Results 38,161-38,180 of 46,260 for speaker:Simon Harris

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update On Health Issues: Discussion (10 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: Deputy Kelly is making up for not being here the last time. I ask him to bear with me while I try to work through the questions he has asked. I share his view on the composition of delegations attending these meetings. I discussed this issue with my own team earlier. Respectfully, it is largely a matter for the committee to tell us who it wants here. I will come here, stand in the middle...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update On Health Issues: Discussion (10 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: Not yet.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update On Health Issues: Discussion (10 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: We are more than happy to limit the number of delegates. It is a matter for the committee to order its business. As there are a number of Ministers of State in the Department of Health, perhaps thematic ways of discussing these issues would allow people to get into a level of detail. That is entirely a matter for the committee. While I am grateful to the Deputy for asking me about the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update On Health Issues: Discussion (10 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: It is, and it is important.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update On Health Issues: Discussion (10 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: The facts I have mentioned are very important because I believe the solution to any industrial unrest, industrial action or sense of grievance within the public service, including the health sector, should be dealt with within the ICTU structure. My colleague, the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, met representatives of ICTU earlier this week and will have further meetings with them. I will meet...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update On Health Issues: Discussion (10 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: That will have to be found within the new resources available to the Government. That was made clear earlier this week by the Cabinet and by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in his public comments. I am proactively engaging with this matter. At the same time, I am saying very clearly to the INMO and this committee that the INMO voted for the Lansdowne Road agreement. It is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update On Health Issues: Discussion (10 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: A level of contingency is built in, but no one can say with any certainty when the payments will fall due. This is why there is a caveat. The director general can comment further on this if the Deputy wants.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update On Health Issues: Discussion (10 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update On Health Issues: Discussion (10 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: I agree with what the Deputy said about the winter initiative. I know he wants to prioritise this issue and feels particularly strongly about home help. I will ask the Minister of State with responsibility for this area, Deputy McEntee, to speak about this issue. We have funded more home care packages and home help hours in the budget. My strong view is that we need to look at the policy...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update On Health Issues: Discussion (10 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: There is capital allocated for the national maternity hospital, but not yet for the other hospitals.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update On Health Issues: Discussion (10 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: I hope they will be funded in the context of the capital review. At present, there is no capital funding other than for the new national maternity hospital.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update On Health Issues: Discussion (10 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: Yes. I have been working on the issue of private hospitals. I will ask the Secretary General to write to the Deputy in response to his queries in this regard. As I have said previously in the Dáil, there is merit in what the Deputy is saying. I know there is merit in it because my officials and I have met representatives of the Private Hospitals Association. We will document that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update On Health Issues: Discussion (10 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: I agree with the Deputy. I appreciate his statement that this is "just one component". A range of measures will be necessary.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update On Health Issues: Discussion (10 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: I also make the point that using these hospitals and the capacity that clearly exists within them - and which I do not dispute - for scheduled care also frees capacity in the public hospital.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update On Health Issues: Discussion (10 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: By sending the lady or man who may need a procedure to a private rather than public hospital through the National Treatment Purchase Fund, we free up a bed in the public system. In the conversation about using capacity in a private hospital, it should not just be about-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update On Health Issues: Discussion (10 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: I will but beyond morality I must point out the limitations, as I do not want to create an expectation this year that the public accident and emergency department process will be replaced by a direct access route to a private emergency department when that private department may not have the medical capacity to address some of these issues.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update On Health Issues: Discussion (10 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: It has capacity and we are using that. From an operational perspective, I can ask the director of acute hospitals to give an example on how we intend to utilise that. I am open to further dialogue on this. I have given three examples of how we intend to utilise capacity in private hospitals.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update On Health Issues: Discussion (10 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: I have with regard to the Mater public and private hospitals and a pathway for respiratory patients.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update On Health Issues: Discussion (10 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: I said to the Deputy in Cashel that I wanted to speak to him about the ambulance service but we never got to it. I checked out the inquiry he made and I have been informed there is no intention to reduce service levels with regard to paramedics or advance paramedics in the area the Deputy asked about. We will write to the Deputy to confirm that. On the issue of ShannonDoc, it would be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update On Health Issues: Discussion (10 Nov 2016)

Simon Harris: If the Deputy has specific information, I ask him to bring it to me as well. If there is any specific information, I would like to know about it. I will ask the question but I certainly have no information on it. GP training is one of the more challenging areas. I know it is a priority project for the Chairman and for me as it is vital to ensure we have a sustainable health service...