Results 23,301-23,320 of 46,014 for speaker:Simon Harris

Seanad: Health and Social Care Professionals (Amendment) Bill 2018: Second Stage (17 Oct 2018)

Simon Harris: It is great to be back in the Seanad. I could nearly have honorary membership at this stage as I am in here a lot at the moment. I thank Members for considering this Bill and giving it a Second Reading. This is a short, technical Bill with only five sections. It provides for the amendment of certain provisions of the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005, which relate to the...

Seanad: Health and Social Care Professionals (Amendment) Bill 2018: Second Stage (17 Oct 2018)

Simon Harris: I thank Senators Swanick, O'Reilly and Colm Burke for their contributions and unanimity on the importance of what is a technical Bill that we need to pass as quickly as possible through both Houses of the Oireachtas in order that CORU can place its attention, effort and resources where we all want them to be. We do not wish to cause delay to people who are perfectly well qualified to provide...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Aids and Appliances Applications (17 Oct 2018)

Simon Harris: As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Registration of Births (17 Oct 2018)

Simon Harris: I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Applications (17 Oct 2018)

Simon Harris: As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Deaths (17 Oct 2018)

Simon Harris: I welcomed the publication on Tuesday 9 October last of the final 'Report on the death of patients in whom CPE had been detected'. My Department and I were kept informed of the external review commissioned last year by University of Limerick Hospitals Group (ULHG), regarding patients with CPE and concerns regarding whether CPE was a factor in the deaths of a number of these patients. An...

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE National Service Plan (17 Oct 2018)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 148 and 149 together. The Health Service Executive is currently in the process of finalising its National Service Plan for 2019, in consultation with officials from the Department of Health. Following completion of this process, detailed Operational Plans for the coming year for each of the Executive's service areas will stem from this process.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Brexit Staff (17 Oct 2018)

Simon Harris: Extensive work has been carried out across Government Departments on Brexit preparedness and contingency planning based on the ‘central case scenario’, i.e. an orderly withdrawal that incorporates a transition period until the end of 2020 and on an East-West basis. This included the identification of staffing requirements for the implementation of the necessary Sanitary and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Cancer Screening Programmes (17 Oct 2018)

Simon Harris: As outlined in previous Parliamentary Questions to the Deputy, it would be expected that false negatives would have occurred in all labs contracted by CervicalCheck since its inception. Screening tests are a balance of sensitivity and specificity and therefore include both false negative and false positive results which could affect the screening outcome and treatment of a person who may or...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Pharmacy Regulations (17 Oct 2018)

Simon Harris: The Pharmacy Act 2007 established the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI) and the functions of the Society are set out in the Act. The functions of the PSI are carried out on its behalf by the Council of the Society. Section 30 of the Act provides for an exception to the general provision in the Act which requires the sale and supply of medicines at a pharmacy to be conducted under the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (17 Oct 2018)

Simon Harris: Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual. The National...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff Data (17 Oct 2018)

Simon Harris: In 2019 Health will have funding of €16.360 billion in gross current expenditure and €667m in Capital, an increase of €1,521m (10.2%) on the 2018 Current Expenditure budget, and €174m on Capital expenditure. The Health Service Executive is currently in the process of preparing the National Service Plan for 2019, in consultation with officials from my Department....

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Practitioner Services (17 Oct 2018)

Simon Harris: As this question relates to a service matter, I have arranged for it to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Status (17 Oct 2018)

Simon Harris: Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual. The National...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products Reimbursement (17 Oct 2018)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 174 and 177 together. The HSE has statutory responsibility for medicine pricing and reimbursement decisions, in accordance with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. The Act specifies the criteria for decisions on the reimbursement of medicines. The Minister for Health does not have any statutory power or function in relation to...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products Reimbursement (17 Oct 2018)

Simon Harris: The Health Service Executive has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicines under the community drug schemes, in accordance with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. The 2013 Act does not give the Minister for Health any powers in this regard. The Act specifies the criteria to be applied in the making of reimbursement decisions which...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Cancer Screening Programmes (17 Oct 2018)

Simon Harris: Following a Government decision on 1 May, I asked CervicalCheck to make the necessary arrangements to provide that any woman who has had a CervicalCheck smear test, and whose GP considers that they should have a further test, to access such a further test without charge. CervicalCheck laboratory activity has thus been significantly above normal levels. This is a result both of out-of-cycle...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Funding (17 Oct 2018)

Simon Harris: I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to you directly on this matter.

Nomination of Member of the Government: Motion (16 Oct 2018)

Simon Harris: The Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, is here as well.

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (16 Oct 2018)

Simon Harris: I thank the Senators for their amendments and constructive engagement on this Bill. I shall briefly speak to the three amendments together. My understanding of amendment No. 1 is that it is intended to facilitate amendment No. 2 and the proposed inclusion of appointees by the Minister of the day of an Irish Congress of Trade Unions, ICTU, nominee to the board and, indeed, a person with...