Results 5,661-5,680 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney
- Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (1 Jul 2009)
Mary Harney: Following enactment of the Health Act 2008, the Health Service Executive (HSE) wrote to all medical card holders aged 70 years and over in January 2009. Persons who were in receipt of a medical card on a non-means tested basis were requested, if over the income limits set out in the Act, to make a declaration to the Executive, on or before 2 March 2009. To-date, 21,423 medical cards for...
- Written Answers — Medical Aids and Appliances: Medical Aids and Appliances (1 Jul 2009)
Mary Harney: I recognise the importance of the medical device industry, both in terms of employment and value of exports. The medical device industry plays a crucial role in the Irish economy, with in excess of â¬6 billion in exports. The leading medical device manufactures have bases in Ireland, many including highly developed research and development facilities. The Government is committed to...
- Written Answers — Hospital Waiting Lists: Hospital Waiting Lists (1 Jul 2009)
Mary Harney: As this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
- Written Answers — Hospital Staff: Hospital Staff (1 Jul 2009)
Mary Harney: In the context of the current economic difficulties and in accordance with a recent High Court settlement agreement between the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) and the Health Service Executive (HSE), a two phased process is under way to reduce the working hours of non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs) to comply with European Working Time Directive (EWTD) requirements; to increase...
- Written Answers — Data Protection: Data Protection (1 Jul 2009)
Mary Harney: In relation to laptops under my Department's control, it is policy that all information is encrypted. Staff are regularly updated on their requirements in relation to the security of data through the issuing of advice notices. The Health Service Executive fully recognises the obligation it has in relation to the personal and sensitive information that it holds and is fully committed to...
- Written Answers — Cancer Screening Programme: Cancer Screening Programme (1 Jul 2009)
Mary Harney: The National Cancer Screening Service (NCSS) is responsible for the operation of CervicalCheck, the national cervical screening programme. CervicalCheck offers free smear tests in a primary care setting to 1.1 million eligible women living in Ireland aged 25-60 years. Screening is offered to women aged 25-44 every three years, and on a five yearly basis to women in the age group 45-60. The...
- Written Answers — Infectious Diseases: Infectious Diseases (1 Jul 2009)
Mary Harney: My Department and the Health Service Executive have been preparing for some years for the possibility of an influenza pandemic being declared. On receipt of the alert in April from WHO, that human cases of influenza type A(H1N1) had been identified in the USA and Mexico, my Department activated the National Plan for pandemic influenza which was launched in January 2007. The plan was...
- Written Answers — Hospital Waiting Lists: Hospital Waiting Lists (1 Jul 2009)
Mary Harney: The new hospital consultants' contract provides, in respect of consultants holding a Contract Type B, that a common waiting-list operated by the public hospital will apply to both public and private patients undergoing diagnostic investigations, tests and procedures (including radiology and laboratory procedures) on an out-patient basis in public hospitals (including referrals from General...
- Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (1 Jul 2009)
Mary Harney: The number of persons with a medical card, as at 1 June 2008 was 1,306,470 and as at 1 June 2009 was 1,398,686, representing an increase of 92,216 over the 12 month period. The number of persons applying for a medical card has increased greatly in recent months due to the downturn in the economy and the associated rise in the live register. There has been a net increase of 46,556 medical...
- Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (1 Jul 2009)
Mary Harney: My Department has been informed by the HSE that the majority of health service trade unions have recently issued a directive instructing their members not to co-operate with redeployment and reassignment requests from management as required under the employment control framework for the Public Health Sector. This instruction severely restricts the ability of management to...
- Written Answers — Community Pharmacy Services: Community Pharmacy Services (1 Jul 2009)
Mary Harney: On 18 June 2009, I announced details on the reduction of payments to community pharmacists under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2009. A public consultation, under the Act, took place in March 2009 where all interested stakeholders were invited to make submissions on the matter. As part of that process the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU), as the representative body of...
- Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (1 Jul 2009)
Mary Harney: As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
- Written Answers — Health Service Expenditure: Health Service Expenditure (1 Jul 2009)
Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 60 and 68 together. The HSE has indicated that in 2007 total expenditure on taxis amounted to â¬31,647,613; however it is not in a position in the time available to provide a breakdown of this amount as between patient transport and other types of use. The Executive has indicated that of the total expenditure of â¬28,623,328 spent on taxis in 2008,...
- Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (1 Jul 2009)
Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 61 and 87 together. The Transformation Programme for the North East region has been informed by the Teamwork Report to the Health Service Executive (HSE) which demonstrated that the service configuration in the region was unsustainable. A series of focused and necessary service changes are being implemented across the region. The transfer of acute medical...
- Written Answers — Health Service Policy: Health Service Policy (1 Jul 2009)
Mary Harney: My first priority is to meet the needs of patients in the safest and most effective way possible. While we must achieve value for money at all times, there is no question of allowing cost considerations to take precedence over the safety and quality of services for patients. As required by the Constitution, publicly funded health services must operate within the voted limits authorised by...
- Written Answers — Ambulance Service: Ambulance Service (1 Jul 2009)
Mary Harney: The emergency ambulance service is an essential element of the health service and, since the establishment of the HSE, has been brought under a national management structure. The service continues to be developed to ensure that it can provide a safe, effective and efficient service to the population. HSE ambulance staff are subject to Garda vetting and are trained in line with the standards...
- Written Answers — Hospital Staff: Hospital Staff (1 Jul 2009)
Mary Harney: The Health Service Executive received funding of â¬140 million in 2009 to cover costs associated with the implementation of Consultant Contract 2008. Under the Consultant Contract 2008 a consultant's reporting relationship and accountability for the discharge of their contract is to the Chief Executive Officer-General Manager of their hospital through the Clinical Director where such is in...
- Written Answers — Adoption Services: Adoption Services (1 Jul 2009)
Mary Harney: An air ambulance service is currently provided by the Air Corps on the basis of a Service Level Agreement prepared by the Departments of Defence and Health and Children, in consultation with the Health Service Executive, the Defence Forces and the Air Corps, all of which are signatories to it. This arrangement has operated successfully for a number of years. The air ambulance service is...
- Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (1 Jul 2009)
Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 72 and 135 together. Dedicated additional funding of nearly â¬7 million has been invested to date in the development of cystic fibrosis services, resulting in nearly 50 additional staff, including consultant, nurses and allied health professionals, being appointed to centres across the country. A further â¬1.6 million is being provided this year to support...
- Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (1 Jul 2009)
Mary Harney: My Department issued a suite of three circulars to the HSE on 15 May 2009, which provided for the Incentivised Scheme for Early Retirement (8/2009), the Incentivised Career Break Scheme (Circular 9/2009) and the Shorter Working Year (10/2009), as announced by the Minister for Finance in his Supplementary Budget Statement of 7 April 2009. The purpose of these circulars is to facilitate a...