Results 3,901-3,920 of 3,998 for speaker:Michael Harty

Leaders' Questions (5 Oct 2016)

Michael Harty: We have had enough reports in this regard. What we really want now is action. If the Government is going to stand aside passively, post offices are going to disappear. We need decisive action and we need the Government to support post offices actively. The Irish Postmasters' Union projects that in the next five years the income for the average post office will drop by 50%. That will...

Leaders' Questions (5 Oct 2016)

Michael Harty: I ask the Taoiseach to address the Government's failure to support our post office network. This is a national issue which is of fundamental importance to all small communities across Ireland, both rural and urban, in our small towns and villages. Under the programme for Government, this Administration committed to doing three things to support the local post office network. First, it...

Select Committee on the Future of Healthcare: Inequality in Access to Health Care: Discussion (5 Oct 2016)

Michael Harty: I thank Dr. Burke for coming before the committee. I have been reading her writings for many years. I am a general practitioner, GP, and I understand intimately the problems faced by the health service. I have a number of questions. First, how significant are staff shortages with regard to the delivery of services? In particular, how significant are our work practices, both in general...

Select Committee on the Future of Healthcare: Inequality in Access to Health Care: Discussion (5 Oct 2016)

Michael Harty: On the question of whether change should come from the top down or the bottom up, if one takes a bird's eye view of the health service, hospital groups are organising hospital structures and how the structures work but the patients are out in the community and only come into hospital for a short period and they go back out into the community. Organising hospital groups is great for hospitals...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Eligibility (5 Oct 2016)

Michael Harty: 200. To ask the Minister for Health if he will expedite the reinstatement of a medical card for a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28948/16]

Report of the Committee on the Future of Healthcare: Motion (29 Sep 2016)

Michael Harty: I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to contribute to this debate on the interim report on the Committee on the Future of Healthcare. Deputy Shortall referred to the work of the committee and I also want to compliment the members of the committee. We have had a very positive debate at each weekly session on how we should go about changing our health service. I am a great...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: VAT Exemptions (29 Sep 2016)

Michael Harty: Do I take it from the Minister's reply that the compensation scheme will not be considered in regard to the budget for 2017? Charities, such as the Irish Red Cross, are providing essential services that the Government is not providing and they fund-raise, sell lines and collect money from schools and GAA clubs. In my county, County Clare, the Red Cross bought an ambulance for public service...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: VAT Exemptions (29 Sep 2016)

Michael Harty: 4. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will consider in Budget 2017 addressing the issue of applying a zero rate of VAT on medical vehicles and equipment purchased by organisations with charitable status, such as the Red Cross, for use by community and voluntary groups. [27877/16]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: VAT Exemptions (29 Sep 2016)

Michael Harty: I thank the Minister for taking this question. The charity sector provides essential services to Irish society and is widely respected and supported by public donations and Government grant aid. The imposition of VAT on equipment and services purchased places a considerable burden upon charities and their resources, and diminishes their ability to function to their maximum capacity. Would...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: VAT Exemptions (29 Sep 2016)

Michael Harty: I thank the Minister. I understand the EU VAT directive precludes charities from claiming a direct refund but, as the Minister is aware, the Irish charities tax reform group has been part of a working group which has examined how to reduce the tax burden on the charity sector. This group has identified that a VAT compensation scheme operated outside of the VAT system would be workable. The...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Health Issues: Minister for Health (29 Sep 2016)

Michael Harty: The purpose of today's meeting is for the Minister for Health, Deputy Simon Harris, to update the committee on developments in regard to the drug pricing agreement, the emergency department task force and the winter initiative waiting lists. We also request that the Minister engage with us in regard to the mid-year review of the Department Estimates for 2016 and to consider proposals for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Health Issues: Minister for Health (29 Sep 2016)

Michael Harty: I thank the Minister. We will take some question from members. I ask members to keep their questions concise in order that we can all have a number of opportunities to contribute.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Health Issues: Minister for Health (29 Sep 2016)

Michael Harty: Is the Deputy keeping this conversation all to herself?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Health Issues: Minister for Health (29 Sep 2016)

Michael Harty: I am messing.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Health Issues: Minister for Health (29 Sep 2016)

Michael Harty: I thank the Minister. I call Deputy Durkan and ask him to bite his tongue after three or four minutes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Health Issues: Minister for Health (29 Sep 2016)

Michael Harty: I, too, would like to raise some issues with the Minister. The Minister referred to activity based funding in his opening statement. I would like to explore the issue of moving from activity based funding to outcome based funding. In a situation where one doctor sees 50 or 70 patients and another doctor sees 30 patients, the doctor who sees 70 patients will have doubled his or her activity...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Health Issues: Minister for Health (29 Sep 2016)

Michael Harty: We requested that the Minister engage with the joint committee on the mid-year review of the Department's Estimates for 2016 and consider the proposals for expenditure in 2017. Perhaps some of his officials wish to contribute.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Health Issues: Minister for Health (29 Sep 2016)

Michael Harty: Will officials from the Department be willing to engage on an ongoing basis with Oireachtas staff to establish the most productive means for committees to engage on voted expenditure? What we seek is two-way communication without barriers.

Water Charges: Motion [Private Members] (28 Sep 2016)

Michael Harty: The water charges issue has been debated more often than any other issue since the Thirty-second Dáil met on 10 March and it has generated the most passion, this evening being no exception. This is because it has been identified as a fault line between Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin and between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. Fianna Fáil's change in its position since the...

Road Traffic Bill 2016 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (28 Sep 2016)

Michael Harty: I will start, if that is okay.