Results 821-840 of 2,980 for speaker:Marcella Corcoran Kennedy

Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Services (18 Jan 2017)

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy: I wish to assure the Deputies present that the Minister, Deputy Harris, is not sitting in his office watching the debate. I will convey all of the points they have made to him. I wish to provide some reassurance on concerns around whether the area is being neglected. At the end of December 2016, there were 4,623 patients on cardiology inpatient day case waiting lists nationally, of...

Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Services (18 Jan 2017)

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy: I thank the Deputies for affording me the opportunity to speak to this very important issue for their constituencies this afternoon. The Minister, Deputy Simon Harris, has asked me to convey his sincere apologies to the Deputies present. Unfortunately, he has another engagement which he was unable to avoid.

Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Services (18 Jan 2017)

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy: It is.

Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Services (18 Jan 2017)

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy: Indeed, and I hope I will be able to emphasise how important and how seriously the Government, including the Minister, Deputy Harris, and the HSE are taking this issue. The House will be aware that last year, in line with a commitment in the programme for a partnership Government, an independent review of the need for a second cath lab at University Hospital Waterford was undertaken by...

Topical Issue Debate: Respite Care Services Provision (18 Jan 2017)

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy: As I outlined, the HSE is recruiting for the posts that are vacant. My assumption is that it will be replacing the staff vacancies and that the service would resume to what it was. I will get the Deputy confirmation of that from the HSE. Obviously, we are very concerned that if it was a full-time, seven-day service, this is what will be restored when the full staff complement returns.

Topical Issue Debate: Respite Care Services Provision (18 Jan 2017)

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy: I thank Deputy Thomas Pringle for raising this important issue today. I convey the Minister’s apologies but he is unavoidably absent and would have liked to take this matter himself. The Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide them with greater independence in accessing the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Lottery Funding Data (17 Jan 2017)

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy: Community groups may apply for Lottery Funding to help with start up costs to the Department of Health or the Health Service Executive.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Obesity Strategy (17 Jan 2017)

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy: A Healthy Weight for Ireland – Obesity Policy and Action Plan, 2016 – 2025, contains 60 actions which will be implemented, monitored and evaluated over the lifetime of the policy. The Department of Health is currently engaging with the Health Service Executive (HSE) in the development of the HSE service plan. Key elements include the development of prevention and treatment...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Proposed Legislation (17 Jan 2017)

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy: The enactment of the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill is included in the Programme for a Partnership Government and is a priority for Government. The Public Health (Alcohol) Bill contains a suite of meaningful measures to reduce the level of harmful consumption of alcohol in Ireland. The aim of the legislation is to reduce alcohol consumption and the harms caused by alcohol. The Bill includes...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Strategies (14 Dec 2016)

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy: Ireland’s first National Sexual Health Strategy 2015 – 2020 and Action Plan 2015 – 2016 was launched in October 2015. The National Sexual Health Strategy aims to improve sexual health and well-being, and reduce negative sexual health outcomes by ensuring that everyone living in Ireland has access to high quality sexual health information, education and services...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Mortality Data (13 Dec 2016)

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy: As the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Consultant Recruitment (13 Dec 2016)

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy: As the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Hospital Waiting Lists (8 Dec 2016)

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy: I thank Senator Coffey for raising this important issue this morning. I also convey the apologies of the Minister, Deputy Harris, who is personally unable to attend this morning. The Minister, Deputy Harris, visited University Hospital Waterford recently and is aware that there are waiting lists for cardiology procedures at the hospital, which is managed by the Health Service Executive, as...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Hospital Waiting Lists (8 Dec 2016)

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy: I emphasise that the hospitals across the country are managed by the HSE and not by the Department of Health. The funding that is obtained by the Minister for Health in the budget is allocated to the HSE, which manages the budgets that are needed to run hospitals. According to the information I have received from the HSE, there is spare capacity in Cork University Hospital. There is no...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Hospital Waiting Lists (8 Dec 2016)

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy: No problem.

Topical Issue Debate: Hospice Services Provision (7 Dec 2016)

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy: Our Lady's Hospice and Care Services receives €23.7 million in annual funding from the HSE to fund all of its services. The HSE is responsible for the management of the health care of the State and the delivery of approved capital projects, all of which must be approved in advance of development commencing and comply with normal public service governance and accountability...

Topical Issue Debate: HIV-AIDS Programmes (7 Dec 2016)

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy: I thank Deputy Ryan. I was privileged last week to launch at Outhouse on Capel Street on World AIDS Day the free rapid HIV testing that was being provided on the day on a number of locations nationally. It is a matter which is of grave concern to everybody in the Department of Health and the HSE. To that end, access to testing has been increased this year. If people are concerned, they...

Topical Issue Debate: Hospice Services Provision (7 Dec 2016)

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy: I thank Deputies Lahart, O'Callaghan and Curran for raising this important issue. It is the intention of the Government that people will be provided with the palliative care services they need regardless of their diagnosis, age or whether they die in a hospice, acute hospital, nursing home or at home. Significant progress has been made in recent years to improve access to specialist...

Topical Issue Debate: HIV-AIDS Programmes (7 Dec 2016)

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy: I thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to update the House on this issue. In 2015, 485 people were newly diagnosed with HIV in Ireland, an increase of 30% compared to 2014. The increase was mainly confined to HSE east. A number of factors contributed to the increase in HSE east, including an improvement to the national surveillance case definition introduced in January 2015,...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Accident and Emergency Services Provision (7 Dec 2016)

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy: I thank Senator O'Donnell for this important and timely question. The Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, has asked me to convey his apologies to the Senator because he cannot be here. He has a prior engagement to which he is committed today. If he could have come back for this, he would have done so. I welcome the opportunity to address the House on this matter. The emergency department...