Results 40,401-40,420 of 46,267 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Status (28 Jun 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: Ambulance Service Response Times (28 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: With regard to the specific query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Status (28 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy. If he has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Procedures (28 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly. If she has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Promotion (28 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: There are currently no vacancies in the Health Promotion Unit of my Department. In respect of vacancies in the Health Service Executive (HSE), my Department has asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter. If he has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private office and they will follow up on the matter with them.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Aids and Appliances Provision (28 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (28 Jun 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 National...

Topical Issue Debate: Nursing Homes Support Scheme (23 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: I am the Minister for Health for people in all parts of this country so I am very sympathetic to the point the Deputy is making on behalf of his constituents. However, I wanted to highlight the challenges and difficulties we face in this regard. These are not new challenges or difficulties and they do not come as any great surprise to Deputy Ó Caoláin as an experienced Deputy in...

Topical Issue Debate: Cancer Services Provision (23 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: I will convey Deputy Kelleher's views and the views of the patients who have contacted him to the HSE. They are similar to the views expressed by patients who have contacted me. From what the Deputy told the House and from what I am informed by patients as well, there is no doubt that this locum did an excellent job. That is beyond question. The locum clearly had a positive impact on...

Topical Issue Debate: Nursing Homes Support Scheme (23 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I do not offer excuses as a cover for inaction but I am duty bound to point out the factual and policy considerations relating to this issue that must be discussed. Like the Deputy, I hope there are not more borders in place tomorrow on the island of Ireland and that the outcome of the referendum on Britain's place in the European Union does not...

Topical Issue Debate: Cancer Services Provision (23 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: I welcome the opportunity to speak about sarcoma services at St. Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin. I thank Deputy Kelleher for raising this important matter. Sarcomas are rare malignant tumours that arise from transformed cells of the connective tissues, such as muscle, fat, cartilage or bone. I acknowledge that people who have been diagnosed with sarcoma, or any other serious...

Questions on Proposed Legislation (23 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: I assure the Deputy that the Government's position remains that we are in favour of supervised injection centres. The heads of the misuse of drugs (amendment) (No. 2) Bill had been approved in January 2015 and additional heads were approved in December 2015. The Office of Parliamentary Counsel is currently drafting the Bill and I expect pre-legislative scrutiny to take place early in the...

Seanad: Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (23 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: I am pleased to present this Bill to amend the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977. I hope with the co-operation of Senators and Deputies that it will be possible to have this short but important legislation enacted before the Houses rise for the summer recess. The primary focus of the misuse of drugs legislation is the protection of public health through the prevention of the misuse of dangerous...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Voluntary Sector (23 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: Under the Health Act 2004, Section 39 provides that the HSE may give grant aid assistance to a person or body to deliver a service similar to a service that the HSE may deliver. Assistance in this way can range from a large proportion of an organisations’ overall funding requirements to a small fixed amount for a specific purpose. These organisations are not public sector...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Care Policy (23 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: The creation of a single, all-island treatment network for Congenital Heart Disease, ensuring that all children have access to the highest standard of cardiac care, is the subject of very active engagement between my Department and the Department of Health in Northern Ireland. It is my Department’s view that the development of such a service is of grave importance to a cohort of...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (23 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Reports (23 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 213 to 215, inclusive, together. The purpose of the annual National Healthcare Quality Reporting System (NHQRS) Report is to use easily accessible information to develop a better understanding of whole health system performance. The NHQRS was established to provide a broad overall picture of the quality of our health services. It is intended to...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Funding (23 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: Roscommon University Hospital is a Model 2 hospital within the Saolta University Healthcare Group. It provides a significant range of hospital services to patients in the region, including extended day surgery, certain acute medicine services and local injuries services. It also provides a wide array of diagnostic services (including endoscopy, laboratory medicine, point of care testing and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Primary Care Centres (23 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: It is very important to stress that, from the point of view of people using the wide range of services provided by the HSE at community level, the management structures which overlay these should be of little or no consequence. The objective is to ensure that services are responsive to people’s needs and enable them to receive a joined-up service that results in the most favourable...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Public Sector Allowances (23 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: The outcome of the Review of Public Sector Allowances was published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on 18 September 2012. The Delegates (and Chairpersons) Allowance (payable to officials who travel outside of Ireland and the UK to represent Ireland at meetings of the EU or other international organisations, or who act as Chairpersons of EU committees) was abolished for...