Results 13,381-13,400 of 45,622 for speaker:Simon Harris

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Emergency Departments Waiting Times (26 Nov 2019)

Simon Harris: I agree with the Deputy regarding Bantry Hospital. The Minister of State, Deputy Daly, is due to meet management of the hospital on 2 December. The Deputy is correct that we need to continue to make that hospital busier and to invest more in it, which is our intention. She is also correct that there is a need for more capacity in Cork generally. That is why we are funding a new elective...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Cancer Screening Programmes (26 Nov 2019)

Simon Harris: In fairness to the Deputy, we have now reached a position where four Opposition Members have failed to turn up to ask their questions. I do not know where they could be or what is more important than asking the questions they have tabled in the Dáil. The Deputy's question relates to the statistical difference between laboratories vis-à-visthe number of slides reviewed as a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Cross-Border Health Initiatives (26 Nov 2019)

Simon Harris: I agree with the Deputy. The only slight caveat I will offer - I know he will agree with me on this - is that there is additional capacity in some of our smaller public hospitals as well, including in the Deputy's own constituency. He has spoken to me about this. I refer to Cavan hospital and particularly Monaghan hospital. We should be and indeed we are asking the NTPF and the HSE to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Cross-Border Health Initiatives (26 Nov 2019)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising this question and I know of his particular interest as this is a matter he has raised in this House on a number of occasions. I very much appreciate the importance of the cross-border directive and we have worked very hard, in the context of Brexit, to make sure cross-border healthcare, and healthcare North and South on this island, and east and west, can...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Cross-Border Health Initiatives (26 Nov 2019)

Simon Harris: I agree with Deputy Smith, who is correct. My understanding is that, roughly, there is now a waiting time for processing of applications of about two months and the office is processing applications for reimbursement received in September. I agree with the Deputy that the staff in the office, many of them I know and I hear this on a regular basis, are exceptionally helpful and go above and...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Healthcare Professionals (26 Nov 2019)

Simon Harris: I do not agree that it is being done very slowly in the unwinding of this. I believe it is being done in quite an equitable way, favouring lower-paid public workers and people who have contracts with the State first. We are not just returning the money that was taken through the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2009, FEMPI, which was taken by many Governments, 75% of...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Healthcare Professionals (26 Nov 2019)

Simon Harris: I agree with the Deputy on the generalists' model. We have already seen this begin to work in the new facility in Connolly Hospital Dublin in our new model of care around children. I do not see why that cannot be extended to other areas.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Healthcare Professionals (26 Nov 2019)

Simon Harris: I need to point out when discussing any issue that one would sometimes get the impression that there are fewer doctors working in the health service. There are in fact more. More consultants are working in the Irish health service this year than last year, and there was more last year than the year before that. There are many more now than when I became Minister for Health.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Healthcare Professionals (26 Nov 2019)

Simon Harris: I fully accept that we need more. The Deputy is correct that the Public Sector Pay Commission said that we need to address the issue of pay parity. I expect in the coming weeks - I am being quite specific in that regard - to have concrete proposals to put to the consultant body. What I am saying very clearly in this House is that the de Buitléir report said very clearly that we...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Healthcare Professionals (26 Nov 2019)

Simon Harris: I will bring forward concrete proposals in the coming weeks.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Accommodation Provision (26 Nov 2019)

Simon Harris: I wish all the candidates in all four by-elections the very best and I do not want to involve myself in that campaign.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Accommodation Provision (26 Nov 2019)

Simon Harris: I note reports of plans by a private company to build a private hospital in Swords. I have not met anyone involved with the development of this proposal. This is a time of unprecedented capital investment to develop our public health services under Project Ireland 2040. Our public health service was starved during the recessionary and somewhat during the Celtic tiger years of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Accommodation Provision (26 Nov 2019)

Simon Harris: I said very clearly that I have not met anybody involved with the development of the proposal. Senator Reilly has indeed mentioned this proposal to me. I am well aware of it because it is very visible, with a number of people promoting it. I have not had any meetings with anyone involved in the development of the proposal. Senator Reilly has mentioned it to me. It is not for me to speak...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: General Practitioner Services Provision (26 Nov 2019)

Simon Harris: I assure the Deputy that I do not consider our engagement with the GP bodies to be done. I very much consider the measures we have taken in recent months to be about initial sustainability after a number of difficult years for GPs. They did not just all sign up; they went out and voted in a ballot that they thought this was a good deal. We are providing significantly more funding and not...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: General Practitioner Services Provision (26 Nov 2019)

Simon Harris: I do not disagree with some of the comments the Deputy has made. However, I need to be clear that as Minister I have brokered an agreement with GP representative bodies and will restore every cent that was removed in capitation fees during the recessionary years by 2023. The agreement will provide more than that as well. It is providing additional funding that GPs sought for rural areas;...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Healthcare Professionals (26 Nov 2019)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for her question. It raises queries in respect of doctors in general, both GPs and consultants. I will try to take them both. I have outlined a number of the measures in respect of general practice. In the interests of time, I will not elaborate on them, other than to say we reached significant agreement on contractual reform and service development in May this year in...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Primary Care Centres Staff (26 Nov 2019)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy O'Reilly for the question. The development of community and primary care services is a key priority for the Government and primary care centres support this goal by providing a setting in which a range of health professionals can deliver better care, closer to people's homes in their local communities. Data, as requested in the question, on the number of staff working in...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Primary Care Centres Staff (26 Nov 2019)

Simon Harris: The Deputy's comments are reasonably fair, except that perhaps they miss out on one point. For the first time we are now beginning to map out the actual requirements in each of the new regional health organisations. As the Deputy is aware, we will be setting up the six new regions to slim down the HSE nationally and to devolve more to the regions in line with the Sláintecare report....

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Primary Care Centres Staff (26 Nov 2019)

Simon Harris: I agree with Deputy O'Reilly. I have had conversations with the HSE about that and it is clear in its mandate in that regard. Deputy O'Reilly used the word "disingenuous" and I do not wish to use it back, but perhaps she is choosing not to listen to what I said in that regard. We got funding in last month's budget to hire 1,000 additional people in the community. We are now carrying...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: General Practitioner Services Provision (26 Nov 2019)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Harty. As of 1 November, there are 22 vacant General Medical Services, GMS, general practitioner posts nationwide. These vacancies account for less than 1% of all GMS panels. The HSE is actively recruiting to fill the vacancies referred to by the Deputy in Newmarket-on-Fergus and Macroom, and is considering available options with the local community in Milltown. I believe...