Results 29,921-29,940 of 46,095 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Procedures (23 Nov 2017)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 165 to 167, inclusive, together. As I recently told the Dáil, it is important that the clinical facts and evidence determine what further response I give to these and other issues raised in relation to mesh implants. I have therefore asked the Chief Medical Officer to provide me with a report on the issues. He informs me that the engagements he will...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Strategies (23 Nov 2017)

Simon Harris: The Government published a strategy for eHealth in December 2013 that outlined a programme of work to underpin and develop eHealth delivery within the Irish health system. Significant developments have taken place over the last 3 years to improve the capacity of the health system to move to a digital environment. New strategic systems are being put in place such as the new medical...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Consultant Contracts (23 Nov 2017)

Simon Harris: Arrangements concerning implementation and monitoring of Consultant Contract 2008 including the provisions in relation to private practice are matters for the HSE in the first instance. The responsibility for reporting individual consultant compliance with their contract was formally delegated to the Hospital Groups in 2014. The main reason for this was to ensure local accountability....

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (23 Nov 2017)

Simon Harris: The HIQA Report and Recommendations on Patient Referrals from General Practice to Outpatient and Radiology Services, including the National Standard for Patient Referral Information, published in 2011 makes a number of recommendation in relation to Secondary Care Referral Management Systems, including that GP should address referrals in the first instance to a central point within a hospital,...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (23 Nov 2017)

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 Waiting Lists (23 Nov 2017)

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 Waiting Lists (23 Nov 2017)

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...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of the Sláintecare Report (22 Nov 2017)

Simon Harris: I am delighted to before the joint committee today. As the Chairman stated, I am joined by the Secretary General, Mr. Jim Breslin, and Ms Laura Casey, also from the Department of Health. I am grateful to have the opportunity to discuss the Sláintecare report with the committee. I will set out the process that we are engaged in to act on the report and will outline some of the steps...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of the Sláintecare Report (22 Nov 2017)

Simon Harris: The Chairman can expect me to pick up the pace, and I certainly will, but I expect to be held to account in respect of timelines to which the Committee on the Future of Healthcare adhered. The Chairman criticised the lack of an implementation plan for Sláintecare but the committee, on which he sat, asked me to produce one by the end of the year. As I indicated, a plan will be produced...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of the Sláintecare Report (22 Nov 2017)

Simon Harris: It is up to all of us-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of the Sláintecare Report (22 Nov 2017)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputies Kelleher, O'Reilly and Murphy O'Mahony for their questions. Deputy Kelleher is correct in that the political system cannot wash its hands and say that all of the challenges relating to the health service have been caused somewhere else. No party, including Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, or Government can absolve itself from the continuum of change which there has been in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of the Sláintecare Report (22 Nov 2017)

Simon Harris: I am not suggesting that anybody said it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of the Sláintecare Report (22 Nov 2017)

Simon Harris: I am not saying Deputy O'Reilly or any other member suggested that. There has been an issue in our health service regarding the non-collection of fees owed to the State. That is not my view or a political view, it was the view of the Comptroller and Auditor General in his 2015 report. It is appropriate, therefore, that, in its service planning every year, the HSE sets out its expectation...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of the Sláintecare Report (22 Nov 2017)

Simon Harris: Just in case the public thought I was somehow or other satisfied with the current situation-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of the Sláintecare Report (22 Nov 2017)

Simon Harris: I want to reassure people that this was brought in by a previous Government and a previous Minister. It is not a policy supported by my Government or my party. We will have the Donal de Buitléir impact study and I have outlined what I intend to do in the interim. On the issue of trauma, I cannot get into it too much because I have not yet brought the report to the Government. I do...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of the Sláintecare Report (22 Nov 2017)

Simon Harris: It will be a busy year. It is about how we better empower people with disabilities to make decisions about the allocation of funding that the State provides for them. I agree with Senator Dolan on this and Deputy Murphy O'Mahony is a strong advocate in this area. We must examine how we empower people. For far too long, the State has thought its relationship with the person with a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of the Sláintecare Report (22 Nov 2017)

Simon Harris: I will take the questions in reverse order while they are fresh in my mind. On Deputy Durkan's comments, I think those of us in the political system may ask if there are people in the Civil Service who are committed to health reform. However, if we are to be honest, those in the Civil Service might also ask if those politicians are ever committed to health reform. I do not think Ireland...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of the Sláintecare Report (22 Nov 2017)

Simon Harris: I would not either, but a lot of people in this country hold up the NHS as marking the point to which we want to get. In that context, I make the point that there is a significant turnover of managers in the NHS. We are in a situation where we need to develop management within the health service and hospitals. I sometimes get into trouble for saying this, but the truth is that where there...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of the Sláintecare Report (22 Nov 2017)

Simon Harris: I will answer the speakers in reverse order beginning with Deputy Shortall's issues, many of which were similar to those raised by Deputy Collins relating to slippage and timefarmes. I want to be honest about this. I do not criticise anybody for being ambitious but some of the timeframes were somewhat unworkable, and I do not say that to be critical. We had a plan in May, it was debated in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of the Sláintecare Report (22 Nov 2017)

Simon Harris: I missed the start of the Deputy's question.