Results 25,121-25,140 of 46,036 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Health: Nursing Staff Data (3 Jul 2018)

Simon Harris: As this question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products Availability (3 Jul 2018)

Simon Harris: Medicines play a vital role in improving the health of Irish patients. Securing access to existing and new and innovative medicines is a key health service objective. However, the challenge is to do this in a safe and sustainable manner. Treatment must be appropriate and proportionate and clinical decision-making, such as prescribing, should be based on both patient needs and sound medical...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Treatment Abroad Scheme (3 Jul 2018)

Simon Harris: Patients can seek to access health care in an other EU/EEA member state via two different schemes. Where a service is provided in Ireland but a patient wishes to access care in another EU/EEA Member State, this can be possible by seeking treatment under the Directive on Patients' Rights in Cross Border Healthcare, otherwise known as the Cross Border Directive (CBD). The HSE operates the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Status (3 Jul 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: Hospitals Capital Programme (3 Jul 2018)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 388 to 390, inclusive, and 392 together. As the Health Service Executive is responsible for the management of health capital in respect of individual capital projects, my Department has asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly in relation to the current position regarding the development of community nursing units in Donegal.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Status (3 Jul 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: Hospital Appointments Status (3 Jul 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 Availability (3 Jul 2018)

Simon Harris: Officials in my Department have sought clarification from the Deputy, on receipt of same I will arrange for a reply to issue.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Disease Management (3 Jul 2018)

Simon Harris: Stem cell treatment can be a promising treatment for a small subset of patients with multiple sclerosis. It is considered a highly aggressive treatment with very significant side-effects. Decisions, therefore relating to appropriate treatment for multiple sclerosis are a matter for clinicians in consultation with patients and their families.

Other Questions: Primary Care Centres Data (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: The development of primary care centres supports the shift from acute care to primary care. This is a key priority for the Government and accords with the vision of a reformed health service set out in the Sláintecare cross-party report. These modern facilities provide a setting in which a wide range of health professionals can deliver better care, closer to people's homes in their...

Other Questions: Primary Care Centres Data (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: I did not say that we are not counting the numbers. Rather, I said the figures are not compiled centrally. The Deputy wanted to know about each individual primary care centre. As she knows from her time as a Member and her previous life, the staff working in primary care centres are not employees of individual primary care centres. Many of them work across areas. Many of them work in...

Other Questions: Hospital Waiting Lists (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Lahart for raising this important matter. He has highlighted an issue that we need to get on top of and I think I have some news in that regard today. Improving waiting times for hospital procedures and outpatient appointments is a key commitment in the programme for Government and a key priority of mine. As the Deputy is aware, we increased the National Treatment Purchase...

Other Questions: Hospital Waiting Lists (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: I like to think that I am one of the less partisan individuals here. I acknowledge that that was a key demand of the Fianna Fáil Party in establishing this minority Government. If the Deputy searches the Dáil record, I think I have acknowledged that in many questions here. I point out that in the realpolitik world, my predecessors in 2011 would have found it difficult to find any...

Other Questions: Hospital Waiting Lists (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: My predecessors, when they came to Government, during the greatest financial crash, had to make horrifically difficult decisions, as did Fianna Fáil when in government, with regard to how to spend money and invest in services. I agree that the NTPF works. While the Deputy is not suggesting it, it should not be about just putting money into private hospitals. Deputy Louise O'Reilly and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pay (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: That might be a fine speech but it does not tally with the reality. The Government and I have taken a number of actions to reform the health service, and to try to turn around what is a major tanker and get it to a place where we can reform it. We supported the establishment of an all-party committee and people on the Government benches worked extremely hard to come up with a cross-party...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pay (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Harty for his question. I acknowledge the contribution made by health contractors through reductions in their fees to addressing the unprecedented economic crisis faced by the State when successive Governments, prior to and after 2011, found it necessary, in the interests of the financial crisis facing the State, to make reductions to public sector pay and to fees. I want to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pay (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy. I recognise the challenges and, more importantly, so does the Government. That is why we have taken a number of steps to try to address the issue of manpower and woman-power in terms of the number of general practitioners in the country. That is why we have significantly increased the number of training places. In 2009, there were 120 GP training places available....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pay (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: I have to wear all three hats in that regard. We have to pay a fair fee for a fair service. We need to negotiate the fee and the service-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pay (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: -----and that engagement is getting under way.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Paediatric Services (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: The Deputy is right. If I was just saying I was sorry or listing a number of things we will do in the future that would not be enough but that is not a fair representation of what I have said or done. There will be 447 spinal procedures carried out in 2018, compared with 371 in 2017 and 224 in 2016. The figures do not lie and we are dramatically increasing the number of scoliosis...