Results 34,801-34,820 of 46,228 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Status (4 Apr 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...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products Regulation (4 Apr 2017)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 550, 556, 558, 569 to 572, inclusive, together. As previously stated to the Deputy, Roaccutane® (containing the active substance, isotretinoin) is authorised in Ireland and the EU for treating severe forms of acne which have been resistant to other standard therapies. It is not at present (nor was it ever) authorised in Ireland for the treatment of...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Accommodation Provision (4 Apr 2017)

Simon Harris: The Winter Initiative recognises that there are specific challenges in relation to capacity at South Tipperary General Hospital (STGH). As such, various options are being considered, including the use of the “National Framework for Alternative Accommodation on Hospital Sites”, to provide additional surge capacity through a temporary inpatient solution at the STGH site. The...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Children's Hospital (4 Apr 2017)

Simon Harris: The National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB) has benchmarked the post-tender construction costs of the new children's hospital against construction costs for major acute hospitals internationally. This exercise demonstrates that construction elements of the project compare favourably to the costs of international projects of a similar size and scale when benchmarked at cost per...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Facilities (4 Apr 2017)

Simon Harris: I am aware that a business case for the establishment of a dedicated centre for Intestinal Failure is currently being finalised by St James’s Hospital. St James’s Hospital is part of the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group. Any proposals for the funding for the centre for Intestinal failure in St. James's will have to be considered as part of the Hospital Group’s overall...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Voluntary Sector Remuneration (4 Apr 2017)

Simon Harris: Voluntary providers are funded under Section 39 of the Health Act 2004. The HSE has in place Service Level Agreements with these providers that set out the level of service to be provided for the grant to the individual organisation and requirements in relation to standards of care. As the individuals employed by Section 39 organisations are not HSE employees, the HSE has no role in...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Eligibility (4 Apr 2017)

Simon Harris: The Health (Amendment) Bill 2017 was published Thursday 2nd March 2017. This Bill will enable the granting of full eligibility for general practitioner and other health services to all children in respect of whom a Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is paid. Granting a medical card to all children in respect of whom a DCA payment is made will benefit approximately 9,800 children in this...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Lottery Funding Data (4 Apr 2017)

Simon Harris: My Department no longer operates a National Lottery Fund. However, the Deputy should note that the HSE operates a similar scheme and continues to provide grants to health agencies and other organisations from National Lottery funds. Details of the scheme are available at .

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Correspondence (4 Apr 2017)

Simon Harris: A reply was issued to the person you reference from County Cork and I have no further comment to make on the matter.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (4 Apr 2017)

Simon Harris: Reducing waiting times for the longest waiting patients is one of this Government's key priorities. Consequently, Budget 2017 allocated €20 million to the NTPF, rising to €55 million in 2018. In December 2016, I granted approval to the NTPF to dedicate €5m to a daycase waiting list initiative with the aim of ensuring that no patient will be waiting more than 18...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Administration (4 Apr 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 scheduling...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Commencement of Legislation (4 Apr 2017)

Simon Harris: The Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act was signed into law on 30 December 2015. The Act provides a modern statutory framework to support decision-making by adults with capacity difficulties, and the greater part of this Act is the responsibility of the Department of Justice and Equality. The commencement of Part 8 of the Act, which provides a legislative framework for advance...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Status (4 Apr 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 scheduling...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Legislative Measures (4 Apr 2017)

Simon Harris: Officials in my Department are currently drafting the General Scheme of legislative provisions on assisted human reproduction (AHR) and associated research, which will include provisions relating to surrogacy. It is envisaged that the General Scheme will be completed by the end of June 2017. Once the General Scheme has been completed, a memo will be submitted for Government approval, and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Cross-Border Health Services Provision (4 Apr 2017)

Simon Harris: The Department of Health is the Accountable Department for the health theme of the cross border INTERREG V Programme, which is managed by the Special EU Programme’s Body (SEUPB). The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has overall responsibility at central level for the INTERREG and PEACE programmes and the SEUPB is an agency under its remit. These cross border Programmes are...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Ambulance Service Data (4 Apr 2017)

Simon Harris: As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.

Seanad: Health (Amendment) Bill 2017: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: I thank Senator Boyhan for raising a very valid point. The Senator has alluded to the fact that the domiciliary care allowance scheme is run by the Department of Social Protection. He is quite right that there have been a number of reports on it, including the Ita Mangan report which was an excellent body of work that recommended extending the domiciliary care allowance to people up to the...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) Bill 2017: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: I thank all Senators on all sides of this House for their support, not just for the legislation itself but also for its speedy passage, which is really appreciated. When one is in a minority Government bringing legislation before either House of the Oireachtas, one relies upon support from a variety of parties. The fact that such support has been received in both Houses is a testament to...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (30 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: The HSE has advised that a Satellite Haemodialysis Unit will be developed in Wexford town. It will be under the clinical governance of the Haemodialysis Unit at University Hospital Waterford. I have been informed that an earlier tender process for this project could not be completed as the successful tenderer was refused planning permission for the intended site. I understand that the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Maternity Hospital (30 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: In relation to the particular query raised, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.