively from April 2005, once the administrative arrangements are in place. My Department has informed the Irish Medical Organisation of the legal basis for the introduction of the new "doctor visit" cards...

Written Answers — Assisted Human Reproduction: Assisted Human Reproduction (22 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: The commission on assisted human reproduction has not yet reported its findings; it is in the end stages of preparing its report and I expect it will be presented to me in the near future.

Written Answers — Medicinal Guidelines: Medicinal Guidelines (22 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: These products are licensed via the European Union's mutual recognition procedure and are currently under review by the European Medicines Agency. It is anticipated that this review will be completed by the end of April. This review will include the prescribing and patient information and will take account of new safety information.

Written Answers — Asthma Incidence: Asthma Incidence (22 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: The causation and treatment of asthma are very complex issues involving a combination of environmental, physiological, psychological, metabolic and other factors. It is generally accepted, not only in Ireland but in the western world in general, that there is a requirement for further research on the many causes of asthma, in particular those relating to genetics and the environment. There...

Written Answers — Hospital Equipment: Hospital Equipment (22 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 CAT scanning services in hospitals. Accordingly, my Department has requested the Health...

Order of Business. (22 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: The inquiry has been given until 31 March to complete its work. I have been assured that I will have a report on that date. Clearly, if further work is required, I hope the information made available to the tribunal of inquiry could be made available to some other forum. That would be the intention, if necessary.

Order of Business. (22 Mar 2005)

Mary Harney: It will be dealt with at the end of this year.