Results 4,281-4,300 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Written Answers — Hospital Waiting Lists: Hospital Waiting Lists (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Harney: The HSE is required to report under Section 10(2) of the Health Act 2004 on compliance with a target of four weeks for urgent colonoscopies from date of referral. An audit on referrals for urgent colonoscopy carried out by the HSE in October showed that 582 or 61.2% of all urgent cases were treated within the target time of one month. However, 328 or 34.7% were waiting between one and three...

Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Harney: My Department is currently considering the recommendations of the Vaccine Damage Steering Group in detail.

Written Answers — Cancer Screening Programme: Cancer Screening Programme (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 59 and 82 together. Two reports about screening for colorectal cancer were published on 17 June. The first was a report by the National Cancer Screening Service Board on the development of a national colorectal cancer screening programme. The second was a Health Technology Assessment of a population based colorectal cancer screening programme in Ireland,...

Written Answers — Medical Training: Medical Training (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 61 and 67 together. I am aware of the potential shortage of General Practitioners (GPs) highlighted in the recent ESRI Report and the June 2009 FÁS Report. There is currently one model of GP Training in Ireland, which is provided by the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP). This is a four year model, with 2 years based in hospital rotations and 2...

Written Answers — Cancer Screening Programme: Cancer Screening Programme (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Harney: CervicalCheck commenced on 1 September 2008. Under the Programme women aged 25 - 44 will be screened every 3 years and women aged 45 - 60 will be screened every 5 years. For the first year CervicalCheck operated on an open access system of screening to ensure that the initial expected interest from women could be effectively accommodated. It was always intended that CervicalCheck would...

Written Answers — Health Service Regulation: Health Service Regulation (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Harney: The Commission on Patient Safety and Quality Assurance, which I established as part of the Government's commitment to ensuring patient safety and quality in our health service, recommended a mandatory licensing system to cover both public and private healthcare providers. The Commission further recommended that the licensing system should be implemented on a phased basis, starting with...

Written Answers — General Medical Services Scheme: General Medical Services Scheme (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Harney: My Department and the HSE have implemented a number of reforms to reduce the cost of medicines. Under the terms of the current agreements between the HSE and pharmaceutical manufacturers which govern the supply terms, conditions and prices of medicines supplied under the GMS and other community drug schemes, price cuts of 35% are applied to all off-patent proprietary products for which...

Written Answers — Health Insurance: Health Insurance (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 65, 91 and 93 together. The health insurance levy is part of the interim scheme provided for under the Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009. This interim scheme consists of two distinct elements: (i) age-related tax credit provided at source to private health insurers in respect of persons over the age of 50 who hold private health insurance...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Harney: At the end of November 2009, there were 489.28 WTEs employed in my Department. This includes additional staffing (24.17WTE) that transferred into my Department during the year as a result of the transfer of youth affairs responsibilities from the Department of Education and Science, other functions from the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and the dissolution of the...

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 68 and 88 together. Discussions took place recently between officials of my Department and the HSE and unions representing health sector staff as part of the overall discussions with the Public Service Committee of the ICTU on adjustments to the public service pay bill. However, the Government decided on 4 December last that the overall proposals put forward...

Written Answers — Vaccination Programme: Vaccination Programme (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Harney: It is envisaged that the H1N1 Pandemic vaccination programme will continue into the first quarter of 2010 at least. The duration of the programme will be determined by the uptake rates within the targeted groups. To date over 1.3 million doses of vaccine have been distributed to general practitioners, Mass Vaccination Clinics and Hospitals. Those initially targeted by the HSE are those aged 6...

Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 71 and 85 together. Details of the number of medical card holders and GP visit card holders are provided to my Department each month by the Health Service Executive (HSE). The most recent figures provided to my Department by the HSE reflect the position as at 1st November 2009. These figures show that there were 1,461,207 medical card holders and 95,905 GP...

Written Answers — Medical Inquiries: Medical Inquiries (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Harney: The Joint Committee of Health and Children also wrote to my Department recently on behalf of the Survivors of Symphysiotomy to request a review and I explained to the Committee that the position regarding a review remains unchanged. The Committee has subsequently written to me with the names of four individuals supplied by Survivors of Symphysiotomy's legal advisors who they believe have the...

Written Answers — Hospitals Building Programme: Hospitals Building Programme (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Harney: The Renewed Programme for Government re-affirms the Government's commitment to the current co-location programme. Preferred bidders have been selected for six co-located projects at Beaumont, Cork University, Limerick Regional, St. James's, Sligo and Waterford Regional Hospitals. Project agreements have been signed for the Beaumont, Cork, Limerick and St James's projects. Planning permission...

Written Answers — Assisted Human Reproduction: Assisted Human Reproduction (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Harney: My Department is developing proposals for an appropriate regulatory framework, including legislation, in respect of Assisted Human Reproduction. The work involves, among other things, examining the approaches to regulation in other jurisdictions and considering the ethical and legal issues that arise. It will also take into account any report by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and...

Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Harney: The optometric schemes administered by the Health Service Executive operate to fulfil its obligations, under section 67 of the Health Act, 1970, to make ophthalmic treatment and optical appliances available to medical card holders. Under the schemes contracting optometrists have agreed to carry out all tests judged to be necessary to determine the patient's need for vision care. The eye...

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 78 and 84 together. The HSE have not yet been notified of their budget allocation for 2010. When the Government has agreed on the budget allocation for the HSE, it will then be a matter for the Health Service Executive to decide the allocations to individual agencies following on from the Government's budgetary decisions. Until such time as the HSE is...

Written Answers — Health Service Expenditure: Health Service Expenditure (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Harney: The Deputy will be aware that the Government faces serious challenges in respect of public expenditure and has had to take difficult decisions in order to stabilise the public finances. The Government is committed to reducing the general government deficit as part of its strategy for economic recovery which will require a reduction in the level of public spending over the coming years. The...

Written Answers — Infectious Diseases: Infectious Diseases (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Harney: Health Care Associated Infections (HCAIs) continue to be a challenge for healthcare systems worldwide. Ireland is not unique in this regard and tackling HCAIs here continues to be a priority for the government and for the Health Service Executive (HSE). In March 2007, the HSE launched a National Infection Control Action Plan. An Infection Control Steering Group is responsible for overseeing...

Written Answers — Health Service Regulation: Health Service Regulation (8 Dec 2009)

Mary Harney: I assume that the Deputy's question is referring to agencies that seek to manipulate women by providing a 'disingenuous' crisis pregnancy counselling and/or information service. While there are no plans to consider a regulatory licensing system proposed by the Deputy, the approach adopted by the Crisis Pregnancy Agency on this issue is, among other things, to further raise the public profile...