Results 12,761-12,780 of 46,456 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (20 May 2020)

Simon Harris: I acknowledge that it is critically important for the Irish health service to develop the capability and capacity to project its health and social care workforce requirements to enable more effective and efficient planning. Work is well underway in relation to implementing the actions stemming from the National Strategic Framework on Health and Social Care Workforce Planning, including...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (20 May 2020)

Simon Harris: The Government published its Action Plan in Response to Covid-19, on March 16 2020. In anticipation of the projected surge in Covid-19 cases and the expected impact on the health care system, a major part of the Action Plan was to urgently ramp up capacity for acute hospital care facilities.  A critical element of the strategy was to put in place an arrangement with the private hospitals...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Maternity Hospital (20 May 2020)

Simon Harris: I welcome the announcement by the Religious Sisters of Charity that the Vatican has approved the transfer of the Sister's shareholding in St Vincent's Healthcare Group (SVHG) to a new company, St Vincent’s Holdings CLG.  This development will remove any remaining concerns that religious influence might be brought to bear on the new National Maternity Hospital (NMH).  It also...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Data (20 May 2020)

Simon Harris: The Government published the National Action Plan in Response to Covid-19, on March 16 2020. In anticipation of the projected surge in Covid-19 cases and the expected impact on the health care system, a major part of the Action Plan was to urgently ramp up capacity for acute hospital care facilities. A critical element of the strategy was to put in place an arrangement with the private...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (20 May 2020)

Simon Harris: Under the Infectious Diseases Regulations 1981, and subsequent amendments, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre is authorised by law to collect information from doctors and laboratories, via Medical Officers of Health, about diagnoses of certain infectious diseases in Ireland. These diseases are referred to as notifiable diseases. The most recent amendment to the Regulations is the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (20 May 2020)

Simon Harris: The Government’s Roadmap for Reopening Society & Business, published on 1 May 2020, sets out an indicative path to the easing of COVID 19 restrictions and other actions in order to facilitate the reopening Ireland’s society and economy in a phased manner. The Roadmap specifies that decisions in relation to which actions will be taken and which public health measures...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (20 May 2020)

Simon Harris: Reducing waiting time for patients for hospital operations and procedures is a key priority for Government. In recent years, my Department has worked with the HSE and the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) and made considerable improvements to improve access for patients waiting for high volume procedures, including cataracts. At the end of July 2017, the number of people waiting for a...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Tests (20 May 2020)

Simon Harris: As the HSE has responsibility, the Executive has been asked to reply directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (20 May 2020)

Simon Harris: The modification of public health measures approved by Government on 15 May include allowing the phased return of outdoor workers from 18 May with social distancing requirements continuing to apply.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Insurance (20 May 2020)

Simon Harris: A major part of the Government’s Action Plan in Response to Covid-19 was to urgently ramp up capacity for acute care facilities. A critical element of the strategy was to put in place an arrangement with the private hospitals to use their facilities as part of the public system, to provide essential acute hospital services for the duration of the emergency. Following negotiations...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Contracts (20 May 2020)

Simon Harris: The Department of Health spent approximately €1.3 million on external consultants in 2019. It should be noted that not all invoices included hourly/daily rates, of those that did, the average hourly rate was €95 ex VAT. Where daily rates were quoted, a calculation was made based on a 7.5 hour working day. The estimate for consultancy expenditure is set as part of the annual...

Covid-19 (Health) - Statements (14 May 2020)

Simon Harris: I will do my very best. First, I congratulate the Deputy on his election as chair of the Special Committee on Covid-19 Response-----

Covid-19 (Health) - Statements (14 May 2020)

Simon Harris: -----and look forward to any co-operation my Department can provide him with in discharging his duties. It will be an important role. I gave figures earlier regarding the enhanced nurse contract. When I was last asked about this in this House last month, just over 3,000 staff nurses had been appointed to the new scale. That was up from 700 in February. I believe the number is...

Covid-19 (Health) - Statements (14 May 2020)

Simon Harris: As Deputy Pringle said, and this is not a problem, sometimes we only hear the bad as politicians. That is a good thing that we get to bring the challenges and things not going well to the floor of this House. I respect that fully. I can tell Deputy Pringle that we are publishing testing figures every week concerning how many tests are completed. The Deputy is not just hearing that from...

Covid-19 (Health) - Statements (14 May 2020)

Simon Harris: -----to free up the time of a public health doctor to talk to someone who gets a positive result. I am confident things are moving in the right direction but I am in no way complacent or cocky about it. This is going to be an area that will require the scrutiny of this House, the Covid-19 committee and the likes. That will be a very constructive role. Deputy Pringle has also raised a very...

Covid-19 (Health) - Statements (14 May 2020)

Simon Harris: I will start with Deputy Nolan's questions. She is absolutely right to highlight the issue in regard to meat factories, as was Deputy Mattie McGrath. I have outlined on the record of this House the protocols in place and the national outbreak team that is overseeing this issue. The regulation and management of meat factories resides with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine,...

Covid-19 (Health) - Statements (14 May 2020)

Simon Harris: We need to be clear and honest about this pandemic. There is no doubt that there are always areas in which we must continue to improve but the difference between this Government and others in different jurisdictions is that, when the challenge gets difficult, we do not walk away. In many countries, one would not get a test for Covid-19 unless one was in a hospital setting. Many countries...

Covid-19 (Health) - Statements (14 May 2020)

Simon Harris: I see that time is up. I am not sure that, in my time in this House, there has been a time when there was a greater level of engagement between Deputies. I take questions for two hours a week, every week, on the floor of the Dáil, along with a range of other Government Ministers and the Taoiseach. A special committee dedicated to the issue will meet next Tuesday. A range of briefings...

Covid-19 (Health) - Statements (14 May 2020)

Simon Harris: As Deputy Denis Naughten has made that comment on the record of the House, I have asked him to provide the details.

Covid-19 (Health) - Statements (14 May 2020)

Simon Harris: I do not have that detail so I do not intend to comment.