Results 25,421-25,440 of 46,036 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Practitioner Contracts (19 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: I acknowledge the important role that general practitioners play in our health service and I recognise the commitment of GPs to ensuring a responsive, accessible and high-quality service to patients. The Government is committed to engaging with the representatives of GPs on the development of a package of measures and reforms to modernise the current GMS contract and which will enable...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products Reimbursement (19 Jun 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...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Status (19 Jun 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 (19 Jun 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 (19 Jun 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 Staff (19 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: As this is a service issue, I have asked the HSE to reply to you directly.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Inquiries (19 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: The Scally Inquiry is an independent inquiry. As such, it is operating separately to my Department which is not therefore providing any staff directly to assist Dr Scally. My Department is of course providing Dr. Scally with any assistance he seeks to enable him to complete his work.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Cannabis for Medicinal Use (19 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: Cannabis is strictly controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Acts 1977 to 2016, and the Regulations and Orders made thereunder. The two most common active components found in cannabis oil are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). - THC is the principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis. Under the Misuse of Drugs legislation products containing THC are strictly controlled and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Long-Term Illness Scheme (19 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: The LTI Scheme was established under Section 59(3) of the Health Act 1970 (as amended). The conditions covered by the LTI are: acute leukaemia; mental handicap; cerebral palsy; mental illness (in a person under 16); cystic fibrosis; multiple sclerosis; diabetes insipidus; muscular dystrophies; diabetes mellitus; parkinsonism; epilepsy; phenylketonuria; haemophilia; spina bifida;...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (19 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: Reducing waiting times for hospital procedures is a key priority of this Government. On April 12 2018 the Minister launched the Inpatient/Day Case Action Plan 2018. This plan was compiled by the Department of Health, the Health Service Executive, and the National Treatment Purchase Fund. As part of the plan the HSE will deliver 1.14 million hospital operations or procedures and the NTPF...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (19 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: Reducing waiting time for patients for hospital operations and procedures is a key priority for the Government. Cataract surgery is among the most common surgical procedures carried out in the ophthalmology specialty. Through the work of the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) and the HSE, the overall number of patients waiting for cataract surgery has fallen by 22% since July 2017,...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (19 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Staff Data (19 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: I approved the Policy on Graduate, Specialist and Advanced Nursing Practice in 2017. The primary purpose of this policy is to show through a series of demonstrator projects how a critical mass of Advance Nurse Practitioners (ANP) can contribute to providing a solution to a number of challenges facing the health service including access to services, avoiding unnecessary hospital attendance,...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Ambulance Service Provision (19 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: As this is a service issue, I have asked the HSE to reply to you directly.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Primary Care Centres (19 Jun 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: Departmental Expenditure (19 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: The Department uses the OGP National Framework for Media Strategy, Planning and buying services framework contract in respect of requirements for advertising public notices. The contract service provider Mediavest changed its name during 2017 to Spark Foundry. My Department's expenditure with this entity since 2016 is outlined in the following table. Year Service Cost (incl VAT) 2018...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Status (19 Jun 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: Paediatric Services (19 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: The CEO of the Children's Hospital Group has advised that the publication of the Paediatric Orthopaedic Action Plan 2018 is scheduled for early July 2018.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Status (19 Jun 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: Vaccination Programme (19 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 342 and 344 together. There was an extensive debate on the safety of the HPV vaccine and its efficacy in preventing the development of cervical cancer in this House on 28 March last in which a motion was passed unanimously which recognised that the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine protects young girls from developing a cervical cancer when they grow up,...