Results 26,361-26,380 of 46,575 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Health: Dental Services Waiting Lists (30 May 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 (30 May 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: Medical Aids and Appliances Provision (30 May 2018)

Simon Harris: Under the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the HSE has statutory responsibility for the administration of the community drug schemes; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Paediatric Services (30 May 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: Schools Health and Safety (30 May 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: Hospital Waiting Lists Action Plans (30 May 2018)

Simon Harris: The Programme for Government commits to reducing waiting times for procedures in hospitals and to increase funding to the National Treatment Purchase Fund to deliver on this commitment. In the Budget and Estimates 2018, funding for the NTPF to treat public patients was increased to €50 million. The Inpatient/Day Case Action Plan is a joint initiative between the HSE, the NTPF...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff Recruitment (30 May 2018)

Simon Harris: The State’s general policy is to promote the sourcing of labour and skills needs from within the workforce of the State and other EEA states. Where specific skills prove difficult to source within the State and EEA, an employment permit may be sought from the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation by an employer to hire a non-EEA national. Ireland operates a managed...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products Availability (30 May 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: Hospitals Expenditure (30 May 2018)

Simon Harris: As the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of health care infrastructure projects, the Executive has been requested to reply directly to you with the information requested in relation to Cavan General Hospital.

Other Questions: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Provision (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: Deputy Moynihan is right to highlight this as an important issue and I know he will welcome the new staff starting between April and July of this year in his CHO area. This is an area in respect of which the Minister of State, Deputy Daly, also has concerns. The Deputy will accept that it is not a funding challenge. The funding is in place for a number of unfilled posts and there is a...

Other Questions: Emergency Departments Services (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising this question. Under the winter initiative, over 200 additional beds opened this winter across a range of sites, including critical care beds in Cork University Hospital, CUH. A further 30 acute medical beds are scheduled to open later this year in CUH, including two more critical care beds. In addition, CUH has been supported over the recent winter months...

Other Questions: Emergency Departments Services (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: If the Deputy wants to correspond with me, I would be grateful to get the details of the case in question. I would be happy to raise it with the HSE because we need to take a serious look at how we can reduce the number of delayed discharges in our health service. I want to see the home care packages that we are funding to help people to get back home deployed as quickly as possible. I...

Other Questions: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Provision (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Moynihan for tabling this question, which relates to child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, in CHO 4. The Government remains strongly committed to developing all aspects of mental health services, including CAMHS, as envisaged under A Vision for Change. This is being delivered by the HSE in the context of its agreed annual service plans. Significant...

Other Questions: Mental Health Services (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Browne. I agree with him and I know that the Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, does as well. The HSE's mental health services are working with the Department of Health on a project which aims to improve access to mental health information and support through the harnessing of communication technologies. There are a number of strands to this project. First, there will be...

Other Questions: Mental Health Services (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Browne for his point. We are in agreement on this issue. We need to see a greater roll-out of these services. However, I would point out that the data are encouraging in terms of the number of people now being seen. Taking the example of counselling in primary care from 2015 to 2017, in 2015, 17,002 people were referred to the service, which increased to 18,471 in 2016 and...

Other Questions: Health Services Staff (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: In 2015, the HSE established a group to review the eligibility criteria for employment as a psychologist in the HSE psychological services. This came about in response to ongoing issues with the eligibility criteria for recruitment to HSE psychologist positions. The review was completed in 2016 and made recommendations which have been accepted in full by the HSE. Both clinical and...

Other Questions: Health Services Staff (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Browne for bringing the information to my attention. I will ask the HSE to examine what he has said and revert directly to him on it. In 2015, the HSE established a review group to examine the eligibility criteria for employment as a psychologist. In its review the group was guided by the changes to models of care, by service user safety, by maximising our resources and...

Other Questions: Health Services Staff (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I will ask the HSE to engage with all unions in this matter. The terms and conditions of existing staff members are not being changed, but what we are saying, for good reason, which is grounded in trying to improve the experience of the service user and based on a very comprehensive and detailed review that was carried out, is that qualifications should also be matched with experience...

Other Questions: Mental Health Services (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: The choice of care for a patient is determined by the needs of the individual patient. Both talk therapy and medication are included in this process as options to consider. HSE specialist mental health services provide a wide range of talking therapies in both child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, and adult mental health services. The HSE also provides talk therapies at...

Other Questions: Cancer Screening Programmes (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I have not negotiated my Estimates for 2019 with the Minister for Finance, and Public Expenditure and Reform, yet. The Government has made it clear in a number of decisions that whatever financial supports are required will be provided. The Taoiseach has made it clear here on the record of this House and the Government has given me assurances about the funding of the practical measures that...