Results 7,781-7,800 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney
- Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (17 Dec 2008)
Mary Harney: The supply of drugs and medicines is a service matter and therefore this matter has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (17 Dec 2008)
Mary Harney: In November, 2007, my Department paid the annual corporate membership subscription of â¬6,000 to the Institute.
- Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (17 Dec 2008)
Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 266 to 268, inclusive, together. As these are service matters they have been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
- Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (17 Dec 2008)
Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 269 and 270 together. As this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy
- Written Answers — EU Funding: EU Funding (17 Dec 2008)
Mary Harney: The information requested is being collated in my Department and will be forwarded directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
- Written Answers — Cancer Screening Programme: Cancer Screening Programme (16 Dec 2008)
Mary Harney: As I have already indicated, I accept fully the expert advice provided to me in support of the introduction of a cervical cancer vaccination programme. However, I also have a responsibility as Minister to consider this and many other competing priorities within the overall resources available to the health services. My immediate responsibility in relation to cervical cancer is to women who...
- Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (16 Dec 2008)
Mary Harney: I have identified the development of neurology services as a policy priority for some time. I allocated additional revenue funding of â¬7m to the HSE in 2006 and 2007 for the development of services in the area of neurosciences, which comprises neurology, neurophysiology and neurosurgery. This investment has helped to increase substantially the number of approved consultant neurology...
- Written Answers — Nutritional Supplements: Nutritional Supplements (16 Dec 2008)
Mary Harney: Clinical nutritional products cost the HSE â¬46 million a year, over â¬27 million of which is spent on oral nutritional products. Clinical nutritional products include oral nutritional supplements as well as tube feeds, products for metabolic conditions and gluten free foods. The types of oral nutritional supplements most commonly prescribed in the community are ready-made drinks called...
- Written Answers — Cancer Screening Programme: Cancer Screening Programme (16 Dec 2008)
Mary Harney: The 2009 budget for the National Cancer Screening Service is being considered at present and the question of funding for colorectal screening will be examined in that context. The Service established an Expert Group on Colorectal Screening to prepare advice on the introduction of a national colorectal cancer programme, specifically on the population to be screened, at what intervals screening...
- Written Answers — Hospital Staff: Hospital Staff (16 Dec 2008)
Mary Harney: The Deputy will be aware that new contractual arrangements for medical consultants were agreed with their representative organisations earlier this year following more than four years of protracted negotiations. I am satisfied with the provisions in the contract dealing with consultants working in co-located hospitals and I have no plans to renegotiate any aspect of the contract. However,...
- Written Answers — Nursing Homes Repayment Scheme: Nursing Homes Repayment Scheme (16 Dec 2008)
Mary Harney: The Health Repayment Scheme Appeals Office is an independent office established to provide an appeals service to those who wish to appeal the decision of the Scheme Administrator under the Health (Repayment Scheme) Act 2006. Up to 5 December 2008, the Appeals Office had received just over 5,000 appeals. Decisions have issued in 2,614 cases and a further 740 appeals have been withdrawn. The...
- Written Answers — Nursing Homes Repayment Scheme: Nursing Homes Repayment Scheme (16 Dec 2008)
Mary Harney: The Health Repayment Scheme Appeals Office is an independent office established to provide an appeals service to those who wish to appeal the decision of the Scheme Administrator under the Health (Repayment Scheme) Act 2006. Up to 5 December 2008, the Appeals Office had received just over 5,000 appeals. Decisions have issued in 2,614 cases and a further 740 appeals have been withdrawn. The...
- Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (16 Dec 2008)
Mary Harney: In July of this year the Government decided that a targeted voluntary redundancy/early retirement scheme would be introduced for the HSE. This was reaffirmed by the Minister for Finance in his Budget Statement of 14 October. More recently, on Wednesday 26 November, the Taoiseach and the Minister for Finance announced a series of measures aimed at transforming the public service. These...
- Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (16 Dec 2008)
Mary Harney: In conjunction with the development of a new legislative framework to provide for clear statutory provisions on eligibility for health and personal social services, my Department is currently reviewing the assessment criteria for medical cards in the context of financial, medical and social need in line with the commitment in Towards 2016. A Steering Group has been established to undertake...
- Written Answers — Hospital Accommodation: Hospital Accommodation (16 Dec 2008)
Mary Harney: The Health Service Executive is constantly working to ensure that sufficient bed capacity is available in the acute hospital system. Findings from a recent second National Bed Utilisation Review indicate some improvements with regard to bed utilisation in hospitals during 2008. However, there is still significant scope to improve the way in which beds in the acute hospital system are...
- Written Answers — General Medical Services Scheme: General Medical Services Scheme (16 Dec 2008)
Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 85 and 108 together. Three representatives from the Irish Medical Organisation were appointed to the group established under the chairmanship of Dr. Michael Barry to develop recommendations for good practice which aim to secure safe and effective prescribing for patients while maximising the potential for economy in the use of public funds. Hospital...
- Written Answers — Health Service Expenditure: Health Service Expenditure (16 Dec 2008)
Mary Harney: I welcome the Third Interim Report on the 2006 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General â Expenditure on Health Services â recently published by the Committee of Public Accounts. A number of the Report's recommendations relating to matters such as the hospital consultants' contract, the HSE's utilisation of assets and its financial management systems are already the subject of...
- Written Answers — Ambulance Service: Ambulance Service (16 Dec 2008)
Mary Harney: The HSE's National Ambulance Service directs its resources to those areas where the need is greatest at any given time. This principle also applies within the HSE West region. To ensure the highest-quality emergency ambulance service when ambulance personnel are absent from duty for reasons such as sick leave, annual leave or for training purposes, service delivery across the region draws...
- Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (16 Dec 2008)
Mary Harney: The Health Service Executive has projected that the number of persons covered by medical cards will increase to 1,423,830 and GP visit cards to 142,148 (total 1,565,978) in 2009 and it is making a total provision of â¬1.888 billion in 2009 for this purpose. These projections and this provision are subject to review in the light of the latest emerging relevant information.
- Written Answers — Long-Term Illness Scheme: Long-Term Illness Scheme (16 Dec 2008)
Mary Harney: There have been no changes to the operation of the Long-Term Illness (LTI) Scheme. Under the scheme, people with one or more of a list of specified long-term illnesses are entitled to obtain, without charge, and irrespective of income, necessary medicines and/or appliances for the treatment of that illness. Some people who are eligible for the Long-Term Illness Scheme also hold a medical...