Results 23,561-23,580 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Hospital Services. (10 Feb 2005)

Mary Harney: To be fair to Deputy Ó Caoláin, he probably did not hear my answer. The Galway facility is in place. I visited it in January. It will treat patients in March. Approximately 102 staff have been trained. The lead-in time has been going on since last summer. We have a mixed health system in Ireland with approximately half the population in private health care insurance. We need to ensure that...

Hospital Services. (10 Feb 2005)

Mary Harney: I have not yet finalised my view on the report. I support the view that two centres are needed in Dublin. The report suggests a need for 35 more linear accelerators over the next few years. We need to keep an open mind regarding how we make that happen. In particular, we need it all to work together. In too many areas of health care there are stand-alone facilities which are not being used to...

Hospital Services. (10 Feb 2005)

Mary Harney: There is no doubt the mix system has worked well in Ireland. I am a strong supporter of people making investment in the provision of their own health care while they can. We will get more resources in that context. It is a question of ensuring that a person who does not have the possibility of becoming privately insured is not disadvantaged and that the private facilities can be used to his...

Hospital Charges. (10 Feb 2005)

Mary Harney: On the issue of the January 2005 increases in hospital charges in question, it should be noted that such increases follow on from the announcement in November 2004 of the 2005 health Estimates. The overall health Estimate for 2005, therefore, takes into account the full-year income implications arising from the implementation of the new charges with effect from 1 January 2005. The income goes...

Hospital Waiting Lists. (10 Feb 2005)

Mary Harney: In accordance with the health strategy, the immediate focus has been on the reduction of waiting lists and waiting times for inpatient and day-case treatments in acute hospitals. The national treatment purchase fund has been successful in arranging treatments for 23,379 patients to the end of 2004. The allocation to the fund for 2005 is €64 million, which represents an increase on the...

Hospital Waiting Lists. (10 Feb 2005)

Mary Harney: I largely share Deputy Twomey's perspective. The NTPF was established as a universal insurer for those waiting a long time for appointments. The idea was that the fund would have a very focused, targeted approach to using private capacity that exists within or outside the State to deal with those badly in need of surgical procedures. It has worked extraordinarily well. Awareness of the fund...

Hospital Waiting Lists. (10 Feb 2005)

Mary Harney: Yes.

Hospital Waiting Lists. (10 Feb 2005)

Mary Harney: The Deputy is correct in what he is implying. Not only doctors say that. Sometimes going to an accident and emergency unit is the only way people can get to see a consultant. However, it is adding to the pressure on these units. Every day, 3,300 people present at accident and emergency units. Accident and emergency units are supposed to deal only with accidents and emergencies. We do not have...

Industrial Disputes. (10 Feb 2005)

Mary Harney: It is regrettable that the Irish Hospital Consultants' Association and the Irish Medical Organisation are contemplating industrial action in pursuit of a resolution of the dispute over medical indemnity cover for consultants. The only people who suffer as a consequence of this or any industrial action in the health service are patients. It is particularly unfortunate that consultants should...

Industrial Disputes. (10 Feb 2005)

Mary Harney: There is a misunderstanding. The arrangements with the MPS were also offered to the MDU. When the MDU complained to the European Commission, it held that the procedures were fair. The British Government took over the historic liabilities of obstetricians whereas we are concerned with all consultant activity in the public sector. I gave an assurance in good faith but I cannot compromise the...

Industrial Disputes. (10 Feb 2005)

Mary Harney: My comments were similar to those of Mr. Justice Johnston. The MDU should meet its responsibilities. This has gone on for far too long. Obstetricians are not the only ones affected. Mr. Young from St. James's Hospital is a cardiac surgeon and he was taken off cover. I have a brief on the history of the MPS and the MDU. The MPS took over the obstetric cases and ring-fenced the subscriptions...

Industrial Disputes. (10 Feb 2005)

Mary Harney: Two issues arise. From the perspective of State aids, if an unfavourable deal was done with one group, namely, the MDU that would have implications for the MPS which at all stages made it clear that it is prepared to make a sum of money available if we were to take over the past liabilities. We have tried to have a due diligence exercise carried out because there are major differences between...

Accident and Emergency Services. (10 Feb 2005)

Mary Harney: The Government has already undertaken specific investment measures to provide new and improved accident and emergency departments in hospitals, to increase the number of emergency medicine consultants and to provide additional funding to move patients from the acute hospital system to a more appropriate care setting. The Government will continue to focus on the measures required to improve...

Accident and Emergency Services. (10 Feb 2005)

Mary Harney: The key recommendation in the Hanly report is that we need more manpower at consultant level throughout the country. Although the genesis to the Hanly report was the working time directive, its remit goes way beyond this. We need to move from having approximately 1,940 consultants to 3,600 if we are to provide regional self-sufficiency as far as is possible. From a patient care perspective, a...

Accident and Emergency Services. (10 Feb 2005)

Mary Harney: The position of counties Cavan and Monaghan is a good example.

Accident and Emergency Services. (10 Feb 2005)

Mary Harney: The two counties have a population of probably 120,000 to 140,000, and both have a hospital. In that context, it is not possible for both hospitals to have all the resources and specialties we would wish.

Accident and Emergency Services. (10 Feb 2005)

Mary Harney: There are many hospitals. We need to learn from our experience and best practice, and we need to bring services as close to people as possible in a safe environment. This is what we are trying to achieve. The Hanly report is not about centralisation but regional autonomy. Currently, there is an over-centralised system. Many people must come to the Dublin area for treatment that could be...

Accident and Emergency Services. (10 Feb 2005)

Mary Harney: No, it is for many specialties. One cannot provide a regional service with one consultant or, in some cases where they visit on an outpatient basis from time to time, no consultant.

Accident and Emergency Services. (10 Feb 2005)

Mary Harney: The purpose of the reform agenda is focused on priorities regarding increased numbers and increased usage of beds. Following a survey of 4,000 patients, Dr. Conor Burke of James Connolly Memorial Hospital recently stated that if patients had been discharged when they were ready for discharge, there would not be an accident and emergency problem. We need to learn from the examples provided by...

Order of Business. (10 Feb 2005)

Mary Harney: It is proposed to take No. 1 the Garda Síochána Bill 2004 [Seanad] — Second Stage; and No. 15 the Driver Testing and Standards Authority Bill 2004 — Second Stage (Resumed).