Results 41,101-41,120 of 46,267 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Health: Mental Health Services Provision (25 May 2016)

Simon Harris: The views of service users are important in the design and delivery of the mental health services. One of the priorities of 'A Vision for Change' when it was published in 2006 was to include service users views in their own care pathways and a recommendation set out in the policy is that 'service users and carers should participate at all levels of the mental health system'. This high...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Mental Health Services (25 May 2016)

Simon Harris: In January 2006, the Government adopted the Report of the Expert Group on Mental Health Policy 'A Vision for Change' as the basis for the future development of mental health services in Ireland. In March 2006, the Government, in line with the recommendation in AVFC, established the First Independent Monitoring Group for a three year period to monitor progress on the implementation of the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health and Social Care Professionals Regulation (25 May 2016)

Simon Harris: The regulation of the 14 professions currently designated under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 is being implemented on a phased basis as the registration board and register for each profession is established. Currently 9 of the 14 designated professions have registration boards and registers have been established for 7 of them. Psychotherapists and counsellors are not...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Care Professionals (25 May 2016)

Simon Harris: I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter. If you have 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: Mental Health Services Provision (25 May 2016)

Simon Harris: The reduction in the numbers of children admitted to adult psychiatric units has been a focus for the HSE Mental Health Services over recent years. Progress in this area has been significant, as evidenced by the fact that the number of such admissions to adult units in 2008 was 247, and that the number of such admissions declined to 89 at the end of 2014. The trend was reversed slightly...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Mental Health Services (25 May 2016)

Simon Harris: The Expert Group Review of the Mental Health Act 2001, which was published in 2015, recognises that children and adolescents detained under the Mental Health Act 2001 are in a particularly vulnerable situation and that it is appropriate that they be given every support. On that basis the Group members recommend that children, their families and/or guardians should have advocacy services...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Mental Health Services (25 May 2016)

Simon Harris: The Deputy will be aware that the Inspector of Mental Health Services may already visit and inspect at any time any Approved Centre registered under the 2001 Act, or other premises where mental health services are being provided. The future role of the Inspectorate, particularly in the context of inspection, was examined by the Expert Group Review of the Mental Health Act 2001 which was...

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Practitioner Services Provision (25 May 2016)

Simon Harris: In accordance with the provisions of the Health Act 1970 (as amended), eligibility for medical/GP visit cards are determined by the Health Service Executive. The Act obliges the HSE to assess whether a person is unable, without due hardship, to arrange general practitioner services for himself or herself and his or her family, having regard to his or her overall financial position and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Primary Care Services Provision (25 May 2016)

Simon Harris: In accordance with the provisions of the Health Act 1970 (as amended), eligibility for medical/GP visit cards are determined by the Health Service Executive. The Act obliges the HSE to assess whether a person is unable, without due hardship, to arrange general practitioner services for himself or herself and his or her family, having regard to his or her overall financial position and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Eligibility (25 May 2016)

Simon Harris: The issue raised by the Deputy is a matter for the Health Service Executive. Accordingly, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working day, please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health and Social Care Professionals (25 May 2016)

Simon Harris: I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter. If you have 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: Health Services (25 May 2016)

Simon Harris: I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter. If you have 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: Health Services Provision (25 May 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. In relation...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Status (25 May 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...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Tobacco Control Measures (25 May 2016)

Simon Harris: The European Union (Manufacture, Presentation and Sale of Tobacco and Related Products) Regulations 2016 (S.I. No. 271 of 2016), which transpose the European Tobacco Products Directive 2014/40/EU came into effect on 20 May 2016. Certain sections of the Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Act 2015 were also commenced by S.I. No. 270 of 2016 on 20th May in order to transpose...

Adjournment Debate: Hospital Staff Recruitment (24 May 2016)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputies O'Dowd, Breathnach, Adams and Munster for raising this issue and for allowing me to address the House on the matter. In direct response to Deputy Munster's question, the first thing I am going to do is stop playing party politics with the health service, and that is why I received Cabinet approval today to move ahead with the motion - which I understand Deputy Munster's own...

Adjournment Debate: Cancer Incidence (24 May 2016)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Sherlock for raising this issue and I welcome the opportunity to clarify the position on the incidence of cancer in the Cobh area in County Cork. As the Deputy asked, I will keep an open mind but I will now present him with the information I have been presented with. I want to reassure the Deputy and the people of Cobh that there is no newly published report setting out...

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE Expenditure (24 May 2016)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 387, 411 and 412 together. The HSE occupies the premises in question under a lease from North Meath Community Development Association (NMCDA).  Arbitration awards were made on 17 September 2008 and on 8 August 2012 in respect of rent reviews due on 1 May, 2004 and 1 May 2009 respectively. The awards in question were made by two separate...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Expenditure (24 May 2016)

Simon Harris: Since mid-2015, universal GP care has extended to all persons over 70 years of age. At the start of this year, approximately 413,000 persons over 70 years of age qualified for the universal GP service. Approximately 333,000 of these persons also qualified for prescribed drugs under the GMS Scheme through their medical card. It is estimated the annual expenditure on GP services and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: State Claims Agency (24 May 2016)

Simon Harris: I have been informed by the State Claims Agency that the cases to which the Deputy refers are settled cases which have an associated confidentiality agreement. Any unilateral disclosure by the State Claims Agency of information which is the subject matter of the agreed settlements would be in breach of the associates confidentiality agreements and actionable by the plaintiff party.