Results 7,961-7,980 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney
- Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2008)
Mary Harney: In response to Deputy McGinley's comments on the Voluntary Health Insurance, the granting of a medical card did not affect private health insurance policies except in respect of the VHI's plan P. Approximately 25,000 people have the plan which covers the inpatient hospital charge. The VHI has informed me that while there is no evidence that people exited the plan, anyone who did so may...
- Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2008)
Mary Harney: Deputy Tom Hayes raised the affordability of nursing home care, which is an important issue. As Deputies are aware, if somebody is in a publicly funded or publicly provided bed, 95% of the cost is paid by taxpayers. If, however, he or she is in a private bed, some 60% of the cost is paid by the person being cared for. This is a major burden on families and individuals and a cause of...
- Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2008)
Mary Harney: I am not suggesting that. However, persons aged 66 and 67 years may earn a maximum income of â¬298 â as a couple â to qualify for a medical card. What we are doing for those aged over 70 years is substantially ahead of that. Expenditure on medical cards in general is increasing by approximately 3% per annum, whereas the increase for the medical card for those aged over 70 years is...
- Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2008)
Mary Harney: I will not deal with issues of trust. I will let someone else be objective about that. Regarding the issue of same-sex couples, which was raised by Deputy Noonan, this legislation applies to cohabiting couples and husbands and wives. It does not include same-sex couples. We could not include them for legal reasons until we have the civil union Bill. There is an existing medical card...
- Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2008)
Mary Harney: I will not go into who agreed to it. Each side did their job. I am not going to get involved in that. We cannot change it, other than through changing this legislation because the fee was based on an Act of the Oireachtas passed in 2001. Everyone agrees it was not fair or appropriate to have perverse incentives for general practitioners operating in better-off areas against those operating...
- Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2008)
Mary Harney: We have not done a longitudinal study in Ireland. Discussions are currently under way between Dr. Kenny, a leading geriatrician at St. James's Hospital, my Department, the HSE and others on this area. To have a longitudinal study one must take a long period of time to get the data. There must be base data and outcome data.
- Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2008)
Mary Harney: We could not possibly have any evidence on the over 70s medical card, which only became operable in 2002. If Deputy Reilly is telling me a study was published in 2004ââ
- Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2008)
Mary Harney: A longitudinal study is not a two-year study.
- Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2008)
Mary Harney: I understand a longitudinal study takes a minimum of 15 years. The study being done on children will take 15 to 20 years.
- Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2008)
Mary Harney: It is a fact that life expectancy in Ireland has greatly increased over the last decade, which we all welcome. It is acknowledged by many experts that 50% to 60% of the increase in life expectancy in Ireland is a result of better health interventions. The remainder is a result of the growth in our prosperity. The result is that a child born in Ireland today will live longer than a child...
- Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2008)
Mary Harney: They are not being cut.
- Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2008)
Mary Harney: More people than ever are receiving home help services.
- Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2008)
Mary Harney: I suggest Deputy Stagg brief himself on the facts because he has been saying the same thing in this House for 11 years. There are 53,000 families in receipt of home help services, which is the highest number ever. There are 11,000 home care packages. When we continue with the roll out of our primary care supportsââ
- Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2008)
Mary Harney: There is loads of money. That is not the case. There is almost â¬16 billion.
- Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2008)
Mary Harney: I am prioritising services for older people, cancer services and the screening programme.
- Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2008)
Mary Harney: No country has introduced the vaccine without a proper screening programme. The screening programme only began in September.
- Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2008)
Mary Harney: There are many other countries that do not have it either, as Deputy Reilly knows.
- Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2008)
Mary Harney: The HSE has â¬1 billion extra and it could always do with more.
- Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2008)
Mary Harney: We do not have unlimited resources.
- Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2008)
Mary Harney: We do not have unlimited resources. The last time Deputy Connaughton's party was in office there were no home care packages.