Results 14,461-14,480 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Written Answers — Pharmacy Regulations: Pharmacy Regulations (3 Apr 2007)

Mary Harney: The relevant statutory regulatory body for the registration of pharmacists in Ireland is the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI) and all queries regarding the specifics of the qualifications required to become registered to practice pharmacy in the State should be addressed to them. The PSI registers non-EU\EEA pharmacists by way of its "adjudication route of registration". As you may...

Written Answers — Health Insurance: Health Insurance (3 Apr 2007)

Mary Harney: Under the Voluntary Health Insurance Acts, the day to day operation of health insurance contracts offered by VHI Healthcare are, firstly, a matter for the company. Therefore, as Minister for Health and Children, I do not have any statutory or administrative role in such operations, when such contracts comply with the provisions of the Health Insurance Acts and related regulations. Following...

Written Answers — Infectious Diseases: Infectious Diseases (3 Apr 2007)

Mary Harney: Tackling Healthcare-Associated Infections (HCAIs), including MRSA, is a priority for the Government and for the Health Service Executive. Recently-published studies show that in Ireland, the overall rate of HCAIs, which includes MRSA, is lower than our UK counterparts. However, it is generally accepted that MRSA infection rates in the UK and Ireland are higher than our European counterparts....

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (3 Apr 2007)

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 — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (3 Apr 2007)

Mary Harney: The person referred to by the Deputy was engaged by the HSE as an advisor. Section 24 of the Health Act, 2004 empowers the HSE to engage such advisors as it considers necessary for the performance of its functions. I am advised by the HSE that this individual's engagement with the Executive concluded on 15 February 2007. No severance package was provided. The Executive is the appropriate...

Written Answers — Hospital Waiting Lists: Hospital Waiting Lists (3 Apr 2007)

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 issue raised by the Deputy. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (3 Apr 2007)

Mary Harney: There are no staff in my Department for whom two or more phone lines have been provided at their homes.

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (3 Apr 2007)

Mary Harney: Since CMOD moved to Tullamore in July 2006 no travel and subsistence has been paid to the training officer. The relocation of CMOD to Tullamore has had a limited impact on the work of the training officer or on the work of those who attend courses there. The relocation of CMOD has not affected the number of training days organised by the Department of Health and Children in 2006 which was...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (3 Apr 2007)

Mary Harney: Travel and subsistence amounting to €781 was paid to one officer in 2006 in respect of attendance at a pre-retirement planning course in Tullamore. No travel and subsistence claims were received in the preceding year in respect of attendance at such courses.

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (3 Apr 2007)

Mary Harney: As the Deputy will be aware my Department is not one of the Departments earmarked for decentralisation under the Civil Service Decentralisation Programme. However the Deputy may wish to note that under the decentralisation programme thirty civil servants have transferred to other Government Departments from my Department to date.

Nurses' Dispute: Statements (3 Apr 2007)

Mary Harney: I thank the Members who contributed to this debate. It was certainly very wide-ranging and went way beyond the issue of the dispute between the health service and the PNA and INO. Some nurses are represented by SIPTU and, as such, have signed on for the 10% pay increase through the social partnership agreement. They have put their faith in the benchmarking process. We went to...

Nurses' Dispute: Statements (3 Apr 2007)

Mary Harney: The fundamental question we have to ask ourselves, as a Parliament, a Government and a society, is what does fairness demand in this situation? First, and more important than anything else, is what fairness demands for patients. More than 1 million patients are seen in our hospitals each year. Fairness demands that we put patients first, avoiding at all costs inconvenience, distress,...

Seanad: Medical Practitioners Bill 2007: Second Stage (3 Apr 2007)

Mary Harney: The Medical Practitioners Bill 2007 updates and modernises the regulation of medical practitioners by the Medical Council. It is acknowledged the current legislative framework, which is almost 30 years old, needs to be revised. The Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 provided for the appointment of the new Health and Social Care Professionals Council, which recently held its first...

Written Answers — Health Insurance: Health Insurance (29 Mar 2007)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 14 together. This Government is intent on supporting genuine competition in the best interests of health insurance consumers and its development in the private health insurance market. At the same time, consideration has to be given to the stability of the community rated health insurance system, and the safeguards necessary to protect it, including risk...

Written Answers — MRSA Incidence: MRSA Incidence (29 Mar 2007)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9, 10, 32, 40, 42, 57, 63, 64, 78 and 101 together. Tackling Healthcare-Associated Infections (HCAIs), including MRSA is a priority for the Government and for the Health Service Executive. Recently-published studies show that in Ireland, the overall rate of HCAIs, which includes MRSA, is lower than our UK counterparts. However, it is generally accepted that...

Written Answers — Health Service Executive Remuneration: Health Service Executive Remuneration (29 Mar 2007)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 and 37 together. As part of the arrangements for the appointment of Professor Brendan Drumm as Chief Executive Office, the Board of the HSE agreed that support and advisory resources would be provided for the implementation of the health service reform programme. Section 24 of the Health Act, 2004 empowers the HSE to engage such advisers as it considers...

Written Answers — National Cancer Strategy: National Cancer Strategy (29 Mar 2007)

Mary Harney: The aim of the National Cancer Control Strategy, which was published in June 2006, is to reduce our cancer incidence, morbidity and mortality rates relative to other Member States of the European Union. This Government is committed to investing significantly in the implementation of the Strategy to build on the improvements we have made in recent years, particularly the improvements in...

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (29 Mar 2007)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 and 45 together. The National Task Force on Medical Staffing, chaired by Mr David Hanly, was set up to: devise a strategy for reducing the average working hours of non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs) so as to achieve the requirements of the European Working Time Directive (EWTD); address the consequent medical staffing needs of Irish hospitals; analyse...

Written Answers — Hospitals Building Programme: Hospitals Building Programme (29 Mar 2007)

Mary Harney: The Health Service Executive is currently engaged in a public procurement process in relation to the co-location of private hospitals on the sites of public hospitals. I understand that the competitive dialogue stage of the process has been completed and that the Invitation to Tender will issue in the next few days. The core requirement of a co-located hospital will be to treat the private...

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (29 Mar 2007)

Mary Harney: It has been estimated that up to 95% of people's health and social care needs can be properly met within a primary care setting. The establishment of new integrated multi-disciplinary Primary Care Teams can contribute greatly to enhancing community based health services and reducing reliance on hospital based services. The HSE received an additional €10m in funding in 2006 to enable the...