Results 1,281-1,300 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Written Answers — Hospital Staff: Hospital Staff (5 Oct 2010)

Mary Harney: As information on the number of nursing posts currently vacant or awaiting to be filled in the public health service is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply. Neither my Department or the HSE maintain records on the number of vacancies in the private health sector. The Government has made it clear that a critical part of its strategy to...

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (5 Oct 2010)

Mary Harney: As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (5 Oct 2010)

Mary Harney: As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (5 Oct 2010)

Mary Harney: I do not accept that necessary measures by the HSE to ensure that acute hospital services are delivered to budget and in line with the commitments in the 2010 National Service Plan will be detrimental to the quality and level of hospital services. Maintaining patient safety and service levels is critical in all management decision-making in relation to cost containment. Expenditure control...

Written Answers — Hospital Procedures: Hospital Procedures (5 Oct 2010)

Mary Harney: My Department does not have any information in relation to the cost of procedures in private hospitals, as such hospitals are outside the ambit of the Health Act and their costs are generally not available due to commercial considerations. In relation to the cost of procedures in public hospitals, this information is collected by the HSE in the context of the Casemix programme. I have...

Written Answers — Hospital Procedures: Hospital Procedures (5 Oct 2010)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 251 and 252 together. My Department does not routinely collate records relating to the number of surgical and medical procedures paid for by private health insurers in the public and private health sectors. The insurers are commercial organisations which buy services from a number of providers, some public, others private. As commercial organisations, they...

Written Answers — Accident and Emergency Services: Accident and Emergency Services (5 Oct 2010)

Mary Harney: The provision of data in relation to activity at publicly funded hospitals is a service matter and has been referred to the HSE for direct reply. Activity at private hospitals does not come within my remit.

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (5 Oct 2010)

Mary Harney: The Health Act 2004 provided for the establishment of the Health Service Executive with effect from 1st January 2005 and the Executive was established with its own Vote, Vote 40. The HSE is the single body responsible for meeting Ireland's health and social care needs, providing thousands of services to young and old, in hospitals, health facilities and in communities across the country....

Health Services: Motion (5 Oct 2010)

Mary Harney: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "That Dáil Éireann," and substitute the following: "in the context of the current economic challenges facing the country and the need for all regions in the Health Service Executive to operate efficiently within their 2010 budget provision: — notes the huge improvements in recent years in the health of the Irish population, including the...

Health Services: Motion (5 Oct 2010)

Mary Harney: We heard the leader of Fine Gael today talk about black Thursday and the economic challenges this country confronts, which are immense, and about the role Fine Gael will play in addressing those challenges. Notwithstanding that fact, at 3.15 p.m. last Friday this motion was submitted in the name of the deputy leader of Fine Gael. The health service at present consumes 133% of all the income...

Health Services: Motion (5 Oct 2010)

Mary Harney: With regard to those hospitals, Fine Gael proposes to increase funding in Clonmel by €300,000, in Merlin Park by €28 million, in Nenagh by €6.9 million, in Roscommon by €600,000, in Navan by €5.7 million, in Sligo by €18 million, in Letterkenny by €11.1 million, in Wexford by €11.4 million and in Ennis by €10.2 million. That makes €97.9 million on top of the €800...

Health Services: Motion (5 Oct 2010)

Mary Harney: We are not told from where that additional money will come. We are simply asked to provide it.

Health Services: Motion (5 Oct 2010)

Mary Harney: I listened to Deputy Reilly, with respect. I know he is going to the Taiwanese reception, although I thought Fine Gael policy was the one China policy, which is interesting. That is the Deputy's entitlement, however, and I will not take issue with him on that except to note that I understood his party's policy was the one China policy.

Health Services: Motion (5 Oct 2010)

Mary Harney: I would correct Deputy Reilly by noting it is not the case that 10% of increased life expectancy is due to health care, it is 50%.

Health Services: Motion (5 Oct 2010)

Mary Harney: Deputy Reilly would dispute it. He disputes everything with me.

Health Services: Motion (5 Oct 2010)

Mary Harney: The fact is that 50% of the increased life expectancy in Ireland is due to better health interventions and 50% is due to our enhanced prosperity over the years since we joined the European Union. At that stage, we were below the EU average by more than a year and we have substantially increased life expectancy in the intervening years, which is a good news story. Deputy Reilly criticised me...

Health Services: Motion (5 Oct 2010)

Mary Harney: The allegation from the Opposition is that there is a closure of beds. There are 1,000 or 1,100 beds closed and to open them would require €300 million. Notwithstanding the fact those beds are closed, just as many patients will be treated this year as last year. That is a fact. I imagine this will be saluted. Central to changing work practices within the HSE, which is a very important...

Health Services: Motion (5 Oct 2010)

Mary Harney: I would expect that when people come to the Deputy to leverage political support for challenges they face, at the least he would confront them with the challenges they can address. There was a litany of examples, especially in the west during the time of the Western Health Board, when year after year it ran over budget and the political system was leveraged to rescue the health board. That...

Health Services: Motion (5 Oct 2010)

Mary Harney: -----our financial challenges. Of course we could always do with more. Could we do with more hours for the individuals who have a service? The answer to that is clearly "Yes".

Health Services: Motion (5 Oct 2010)

Mary Harney: Unfortunately, we do not have the resources to do it. What we were able to do was put an extra €10 million into home care packages and home help services. Some 54,000 people in the country get home help services and just under 10,000 people are in receipt of home care packages. My priority and that of the Government is to continue to support people in living at home. Deputy Burke...