Results 7,181-7,200 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney
- Challenges facing the Health Service: Statements (10 Mar 2009)
Mary Harney: The recruitment process will take place this year. As the Deputy is aware, it sometimes takes a while to carry that out. Recruitment for some posts has been taking place, but it is intended to recruit the consultants. The cost of new consultant posts must come from a reduction in the amount of money we spend on non-consultant hospital doctors, of whom we have 4,900. Deputy Reilly made the...
- Challenges facing the Health Service: Statements (10 Mar 2009)
Mary Harney: I am not proposing to close any hospital. The configuration is all about reorganising what happens within the hospital system.
- Challenges facing the Health Service: Statements (10 Mar 2009)
Mary Harney: They may have been discussed in the HSE and some people may feel the configuration of hospitals is inappropriate. There is no doubt about that. I quoted the Minister for Health in 1975, the late former Deputy, Brendan Corish, in this House referring to the FitzGerald report and saying it was urgent we got on with the implementation of the change, and we know how long ago that was.
- Challenges facing the Health Service: Statements (10 Mar 2009)
Mary Harney: No, every facility on the acute hospital side must operate to the highest possible standard of patient care. If we moved to a licensing system or to an insurance model where the insurers determined where things happen, many of our small hospitals would be closed overnight. There is no doubt about that.
- Challenges facing the Health Service: Statements (10 Mar 2009)
Mary Harney: The service plan and any adjustment of it must be approved by the Minister and laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. That is in the 2004 Act and will be complied with. We are making radical changes in what happens in the hospitals with terrific clinical leadership, which has emerged for the first time. Deputy Ferris asked about an audit. I do not know who is supposed to carry out the...
- Challenges facing the Health Service: Statements (10 Mar 2009)
Mary Harney: I have the service plan for 2009 and under mental health there is an extra â¬2.8 million for suicide in 2009. One of the sums of money I mentioned in this House before is an additional â¬1.75 million. Any revision of the service plan will have to come before me, and suicide prevention is a priority. The Deputy has raised this matter on the Adjournment debate and it will be taken this evening.
- Challenges facing the Health Service: Statements (10 Mar 2009)
Mary Harney: The service plan provides additional funding of â¬2.8 million. Deputy Neville can obtain a copy of the service plan.
- Challenges facing the Health Service: Statements (10 Mar 2009)
Mary Harney: I told the Deputy an extra â¬2.8 million has been allocated for 2009.
- Challenges facing the Health Service: Statements (10 Mar 2009)
Mary Harney: There may well be cuts around administration. Time and again people in this House scream about bureaucracy, administration, travel and subsistence, but when we implement cuts there is more criticism.
- Challenges facing the Health Service: Statements (10 Mar 2009)
Mary Harney: The Minister of State, Deputy Moloney, will be here later to deal with the specific issue the Deputy has raised.
- Challenges facing the Health Service: Statements (10 Mar 2009)
Mary Harney: There may well be cuts to voluntary organisations, but, if so, they will be around administration, as there is in the voluntary sector generally. We have 600 voluntary organisations in the disability sector in Ireland. Last year, they had to take a 1% cut in their administrative budgets and this year there will be a second 1% cut in that administrative budget. Unless we do that, we will...
- Challenges facing the Health Service: Statements (10 Mar 2009)
Mary Harney: I am aware that going into an accident and emergency department where the doctors treating one have no specialist training is unsafe and is not recognised by anybody. Earlier this afternoon, I had a meeting with Professor Tanner of the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland, an accident and emergency unit consultant from Beaumont Hospital and others on trauma and the importance of auditing....
- Challenges facing the Health Service: Statements (10 Mar 2009)
Mary Harney: Many of the consultants have been recruited and are part of the group I mentioned earlier.
- Challenges facing the Health Service: Statements (10 Mar 2009)
Mary Harney: There are 400 doctors and 1,400 nurses in the mid-west. We do not get the outcomes we should with this huge number of clinicians in the region because of the fragmented nature of the service they provide.
- Challenges facing the Health Service: Statements (10 Mar 2009)
Mary Harney: We have 12 surgeons spread across four hospitals. This does not deliver the best outcome for patients. The intention is that these surgeons will work as part of a surgical team doing the more acute work in Limerick and the less acute work in Ennis, Nenagh and St. John's. We know more patients from Clare and Tipperary will be treated in their local hospital as a result of the...
- Challenges facing the Health Service: Statements (10 Mar 2009)
Mary Harney: I am in discussion with the National Cancer Screening Service with regard to colorectal screening. It is the next screening programme we want to put in place and I want to see that happen as quickly as possible. I have not provided additional money for it this year but I am in discussions with the National Cancer Screening Service on these issues. All the cancer experts available to me...
- Challenges facing the Health Service: Statements (10 Mar 2009)
Mary Harney: I already answered "No" to this question. I want to state to all Deputies, in particular Deputy Reilly who comes in here week in week out and opposes every reformââ
- Challenges facing the Health Service: Statements (10 Mar 2009)
Mary Harney: He has not taken on a single person in the health service. Every vested interest is represented by him in this House and it is about time we heard from him where he would make the changes.
- Challenges facing the Health Service: Statements (10 Mar 2009)
Mary Harney: Every reform is opposed by Deputy Reilly. With regard to the HIQA report, it will be published. I have not seen it but I understand it has not been completed. As soon as it is completed, I willââ
- Challenges facing the Health Service: Statements (10 Mar 2009)
Mary Harney: I hope it is published as quickly as it is completed. This is the intention. We do not sit on reports like that.