Results 3,461-3,480 of 3,998 for speaker:Michael Harty

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Cannabis for Medical Use: Discussion (7 Mar 2017)

Michael Harty: I wish to ask the delegates a number of questions to seek clarification. If primary legislation is required, it will take up to 18 months to complete. If secondary legislation is introduced, it will take six months. People can only access medicinal cannabis products via the licensing process. Is there sufficient confidence, based on the report, that the Minister can issue licences...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Cannabis for Medical Use: Discussion (7 Mar 2017)

Michael Harty: Thank you, Deputy O'Brien. Deputy O'Connell is next and then Deputy Boyd Barrett. Please keep your interventions brief, if you can.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Cannabis for Medical Use: Discussion (7 Mar 2017)

Michael Harty: In that scenario, the license would only refer to products containing THC.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Cannabis for Medical Use: Discussion (7 Mar 2017)

Michael Harty: No such requirement is in place for products containing CBD.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Cannabis for Medical Use: Discussion (7 Mar 2017)

Michael Harty: Is there an acceptable level of THC?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Cannabis for Medical Use: Discussion (7 Mar 2017)

Michael Harty: With regard to products that are or could be authorised, what level of THC is acceptable in cases where a licence is obtained?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Cannabis for Medical Use: Discussion (7 Mar 2017)

Michael Harty: If a patient travels abroad and is stabilised on a cannabis based product before returning to this country, is a distinction made between initiating a treatment in Ireland as opposed to maintaining somebody who is already on a medication?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Cannabis for Medical Use: Discussion (7 Mar 2017)

Michael Harty: Would the same licensing application process apply?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Cannabis for Medical Use: Discussion (7 Mar 2017)

Michael Harty: It will probably make up part of his answer, but before Dr. Devlin comes in I would like to ask if there is sufficient confidence in this report, or could consultants obtain sufficient confidence in this report to prescribe medicinal cannabis? If they cannot, and the consultant felt they were opening themselves to litigation by prescribing a product, could the Department indemnify a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Cannabis for Medical Use: Discussion (7 Mar 2017)

Michael Harty: I thank Dr. Devlin. Deputy O'Connell wants to come back in.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Cannabis for Medical Use: Discussion (7 Mar 2017)

Michael Harty: I will ask one more question before we wind up. What criteria will be used to approve products? How will the HPRA go about approving products that will be used in the access programme? A product that suits one illness might not suit another in terms of the combination of CBD and THC. How will the HPRA adjudicate on this matter?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Cannabis for Medical Use: Discussion (7 Mar 2017)

Michael Harty: On behalf of the committee, I thank Dr. Breslin, Dr. Nolan, Mr. Lennon, Ms Egan, Dr. Devlin and Dr. Glynn for attending. I also thank those committee members who attended at short notice. As there is no other business, we will adjourn until tomorrow at 1.30 p.m.

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Medical Services Scheme (7 Mar 2017)

Michael Harty: 453. To ask the Minister for Health the commitment required of a GMS doctor to fulfil a full GMS contract in regard to surgery hours and availability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11189/17]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Licensing Exchange Agreements (7 Mar 2017)

Michael Harty: 792. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 614 of 21 February 2017, and in view of the fact that the licence exchange agreement is already fully in place in British Columbia as it has accepted Irish licences since early 2016, the reason a timeframe for an agreement from the Irish side in regard to accepting British Columbian licences, which...

Select Committee on Health: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 38 - Health (Revised) (2 Mar 2017)

Michael Harty: I ask those present to note that this meeting will be carried live on Virgin Media channel 207, Eir Vision channel 504 and Sky channel 574. Members are asked to switch off their mobile phones or adjust them to airplane mode so that they do not interfere with the recording of this morning's meeting. Apologies have been received from Deputy Kelleher. This morning we will consider the 2017...

Select Committee on Health: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 38 - Health (Revised) (2 Mar 2017)

Michael Harty: I thank the Minister for his opening statement. I will now refer to the individual programmes in the indicative appendix of the Vote, which are linked to performance targets. Members are advised that I will refer to a document entitled Analysis of Revised Estimate for 2017 as we progress through the programme. This document was prepared by the financial scrutiny section of the committee...

Select Committee on Health: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 38 - Health (Revised) (2 Mar 2017)

Michael Harty: I thank the Minister. If it is okay, we will now move on to the second programme, which consists of four parts. It refers to primary care services, which has a total Vote of €3.852 billion. That is on page 7 of the document. It is broken down to primary care reimbursement services, which have a Vote of €2.807 billion, social inclusion, which has a Vote of €134...

Select Committee on Health: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 38 - Health (Revised) (2 Mar 2017)

Michael Harty: As an add-on to that, in my area in County Clare, there are excellent community palliative care services. The difficulty is that they are understaffed and stretched to the limit and beyond in providing the services. There can be an unavoidable delay in nurses coming to visit people in the community because of the lack of staffing. Perhaps the Minister will address that issue. I will then...

Select Committee on Health: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 38 - Health (Revised) (2 Mar 2017)

Michael Harty: Does the Minister want to respond to those?

Select Committee on Health: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 38 - Health (Revised) (2 Mar 2017)

Michael Harty: I thank the Minister. Before we go off that topic, perhaps I could sow an idea in his head in regard to nursing homes. I believe each nursing home should have a medical officer which would give consistent medical advice and an overview on how the nursing home deals with people who become acutely ill in their care. It would be an interesting study if the Minister could compare the number of...