Results 37,801-37,820 of 46,232 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Health: Cannabis for Medicinal Use (29 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: Since becoming Minister for Health I have met with a number of patients and carers who believe that cannabis should be a treatment option for their medical condition. My Department is aware that cannabis for medicinal use has been legalised in some countries and that there have been several studies internationally on the therapeutic effects of cannabinoids for a number of medical issues. ...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Eligibility (29 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: Under the Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) (No. 2) Act 2013, when a person attains the age of 70, the medical card income limits are €500 gross income per week for a single person and €900 gross income per week for a couple. Any revision of these medical card income thresholds requires primary legislation. Persons aged 70 or older, who are assessed as...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Non-Disclosure Agreements (29 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: The State Claims Agency, within the National Treasury Management Agency, which is under the aegis of the Department of Finance, manages personal injury, property damage and clinical negligence claims brought against certain State authorities, including Government ministers and health enterprises. The vast majority of claims under the remit of the State Claims Agency are resolved without...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Applications (29 Nov 2016)

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: Cancer Research (29 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: The Health Research Board, a statutory agency under the aegis of my Department, has invested approximately €21.8 million through Cancer Trials Ireland in the development of a network of cancer clinical trials in hospitals across Ireland over the past five years. The breakdown of the funding is as follows: 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Total €4.7m €4.2m €4.3m...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Cancer Services Funding (29 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: The Deputy's questions relate to service delivery matters and accordingly I have asked the HSE to respond directly to him.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Cancer Incidence (29 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: The number of deaths from cancer in Ireland in each of the past five years is as follows: 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 8,666 8,571 8,725 9,022 8,783* *Data for 2015 is subject to change.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (29 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: Scoliosis affects approximately 1% of children and adolescents in Ireland. The management of scoliosis is complex and is determined by the severity of the curvature and skeletal maturity. Long waiting times for scoliosis surgery are not acceptable and my Department has been working closely with the HSE to address service pressures, with most recently additional funding of €2...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Dental Services Waiting Lists (29 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for reply to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Health: HIQA Reports (29 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: Each year, HIQA carries out a number of unannounced inspections in public acute hospitals to monitor compliance with the National Standards for the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections. The aim of such unannounced inspections is to assess hygiene in the hospital, as observed by the inspection team and experienced by patients, at any given time. In response to HIQA's...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (29 Nov 2016)

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

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE Expenditure (29 Nov 2016)

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

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (29 Nov 2016)

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

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Expenditure (29 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: OECD statistics are useful for comparing expenditure in medicines and other areas. However, per capita figures are only one of a number of measures that can give a view of drugs spending in Ireland. The OECD report cited by the Deputy uses data from 2014, the last year for which full figures are available. In 2014, expenditure on prescription and over the counter medicines accounted...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Dental Services (29 Nov 2016)

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: Hospital Procedures (29 Nov 2016)

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 of...

Select Committee on Health: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (24 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: As Members will be aware from the debate on Second Stage, the main purpose of the Bill is to specify the amount of premium to be paid from the risk equalisation fund in respect of age, gender and level of cover from 1 April 2017 and to revise the stamp duty levels required to fund the proposed risk equalisation credits. The Bill makes two changes to the operation of the scheme. It sets a...

Select Committee on Health: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (24 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for the amendment which I did consider following our discussion on Second Stage. Since there has been a lot of misinformation in the public commentary on the linkage between stamp duty and affordability, although not from the Deputy, there is a point worth making in this regard. It must be recognised that any changes to the operation of the scheme which result in lower...

Select Committee on Health: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (24 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: This question is important, valid and timely because, currently, the scheme targets credits to people based on age. It makes it easier for a private health insurance company to make the decision to take on a 70 year old rather than a 30 year old. That is at the core of the scheme but we need to get to a better place in terms of refining where we want credits to go and make sure we are...

Select Committee on Health: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (24 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: I would very much welcome the opportunity for the committee to engage with the HIA. As I said to Deputy Kelleher, the function available to me to ask the HIA to review and report on various issues is a mechanism I am happy to use in collaboration with this committee. As members know, we brought in lifetime community rating to ensure there would be an incentive and reason for people to sign...