Results 40,801-40,820 of 46,267 for speaker:Simon Harris

Other Questions: Hospital Waiting Lists (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: The Deputy has made a fair point in regard to the 15 month target. As I said earlier, some 94% of patients are being seen within that 15 month target and 60% of patients are being seen within the six month period. However, we must continue to try to do better. What we see here is a direct result of a period of difficult economic decisions, through the time Fine Gael was in government...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Health Services Staff Recruitment (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: An easing of restrictions on the employment of additional staff was announced by the previous Government in budget 2015. Under this new approach, public sector organisations can obtain delegated sanction to recruit within the parameters of their pay budget once they obtain approval for their pay and numbers strategy from their parent Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Health Services Staff Recruitment (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: No, the health service must be cognisant of its budget. I am sure many areas of the public service need more front-line staff. I am aware that the public service went through an extraordinarily difficult time and that an increase in the numbers of front-line staff is needed. We increased staff numbers in 2015 and will increase them again this year and in subsequent years. However, if the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Health Services Staff Recruitment (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: Of course, I speak to front-line staff. No one here has exclusivity on speaking to them and I will continue to speak regularly with them, as will, I am sure, Deputies from all sides. While staff accept that the economy is recovering because more money is being invested in the health service, they would be the first to tell me and I would be the first to agree that we must do much more to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Ambulance Service (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: The Deputy makes a number of very fair points. She is correct that it is more than a question of generalities and is about what specifically we will do. I can tell the Deputy very clearly today that the programme for Government, which outlines my mandate and what I need to implement along with my colleagues in the Department of Health, commits the Government to increasing the number of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Ambulance Service (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: Let me be very specific. I have four specific points to make. First, there is €7.2 million for the ambulance service this year, as I have outlined. It will enable the creation of new developments within the service. Second, within a week of my appointment as Minister for Health, I went to the Cabinet and got this report published. It was long overdue and needed to be published....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Ambulance Service (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: Absolutely, it will cost money. The Government is absolutely committed to continuing to increase investment in the National Ambulance Service. We began this process with the last budget under the last Government, and we will continue under this Government.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Ambulance Service (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy O'Reilly for her question and I wish her well in her appointment as her party's spokesperson on health. I look forward to the debates that we will have in the Chamber. I hope that we will be able to build on yesterday's establishment of a cross-party committee to devise a singular vision for the health service and work together. Last month, at my request the HSE published...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Management Structures (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: The Public Service Management Act, 1997, gives Secretaries General the power to assign responsibility for the performance of functions to officers of a department. Work is assigned by the Secretary General in my Department to areas where the skills and expertise reside in order to have the work completed as effectively and efficiently as possible. Responsibility for abortion policy is under...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Ambulance Service (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: Last month at my request, the HSE published the National Ambulance Service Capacity Review together with an action plan for implementation which incorporates the recommendations of both the Capacity Review and the 2014 HIQA Report on the National Ambulance Service. The Capacity Review makes it clear that we need a very significant programme of investment in our ambulance services. In...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Ministerial Responsibilities (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: Finian McGrath TD has been appointed as Minister of State for Disabilities at my Department, with responsibility for all legislation, policy and funding relating to the provision of specialist health and personal social services to persons with a disability. Catherine Byrne TD has been appointed as Minister of State with responsibility for Communities and the National Drugs Strategy which...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Staff Data (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: The HSE has responsibility under the Health Acts for the training of NCHDs. It has advised that details relating to training positions are contained in its most recent report 'Annual Assessment of NCHD Posts'. This report outlines all of the training positions by specialties and can be found within the Staff and Career section of its website.Detailed information regarding trainees by...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: Our Lady's Children's Hospital Crumlin is the largest provider of scoliosis surgery for children and young people. On 4 May 2016, there were 172 patients on the waiting list at Crumlin. In order to address waiting lists at Crumlin, over €1m was allocated in 2015 for additional consultant posts and support staff, and 10 additional WTE staff are now in place including a consultant...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Budgets (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: Significant additional resources have been made available to the HSE in 2016. Despite this, the health sector is facing challenges in managing expenditure within budget in some areas. The HSE's financial information for March, the latest available, shows net expenditure of €3,284 million against a €3,164 million profile, resulting in an overspend of €120 million for the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Accident and Emergency Services Provision (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: Pressures on Emergency Departments have been rising, given our ageing and growing population. ED attendances have been significantly higher this year, particularly in Quarter 1. To date, the HSE has reported an average increase in attendances of nearly 6% compared with the same period last year. Despite attendance increases, TrolleyGar numbers in Quarter 1 2016 are similar to those for...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Management Structures (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: I welcome the establishment of the Committee on the Future of Healthcare which is a key commitment in the Programme for a Partnership Government. It is envisaged that the Committee will be established in the coming weeks and will devise a single long-term vision for health care and the direction of health policy in Ireland. The staffing and resourcing of the Committee is entirely a...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Accident and Emergency Services Provision (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: I am committed to securing and further developing the role of Portlaoise Hospital as a constituent hospital within the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group. Patient safety and outcomes must come first. There have been a number of reports on Portlaoise Hospital in recent years. These reports pointed to the need for reconfiguration of some services to ensure that patients are treated in the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Treatment Purchase Fund (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: Currently, in accordance with Reg 4(1) of the NTPF Board (Establishment) Order 2004, the NTPF is directed to carry out activities in respect of data and analytics, audit and quality assurance of waiting lists and pricing under the Nursing Home Support Scheme. The NTPF supports the management of in-patient, day-case and outpatient waiting lists, by working with the HSE to assist hospitals in...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Orthodontic Services Waiting Lists (2 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: Medicinal Products Regulation (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Harris: The Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) is the regulatory body charged with protecting and enhancing public health by regulating medicines, medical devices and other health products. The HPRA grants licences for medicines following a review of their safety, quality and effectiveness. Medicines licensed by the EU's European Medicines Agency can be marketed across the EU; decisions to...