Results 28,161-28,180 of 46,081 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Administration (22 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: Medical card provision is solely based on financial assessment. In accordance with the provisions of the Health Act 1970 (as amended), eligibility for a medical card is determined by the HSE.  The Act obliges the HSE to assess whether a person is unable, without due hardship, to arrange general practitioner services for himself or herself and his or her family, having regard to his or...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Status (22 Feb 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...

Report of the Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Statements (Resumed) (21 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: Can we have a civilised debate and not interrupt each other? The committee did a huge volume of work and produced a cross-party report with recommendations. I thank them, from all parties and none, for their work and dedication to that difficult task. The draft legal framework being prepared by the Department is based on these recommendations. It is very important to say that if the...

Report of the Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Statements (Resumed) (21 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: I thank my colleagues for their contributions to the statements this evening and over the course of what has been quite a lengthy and extensive debate over a number of sessions in Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann on the findings and the report of the Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution. I said here when I opened this debate that I hoped we could show in...

Questions on Promised Legislation (21 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: 1 o’clock I thank Deputies Scanlon and Martin Kenny for raising this important matter. We have increased the budget for the national ambulance service by a further €10.9 million this year. Of that, almost €3 million is for new development. That will provide for more ambulances and paramedics on the ground. In fact, we have also increased the number of paramedics...

Questions on Promised Legislation (21 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Heydon for raising this important matter. The Government has done three things to drive down the cost of new drugs. First, it has agreed a deal with the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association, which has saved hundreds of millions of euro and kept drug pricing roughly stable at €2 billion per year despite the fact that we are purchasing more drugs. Second, we have...

Questions on Promised Legislation (21 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Ferris. I appreciate the importance of that sensitive matter and the need for parents to have assurance and certainty on it. As he said, the Minister of State, Deputy McGrath, has met the group and I am sure he will do so again as he said. I will pass on Deputy Ferris's concerns to him directly.

Questions on Promised Legislation (21 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Healy-Rae for raising that matter and bringing those two personal cases to my attention. I am very sorry for the experience those people had-----

Questions on Promised Legislation (21 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: -----in Cork and in Kerry as well. He might send me the details regarding them. The Government is very clear on what it intends to do. We do not have a health service that is the appropriate size in terms of meeting the needs of our population. That means we will need more beds in the health service and that is the reason we approved, as part of Project Ireland 2040, the delivery of 2,600...

Questions on Promised Legislation (21 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: I will follow up in regard to Sativex and directly revert to Deputy Kenny. As regards access to cannabis, I have now signed five licences to provide patients in this country------

Questions on Promised Legislation (21 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: Yes, I signed another last week. Every valid licence application I have received has been signed and processed in an efficient manner. As regards the compassionate access programme, Deputy Kenny is correct that there has been great progress in the clinical guidelines now being drawn up. However, the issue is now to try to source a product------

Questions on Promised Legislation (21 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: I also have a very good source in the Department of Health and I have the guidelines-------

Questions on Promised Legislation (21 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: I have the guidelines and great work has been done by the clinical expert group that I set up to put in place a compassionate access programme. However, guidelines are only of use if we can access products and my Department is currently working on how we can access an appropriate product to the benefit of Irish patients.

Questions on Promised Legislation (21 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: I appreciate Deputy Harty's question and his medical knowledge in this regard. However, there is no blanket ban in regard to Versatis being provided off-licence. In fact, as the Taoiseach already outlined to the House, over 850 patients have been approved for off-licence use during the clinical process where a GP has lodged an appeal with the medicines management programme. Approximately...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Reports (21 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: The Sláintecare report represents a significant milestone in our political and health policy history.  It is the first time in the history of the State that cross-party consensus of this scale has been achieved on health policy. It provides a once in a generation opportunity to achieve the most comprehensive reform of our health services ever undertaken and to improve...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Reports (21 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: The Committee on the Future of Healthcare engaged the Centre for Health Policy in Trinity College Dublin to assist it with its deliberations. As part of this process, the Centre provided indicative costings for a range of recommended actions and these are outlined in the report. The Committee acknowledge in the report that these costings are only indicative, and that further work will be...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Reports (21 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: The Sláintecare report, produced by the Committee on the Future of Healthcare, represents a significant milestone in our political and health policy history. It is the first time that cross-party consensus of this scale has been achieved on health policy. It provides a once in a generation opportunity to achieve the most comprehensive reform of our health services ever undertaken and to...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Charges (21 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: My Department is currently considering the issue of the application of the public in-patient charge of €80 for venesection in Acute Hospitals as well as broader issues in relation to the treatment of patients with Hereditary Haemochromatosis. A meeting involving relevant personnel in the HSE and the Department of Health is being arranged in that regard.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Status (21 Feb 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: General Practitioner Services Provision (21 Feb 2018)

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