Results 14,901-14,920 of 45,622 for speaker:Simon Harris

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Meeting on Health Issues: Discussion (2 Oct 2019)

Simon Harris: I am addressing it urgently. I hope the committee and the Oireachtas will help me to deliver the bits that are not just the nice fluffy bits. We can all say we are in favour of more homecare services - Sláintecare - and dismantling the HSE, which is the right thing to do. The HSE and the excellent people who work in it know that its current structure is not configured correctly. It...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Meeting on Health Issues: Discussion (2 Oct 2019)

Simon Harris: I am having a meeting tomorrow with Deputy Cullinane and Oireachtas Members from Waterford on a cross-party basis. I respect the way they work on a cross-party basis on issues of importance in the south east as it is effective. I am very aware of concerns of people in the south east over this issue. They have a new state-of-the art facility in the shape of the Dunmore wing, which will...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Meeting on Health Issues: Discussion (2 Oct 2019)

Simon Harris: I thank Senator Kieran O'Donnell for consistently raising the issues in regard to the mid-west. The Senator is correct in terms of his remarks in regard to the 60-bed modular unit. I know we are only as good as the next thing we can do for this region and that it is important that we do an awful lot more. I get that. We do have a plan to increase bed capacity by 150 or more, with the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Meeting on Health Issues: Discussion (2 Oct 2019)

Simon Harris: I am giving my view on the matter.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Meeting on Health Issues: Discussion (2 Oct 2019)

Simon Harris: I am coming to that. I have heard very clearly members' views on the issues of diagnostics and the MRI scanner. It is the view of all members, echoed by the CEO, that we could free up capacity and get people in and out of the hospital a lot quicker if we had an additional MRI scanner. I get that. There is need for consideration of how best to achieve that and there is a funding...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Meeting on Health Issues: Discussion (2 Oct 2019)

Simon Harris: Yes, sorry. I will be meeting the HSE and the Department on this matter tomorrow.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Meeting on Health Issues: Discussion (2 Oct 2019)

Simon Harris: I will update Oireachtas Members.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Meeting on Health Issues: Discussion (2 Oct 2019)

Simon Harris: I thank Senator Byrne for being in constant contact with me on this matter and for visiting St. John's Hospital with me, with which I know she has a long affinity and connection. I know also, because the Senator raised it in this House a few weeks ago, that her view is that St. John's can and should do more and that it has a proposal for a 120 bed ward block, to which we will give...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Meeting on Health Issues: Discussion (2 Oct 2019)

Simon Harris: I want to formally and publicly thank Sharon Butler Hughes for the work she did in highlighting this issue. I am very pleased that on behalf of the HSE, the CEO apologised about the IT glitch and that he took very swift action about commissioning an independent external rapid review. I thank Professor MacCraith for carrying out that review. He did not pull his punches. He was very clear...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Meeting on Health Issues: Discussion (2 Oct 2019)

Simon Harris: When one is corresponding with someone, it is very useful to be very honest with him or her. I accept the findings of the MacCraith report, which is very clear about what I knew and when I knew it, in full. Most importantly, I am excited by its recommendations in terms of how we can make CervicalCheck even more responsive to women. Mr. Reid and I, along with the CervicalCheck staff in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Meeting on Health Issues: Discussion (2 Oct 2019)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Brady for his question. I know what a sincere help he has been to Les, Lynda, Cogs and Kiwi. This is not a party political issue. Both of us have got to know the family very well. It is fair to say they have done a really important job in highlighting issues regarding our newborn screening programme. I hope to meet Les Martin again in the next couple of weeks and I invite...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Meeting on Health Issues: Discussion (2 Oct 2019)

Simon Harris: I thank the Senator on the question on a primary care centre for Erris. I do not have specific information. Does Ms O'Connor?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Meeting on Health Issues: Discussion (2 Oct 2019)

Simon Harris: We will come back to the Senator in writing on it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Meeting on Health Issues: Discussion (2 Oct 2019)

Simon Harris: I will ask the HSE comment on that. I acknowledge that living near any major construction project will obviously cause significant disruption in an area. As I said when Senator Devine introduced me to some residents here at the health committee, I think it is very important that the hospital constructors are good neighbours and keep people informed as to what is going on and consult with...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Meeting on Health Issues: Discussion (2 Oct 2019)

Simon Harris: I have not received the medicines review report yet. My understanding is that the work has now concluded and I expect to receive it shortly. Yes, it is my intention to publish it. It would be sensible to have it as an iterative process, as it is in other jurisdictions. When I receive the report, I would be happy to meet Deputy Brassil on it. I will also make it available to the committee.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Meeting on Health Issues: Discussion (2 Oct 2019)

Simon Harris: No.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Meeting on Health Issues: Discussion (2 Oct 2019)

Simon Harris: No. The chief executive is better placed to speak on this. There is a strategy where we will be taking on an additional 1,000 extra staff across the health service this year, including many extra nurses. We can see that in the nursing numbers already. There is a requirement, however, that our hospitals only hire those they are funded to hire. It is just like schools and every other part...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Meeting on Health Issues: Discussion (2 Oct 2019)

Simon Harris: There is no central policy of a recruitment freeze in the health service. It is about living within funding budgets.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Meeting on Health Issues: Discussion (2 Oct 2019)

Simon Harris: While the Deputy has the permission of one person to discuss an issue, there is more than one involved. I have a duty of care to the good decent public servants who work in my Department and do their very best in their jobs. I know the Deputy acknowledges that as well. In my correspondence with Ms Butler Hughes, which I have seen published somewhere, I said I am happy to meet her and I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Meeting on Health Issues: Discussion (2 Oct 2019)

Simon Harris: She is and so too are officials in my Department.