Results 9,401-9,420 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Written Answers — Hospital Waiting Lists: Hospital Waiting Lists (3 Jul 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 — Pharmacy Regulations: Pharmacy Regulations (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Harney: The Pharmacy Act 2007 is being commenced in three stages. The first stage of the process involved the establishment of a Council of the new Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, the second stage will put in place a new registration regime for pharmacists and pharmacies, and the third stage will deal with complaints, inquiries and fitness to practice provisions. As part of the second stage,...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Harney: As the Deputy will be aware my Department is not one of the Departments scheduled for decentralisation under the Government's Decentralisation Programme. To date fifty-four civil servants have transferred to decentralising Departments from my Department. Further details in respect of the transfer of these officers are available from the decentralising Departments.

Written Answers — Nursing Homes Repayment Scheme: Nursing Homes Repayment Scheme (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Harney: The Health Service Executive has responsibility for administering the Repayment Scheme and the information sought by the Deputy relates to matters within the area of responsibility of the Executive. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have the matter investigated and to have a reply issued to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Efficiency Reviews: Efficiency Reviews (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Harney: In the context of the Efficiency Review announced by the then Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, Mr. Brian Cowen,T.D. in his 2008 Budget Speech, my Department has been examining various areas where potential savings and efficiencies can be achieved. In relation to Bodies under the aegis of my Department the position is that agencies (other than the HSE and HIQA) are predominantly small in...

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 90 to 93, inclusive, together. The Health Service Executive is the appropriate body to consider the particular questions raised by the Deputy. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to examine the issues raised by the Deputy, and to furnish me with a report containing the relevant information as soon as possible. I will...

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Harney: Under Section 18 of the Health Act, 1970, qualifications for the employment of clinical psychologist and psychologist community care grades were declared by the Minister for Health and Children, in consultation with the relevant professional organisation for psychologists in Ireland. My Department has met, and been in correspondence with, the Psychological Society of Ireland on many occasions...

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Harney: I would like to assure the Deputy that tackling Healthcare Associated Infections (HCAIs), including MRSA, continues to be a priority for the Government and for the Health Service Executive (HSE). The Strategy for the control of Antimicrobial Resistance in Ireland (SARI) was launched in 2001. This strategy, which is based upon best international practice, represents a road map for tackling...

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Harney: 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 to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Harney: A total of 38 staff of my Department received or are receiving support for post-graduate educational courses between 2004 to 2008 inclusive.

Health Service Reform. (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Harney: I do not want to talk specifically about the report but will talk about the plans, if that is in order. I am delighted to have the opportunity to answer these questions. I confirm there are management changes taking place in the Health Service Executive. Work has been proceeding on these changes since the middle of last year. The CEO of the HSE recruited consultants to help him and the...

Health Service Reform. (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Harney: First, regional structures exist at present. On the hospital side there are eight network managers and on the community and primary care side, four regional structures are in place. Implementation units probably are what are being envisaged under these proposals, whereby the two will be together. For example, in the case of a long-stay patient in a hospital, the responsibility for funding...

Health Service Reform. (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Harney: Yes.

Health Service Reform. (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Harney: As for the new directorates, I wish to make clear that the people at the top, including the chief executive officer, are responsible for strategy, standards and configuration of services, such as, for example, the cancer plan. Professor Keane is implementing the cancer plan and this is a national role. Clearly, however, he has people at local level who are responsible for implementing it in...

Health Service Reform. (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Harney: I am not responsible for that. I hope the Deputy is not blaming me for it.

Health Service Reform. (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Harney: To repeat again, I remain a strong fan of a unified service. I will give the figures for the cancer plan because it is so important. Our outcomes in Ireland — 18th out of 23 countries in Europe — are very bad. It is important that we put in place the appropriate services for cancer patients, but that did not happen. We saw what happened in the midlands when there was a piece of the...

Health Service Reform. (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Harney: Deputy Reilly is a doctor and he knows that with breast cancer, 150 new patients a year are needed to warrant the kind of skill, training and throughput to deliver quality services.

Health Service Reform. (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Harney: Deputy Reilly will always go on about the measures that do not work. Every vested interest in the health system that has a whinge seems to be able to get it aired on the floor of the House but the reality is that accident and emergency services have improved greatly since the establishment of the HSE, and the Deputy knows that.

Health Service Reform. (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Harney: The idea that before an organisation is established we can start deciding who to make redundant——

Health Service Reform. (3 Jul 2008)

Mary Harney: We cannot do that. I have no expertise in this area but I have spoken to quite a few people in other sectors who have and they all say that we need to centralise before we devolve and know what we have in place. For Professor Drumm or the board of the HSE to decide before the organisation was put together who they would get rid of would not have made sense. Some people, like CEOs, went...