Results 35,321-35,340 of 46,232 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Administration (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: The Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible. The Health Service Executive operates the General Medical Services scheme, which includes medical cards and GP visit cards, under the Health Act 1970, as amended. It has established a dedicated contact service for members of the Oireachtas specifically for queries relating...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Legislative Process (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: As you will be aware, the Cannabis for Medicinal Use Regulation Bill 2016 is a private members bill and not a Government Bill. All such questions related to the Bill should be addressed to either Deputy Gino Kenny T.D. or Deputy Bríd Smith T.D.. As the Deputy will also be aware, I did not oppose the Bill at Second Stage, despite having a number of serious concerns with aspects of...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Ambulance Service Funding (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: The Programme for a Partnership Government commits to additional annual investment in terms of ambulance personnel and vehicles. In that regard, an additional sum of €3.6m has been made available to the National Ambulance Service (NAS) in 2017, which includes €1m to fund new developments. The total funds available to the NAS this year, as set out in the National Service Plan...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Capital Programme (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: My Department is working with the HSE and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to conduct a mid-term review of the capital programme. My Department will also conduct a Bed Capacity Review which will assess projected health care needs over the next decade and the associated infrastructural requirements to meet these needs. Future investment in hospitals must be considered...

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Medical Services Scheme (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: There is no provision under the GP GMS contract for persons who hold a medical card or GP visit card to be charged for routine phlebotomy services provided by their GP, or the Practice Nurse on behalf of the GP, which are required to either assist in the diagnosis of illness or the treatment of a condition. The HSE has advised GPs that where a blood test forms part of the investigation or...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Accident and Emergency Departments (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 81 and 110 together. The Emergency Department in Cavan has been performing well this winter and is not currently a site of concern. The RCSI Hospital Group has identified the need for development of the resuscitation area in Cavan Emergency Department. Any future investment in Cavan General Hospital must be considered within the overall acute...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Primary Care Centres Data (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: Delivery of primary care infrastructure is a dynamic process, constantly evolving to take account of changing circumstances including the feasibility of implementation. The following table gives details of the 35 locations and their current status including opening dates. One of these primary care centres is already operational and a further six are projected to open in 2017 and ten in...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: This Government is committed to reducing waiting times for patients, both for patients waiting for inpatient or daycase procedures and for outpatient appointments. During 2016, there has been evidence of a considerable increase in demand for health services, as our population grows and ages. In order to reduce the numbers of long-waiting patients, the HSE is currently developing...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Treatment Purchase Fund (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: I wish to advise the Deputy that, in line with procurement practice, the criteria against which tenders received by the NTPF will be evaluated is set out in the tender documentation. These criteria consist of a combination of price per treatment and the experience of the hospital in providing similar treatments to its patients during 2016. The performance of each hospital against these...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Screening Programmes (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: I have recently been in contact with the Director General of the HSE on this matter and have asked my Department to review policy and provide me with advice.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Industrial Disputes (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: I am pleased that the INMO and SIPTU reached an understanding on nursing recruitment and retention issues by engaging with management through the State's industrial relations mechanisms and welcome the deferral of the threatened industrial action by the INMO that was scheduled to commence on the 7th March. I am pleased that the INMO will be recommending that their membership accept the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE Waiting Lists (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: Reducing waiting times for the longest-waiting patients is one of the Government’s key priorities. It is for this reason that €20 million was allocated to the NTPF in the Budget 2017, 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...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products Prices (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: The issue of affordability and access to medicines is a major challenge for the Irish health service and for systems internationally. It is important that we take steps to ensure a sustainable supply of medicines. This Government is committed to reducing the cost of medicines for Irish patients and a number of actions are currently reducing medicine costs. In relation to new medicines,...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Maternity Services Provision (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: I am advised that foetal anomaly scans are available in all Hospital Groups. Those hospitals/maternity units currently providing anomaly scans accept referrals from other maternity units, if requested. This occurs where the medical team in the referring maternity unit consider that an anomaly scan is clinically indicated. The National Maternity Strategy is very clear that all women must...

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE Waiting Lists (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: While some progress has been made in 2016 as a result of investment in the scoliosis service, it is clear there is much more to do to provide the level service that is needed. A draft Waiting List Action Plan for Scoliosis has been submitted by the HSE to my Department. The draft action plan for Scoliosis includes both measures to increase capacity for scoliosis treatments in the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Funding (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: I am pleased to confirm that, as recommended by Dr Niall Herity in his review of cath lab services at UHW, an additional €.5m funding has been provided to UHW in 2017 which will enable the hospital to provide 2 additional cath lab sessions (8 hours) per week. The UHW cath lab will now be funded to provide 12 sessions i.e. 48 hours activity per week. As the Deputy may be aware, I...

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Practitioner Services (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: The introduction of GP care without fees to children under 6 years of age represents a major step forward in improving access, quality and affordability of health care in Ireland. The under 6s GP service contract, which includes age-based preventive checks focused on health and well-being and a cycle of care for children with asthma, underlines the Government’s commitment to enhancing...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Capital Programme (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: There has been significant capital investment in Letterkenny Hospital in recent years; most of the works required to repair the flood damage sustained by the Hospital in August 2013 are now complete. In addition, a significant number of other capital projects are operational. These include the: Medical Academy; Blood Science Laboratory; replacement of sterilisation equipment; expansion...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Children's Hospital Expenditure (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: There has been much speculation about the cost of building this hospital. It is not accurate to compare the €650 million of Exchequer funding approved in 2014 for the core construction of the new children's hospital and two satellite centres with the full programme costs set out in the Final Project Brief. The costs set out in the Final Project Brief provide for the construction of...

Written Answers — Department of Health: HIV-AIDS Programmes (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: The use of PReP is only one component of comprehensive HIV prevention. The World Health Organisation( WHO) supports a combination of approaches to prevent the sexual transmission of HIV, including correct and consistent condom use, reduction in the number of sexual partners, HIV testing and counselling, delaying sexual debut, and prompt treatment for STIs (STIs). Condoms, when used...