Results 6,921-6,940 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Written Answers — Cancer Screening Programme: Cancer Screening Programme (1 Apr 2009)

Mary Harney: The National Cancer Control Strategy (2006) did not recommend the introduction of a population based screening programme for prostate cancer as there was insufficient evidence in favour of such a programme. This position is consistent with the Recommendations adopted by the European Union which advocate the introduction of cancer screening programmes which have demonstrated their efficacy...

Written Answers — Health Insurance: Health Insurance (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Harney: The Voluntary Health Insurance (Amendment) Act, 2008 placed an obligation the VHI to have accumulated sufficient capital by 31 December 2008 to allow the company to submit an application to the Financial Regulator for authorisation as an insurance undertaking. When the Act was passed it appeared that the company would be in a position to satisfy the Regulator's solvency requirements....

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Harney: If the best possible services are to be delivered within available resources, pay costs have to be contained and reduced. The Government has already introduced the pension-related deduction for the public service in the context of the need to stabilise the public finances and achieve expenditure adjustments. In addition, the Government has recently announced the implementation of a...

Written Answers — Medicinal Products: Medicinal Products (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 44, 51 and 70 together. The use of a proprietary drug or a generic equivalent is a matter for the prescriber, in consultation with the patient. Both my Department and the HSE support the increased use of generics where this is appropriate. Prescription drugs can be classified into four groups: proprietary drugs which have a generic equivalent, proprietary...

Written Answers — Long-Term Illness Scheme: Long-Term Illness Scheme (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Harney: There are currently no plans to extend the list of eligible conditions covered by the Long Term Illness Scheme, which was introduced on a statutory basis in 1971. Under the Drugs Payment Scheme, which was introduced in 1999, no individual or family unit pays more than €100 per calendar month towards the cost of approved prescribed medicines. The scheme is easy to use and significantly...

Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 46 and 53 together. 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...

Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Harney: 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 figures are provided on a net basis, showing the balance after new cards have been issued and other cards, as appropriate, have been deleted from the Executive's database, e.g. following a review of a person's circumstances. The most...

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Harney: The Health Service Executive (HSE) approved a total of 283 medical consultant posts from April to December 2008. Of these, 156 are new posts and 127 are replacement posts. The Executive has approved a further 43 posts to date in 2009: 27 of these are new posts and 16 are replacement posts. The Public Appointments Service provides recruitment, assessment and selection services for the HSE...

Written Answers — Nursing Homes Repayment Scheme: Nursing Homes Repayment Scheme (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 49 and 67 together. The Health (Repayment Scheme) Act 2006 provides the framework for the repayment of recoverable health charges to those who were incorrectly charged for publicly funded long stay care. The Act only provides for prescribed repayments to be made in respect of recoverable health charges. Recoverable health charges are charges for in-patient...

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 52 and 227 together. The new consultants' contract does not represent a pay increase for consultants for doing the same work. Instead it entails a fundamentally different way of working that involves clinicians in the management and leadership of the acute hospital system. The contract ensures clinicians are involved in the management of budgets and that...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Harney: In 2008, concerns were raised about the practice of a Paediatric Audiological Scientist who had worked primarily in Cork from 2001 to 2007. A detailed investigation of these concerns was undertaken and 1,231 former clients of the Audiology Service are being recalled for precautionary check-up appointments as part of a Look Back Review. The recall appointments commenced on 18th March and they...

Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Harney: Under the Health Service Executive's 2009 Service Plan it has been agreed that the processing of medical card applications will be centralised and will transfer to the Executive's Primary Care Reimbursement Service in Dublin. The change is being implemented on a phased basis and is designed to deliver a better and more cost effective service. Under the new arrangements, the HSE will be...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 56, 62, 223 and 239 together. The HSE and my Department have had intensive discussions regarding the Executive's financial position following the publication of its end January figures. At the time the HSE was projecting a shortfall in its budget of €1.1bn. This figures included a projected shortfall of €300m in health contributions. Following the...

Written Answers — Hospital Waiting Lists: Hospital Waiting Lists (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Harney: I recognise that we need to strengthen rheumatology services, particularly by improving waiting times for rheumatology appointments. I am anxious to see improvements implemented as quickly as possible. The HSE's provisional waiting list figures for February 2009 indicate that there are just over 3,000 patients on waiting lists across all hospitals of whom over 70% are waiting for less than...

Written Answers — Drugs Payment Scheme: Drugs Payment Scheme (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 59, 69 and 201 together. The HSE has not withdrawn any products that comply with the existing reimbursement criteria from the community drugs schemes. All patients continue to have access to prescribed drugs and medicines as required. Reimbursement decisions are made with regard to a range of criteria. These include clinical, pharmacoeconomic, patient safety...

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Harney: As the Deputy's question relates to a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.

Written Answers — Cancer Screening Programme: Cancer Screening Programme (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 61 and 176 together. The Expert Group on Colorectal Screening was established by the National Cancer Screening Service (NCSS) to study the medical and scientific evidence concerning screening for colorectal cancer and to make recommendations to the Board of the NCSS about the potential benefits of introducing a population-based screening programme for this...

Written Answers — Hospitals Building Programme: Hospitals Building Programme (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 63, 79 and 225 together. The co-location initiative is a complex process but it is an efficient means of delivering extra bed capacity. Significant progress has been made in advancing the individual projects involved. The Board of the HSE has approved preferred bidder status for the development of co-located hospitals at Beaumont, Cork University, the...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Harney: As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.

Written Answers — Vaccination Programme: Vaccination Programme (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 66, 93 and 175 together. All of the clinical advice available to me indicates that the national roll-out of a cervical screening programme should take precedence over the introduction of a HPV vaccination programme. The National Cervical Screening Programme, CervicalCheck, is being implemented at a full year cost of €42m. I am fully committed to keeping the...