Results 8,221-8,240 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Written Answers — : (25 Nov 2008)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 263 and 264 together. The Deputy's question relates to the funding, management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and...

Written Answers — General Medical Services Scheme: General Medical Services Scheme (25 Nov 2008)

Mary Harney: There is no statutory obligation on the Health Service Executive (HSE) to provide chiropody services to GMS patients; however in practice arrangements have been made in several regions to provide these services. Before the establishment of the HSE the nature of any arrangements for community chiropody services and the level of service provided were a matter for individual health boards and...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (25 Nov 2008)

Mary Harney: My Department has made enquiries with the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Health Service Executive in relation to the matter referred to by the Deputy. The Executive has advised that a reply will issue to the Deputy shortly.

Written Answers — Hospital Accommodation: Hospital Accommodation (25 Nov 2008)

Mary Harney: The data requested by the Deputy are not readily to hand. It will be necessary for my Department to work in conjunction with the Health Service Executive to have the information compiled. The data will be forwarded to the Deputy as quickly as possible.

Written Answers — Hospital Waiting Lists: Hospital Waiting Lists (25 Nov 2008)

Mary Harney: Operational responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services is a matter for the Health Service Executive and funding for all health services has been provided as part of its overall vote. Therefore, the Executive is the appropriate body to consider the particular case raised by the Deputy. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division...

Written Answers — Hospital Accommodation: Hospital Accommodation (25 Nov 2008)

Mary Harney: Operational responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services was assigned to the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004 and funding for all health services has been provided as part of its overall vote. Therefore, the Executive is the appropriate body to consider the particular matter raised by the Deputy. My Department has requested the...

Written Answers — Health Service Executive: Health Service Executive (25 Nov 2008)

Mary Harney: The Health Act 2004 contains very specific provisions relating to the Executive's accountability to the Oireachtas at National level. The central elements of the current statutory accountability framework within which the HSE operates are: the Annual National Service Plan, the Annual Financial Statements, the three year Corporate Plan and the Code of Governance. The Service and Corporate...

Written Answers — Health Service Reform: Health Service Reform (25 Nov 2008)

Mary Harney: The HSE was set up to manage and deliver health and personal social services. One of the core objectives of the health reform programme was to be provide clear lines of accountability and to simplify structures. I have made it clear on many occasions that I want to see health and personal care provided to patients on an integrated basis. I have also made it clear to the HSE that there needs...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (25 Nov 2008)

Mary Harney: There is no requirement for the introduction of a new Health Act to facilitate the impending structural changes in the Health Service Executive. I am satisfied that these changes can be made on an administrative basis.

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (25 Nov 2008)

Mary Harney: The international evidence base indicates that clinical skill levels and patient safety can be safeguarded by centralising acute and complex care and thereby ensuring a sufficient throughput of cases. It is vital to ensure that services are provided safely and to a high quality. While the more complex services are increasingly being concentrated in a smaller number of larger centres, this...

Written Answers — Infectious Diseases: Infectious Diseases (25 Nov 2008)

Mary Harney: Tackling all Health Care Associated Infections (HCAIs), including MRSA and C. difficile, continues to be a priority for the government and the Health Service Executive (HSE). HCAIs are not a new phenomenon and have always been a potential complication of medical treatment, especially in hospitals. This is the case worldwide. As the Deputy will be aware, the HSE launched a National Infection...

Written Answers — Hospitals Building Programme: Hospitals Building Programme (25 Nov 2008)

Mary Harney: In drawing up its capital programme, the Health Service Executive is required to prioritise the capital infrastructure projects to be progressed within its overall capital funding allocation under the National Development Plan, taking account of targets for the division of capital investment between the Acute and Primary, Community & Continuing Care sectors. The process leading to the...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (25 Nov 2008)

Mary Harney: Under the Health Act 2004, the management and delivery of health and personal social services is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive. This includes operational responsibility for the upgrading, improving, replacing or extending of health centres. Accordingly, my Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have this matter...

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (25 Nov 2008)

Mary Harney: The information requested by the Deputy is outlined in the tables below. Table 1: Staffing Position at November 2008 Private Secretary Executive Officer Staff Officer Clerical Officer Special Advisor Personal Assistant Total Private Office 1 2 1 4 2 1 11 Constituency Office 2 1 3 Table 2: Administrative Budget details — Paid to date 2008 (to date) Total Pay Travel &...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (25 Nov 2008)

Mary Harney: The Department of Health and Children has currently 12,586 boxes of files held in an off-site storage facility. The estimated annual costs for 2008, which include general storage, the provision of a high-security vault and collection and return services, are approximately €62,000 inclusive of VAT. The storage elements of these costs are borne by the Office of Public Works.

Health Insurance. (25 Nov 2008)

Mary Harney: Immediately after the Supreme Court judgment in July which found the 2003 risk equalisation scheme to be ultra vires, I initiated a comprehensive review of the options which might be open to the Government in the aftermath of the court finding. Since then, I and officials from my Department had meetings with the Health Insurance Authority and the three insurance companies operating in the...

Health Insurance. (25 Nov 2008)

Mary Harney: To deal with the last issue first, I share the Deputy's view that it is high and out of sync with other countries. However, it is entirely a matter for the independent financial regulator and neither the Government, the Minister for Finance nor I have a role with regard to the reserve requirements set by the regulator in Ireland. With regard to new EU directives, I hope there can be...

Health Insurance. (25 Nov 2008)

Mary Harney: This tax change was made a number of years ago and was made at the suggestion of those who examined the tax system to make it equal between the better off and the less well off, in other words, those who only pay tax at the standard rate and those who pay some tax at the higher rate. Otherwise, better off people would receive twice the benefit of those who are less well off and only pay the...

Health Service Staff. (25 Nov 2008)

Mary Harney: I have had a number of discussions with the chairman and the chief executive officer of the Health Service Executive about a targeted voluntary early redundancy scheme to be introduced for the HSE. Initially, the scheme will concentrate on surplus management and administrative staff. This will be extended to other staff in due course. It will apply to staff at corporate HSE and also to...

Health Service Staff. (25 Nov 2008)

Mary Harney: The Minister for Finance said in his budget speech that his plan was to introduce a voluntary redundancy scheme across the public service. I hope the HSE scheme will be the start of the process in 2009. I am engaged in ongoing discussions on this issue with Professor Drumm and the chairman. It is not a matter for me to identify who should stay and who should go. That is a matter for those...