Results 28,561-28,580 of 46,081 for speaker:Simon Harris

Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: Drugs are not legal.

Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: Drugs are not legal.

Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: What Deputy Michael Collins said is factually incorrect.

Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: I am the Minister for Health. I do not deal with insurance.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (7 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: I thank the Vice Chairman. I apologise for the late delivery of my script and the answers to questions. My officials and I will endeavour to work with the committee secretariat to ensure a more satisfactory situation in future. I welcome the opportunity to once again appear before the committee. I am joined by my colleague, the Minister of State with responsibility for mental health and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (7 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: I thank the Vice Chairman for bringing that issue to my attention also. I received the letter too. The Vice Chairman's comments are 100% correct. It is very important that our public bodies, in particular the HSE in this case, remain entirely impartial. Obviously, the health service will implement the laws of the land where any decision is taken by the Irish people. This is not the first...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (7 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: I will take the queries in order. I thank Deputy Kelleher for his questions. I very much appreciated that when he said "Here we go again", he included the word "again". He spoke about observing HSE budgets for the last seven years. If one examines budgets since the HSE was established, one sees a recurring issue. In fact, looking at some of the progress we made on the HSE's budget last...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (7 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: Maybe they are. The Deputy is right about predictability and avoidability. I will not play a word game and confuse everybody. The point I am trying to make is that everybody knows. If the Deputy was sitting in the chair I am in now, we would all know the pressures our hospitals come under. They are pressures our hospitals are always under but we know that tipping point is hit every...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (7 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: Absolutely. I thank the Cathaoirleach. I thank Deputy O'Connell for raising a number of important issues, as always. On the issue regarding the morning-after pill, I obviously do not have enough facts to comment with any degree of certainty other than to say I want to live in a country and see a health service that provides women with access to the supports that they are legally entitled...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (7 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: I always appreciate the Vice Chairman highlighting good news.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (7 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: I am sick and tired of the Deputy highlighting all the good news around this place. To be serious, I appreciate her comment. She is correct on this and I hope we can do something about it. I have written down a word that I cannot read so if I have forgotten a question by the Vice Chairman, she might tell me.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (7 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: I have the response on that. I have asked the chief medical officer to do a body of work on this. I saw the programme in question and have heard about the experiences of women who have had very debilitating conditions and who face very upsetting circumstances. I have noted the impact on their families. I have to balance this with the comments of the clinicians on the programme. They said...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (7 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: That is interesting. I will comment first and then pass over to the director general. I do not disagree with a word Deputy O'Connell has said on the issue of our maternity services - I doubt anyone present disagrees either. The fact that we did not have a national maternity strategy in Ireland until 2016 tells us all we need to know about it being the proverbial Cinderella of the Irish...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (7 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: On that housekeeping issue, we should agree or agree again what the protocol is in order that questions will go in in a timely manner. There is a real need for clarity on this issue. The director general has tried to bring clarity to it. I suggest we provide a written brief for the committee, today if possible, in order that members can best advise their constituents and bring clarity to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (7 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: That is what I meant. I meant how we got back to the committee.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Primary Care Centres Provision (7 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: The State Claims Agency manages personal injury claims, including fatality claims, on behalf of 146 State Authorities, as delegated to it by the National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Act 2000 and subsequent delegation orders. I have been informed by the Agency that in fatal injuries cases damages may be awarded under 3 headings: 1. loss of pecuniary benefits which could have been...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Primary Care Centres Provision (7 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: As the HSE has responsibility for the provision, along with the maintenance and operation of Primary Care Centres and other Primary Care facilities, the Executive has been asked to reply directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Administration (7 Feb 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: Orthodontic Services Waiting Lists (7 Feb 2018)

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

Written Answers — Department of Health: Water and Sewerage Schemes (7 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: I have been advised by the HSE that responsibility for clearing blockages or repairing defects in a private shared drain rests with the residents that are served by it. Further information in this regard is available on the Irish Water website at: . The HSE Environmental Health Services do not have the statutory authority to intervene and deal with such situations.