Results 15,741-15,760 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Written Answers — Ambulance Service: Ambulance Service (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Harney: Operational responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services was assigned to the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004 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...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Harney: Child health examinations are provided by the Health Service Executive (HSE) to children under 6 years of age and children attending national school in accordance with Section 66 of the Health Act, 1970. Under Section 67 of that Act, such children are eligible for HSE ophthalmic services in respect of problems noted at child health examinations. The Clinic at Rathdown Road provides these...

Written Answers — Medicinal Products: Medicinal Products (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Harney: I am aware of concerns that have been raised in recent years concerning the safety of the class of medicines known as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) which are used to treat depression. The Irish Medicines Board is the statutory body responsible for the regulation of medicinal products in Ireland. The Board, in consultation with its European counterparts, has continuously...

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Harney: I can confirm that the Government decided on 17th January 2007 to authorise the Health Service Executive (HSE) to source personal injury insurance cover for nurses employed in mental health services. This insurance would provide a fixed tariff of compensation for particular physical injuries resulting from assault by a patient. This would be in addition to the benefits available under the...

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Harney: Operational responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services was assigned to the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004 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...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Harney: My Department received the Health Service Executive's Capital Plan for 2007 on 17 January 2007. The Plan is being evaluated with a view to its approval by my Department and the Department of Finance. The Health Service Executive will announce details of the approved capital programme following this process.

Written Answers — Health Repayment Scheme: Health Repayment Scheme (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Harney: The Health (Repayment Scheme) Act 2006 provides a clear legal framework to repay recoverable health charges for publicly funded long term residential care. All those fully eligible persons who were wrongly charged and are alive will have their charges repaid in full. The estates of all those fully eligible persons who were wrongly charged for publicly funded long term residential care and...

Written Answers — Ambulance Service: Ambulance Service (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 659, 763 and 816 together. A consultancy study jointly commissioned by my Department and the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, Belfast (DHSSPS) on the costs and benefits associated with the introduction of a dedicated Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) for the island of Ireland was published in 2004 and is available on my...

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Harney: Over 120,000 people work full-time or part-time in our public health services. In recent years, the Government's ongoing high level of investment in health has achieved and maintained significant increases in the numbers of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals employed in the public health services. The Government has also invested heavily in the education and training of such...

Written Answers — National Treatment Purchase Fund: National Treatment Purchase Fund (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Harney: My Department, in 2002, arranged with the National Treatment Purchase Fund to provide treatment for persons on the orthodontic waiting list. If proposals are made to me by the Health Service Executive regarding a further use of the Fund towards this waiting list it will be considered. However, no decision can be taken on such a proposal until it is fully assessed.

Written Answers — Primary Care Strategy: Primary Care Strategy (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Harney: The Primary Care Strategy aims to develop services in the community to give people direct access to integrated multi-disciplinary teams of general practitioners, nurses, home helps, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and others. It has been estimated that up to 95% of people's health and social services needs can be properly met within a primary care setting and the establishment of...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Harney: Operational responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services was assigned to the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004 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 matter raised by the Deputy. My Department has requested the...

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 665, 740 and 845 together. I am aware that an issue has arisen around the availability of employment opportunities for recently qualified physiotherapists and I have asked the Health Service Executive to give the matter its urgent attention. Let me say at the outset that it is a matter for the Health Service Executive, as part of the management of its...

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Harney: Over 120,000 people work full-time or part-time in our public health services. In recent years, the Government's ongoing high level of investment in health has achieved and maintained significant increases in the numbers of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals employed in the public health services. The Government has also invested heavily in the education and training of such...

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Harney: Over 120,000 people work full-time or part-time in our public health services. In recent years, the Government's ongoing high level of investment in health has achieved and maintained significant increases in the numbers of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals employed in the public health services. The Government has also invested heavily in the education and training of such...

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Harney: Almost 120,000 people work full-time in our public health services. In recent years, the Government's ongoing high level of investment in health has achieved and maintained significant increases in the number of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals employed in the public health services. The Government has also invested heavily in the education and training of such personnel in...

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Harney: I can confirm that in the public health service overseas nurses are paid on the same salary scales as Irish nurses. All nurses regardless of nationality are given incremental credit for relevant nursing service gained anywhere in the world. Employers in the private health sector are not obliged to adhere to the Consolidated Salary Scales issued by my Department. However, they must comply with...

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Harney: The first cohort of students from the new four year degree programme graduated and registered as nurses in 2006. I understand that the overwhelming majority of these newly qualified nurses have taken up employment in the Irish public health service. There are vacant positions in the health service available for nurses on an ongoing basis to replace staff who have retired or resigned and in...

Written Answers — Health Repayment Scheme: Health Repayment Scheme (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Harney: The Health Service Executive has responsibility for administering the Repayment Scheme and the information sought by the Deputy relates to matters within the area of responsibility of the Executive. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have the matter investigated and to have a reply issued to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 672 and 769 together. Medical cards are made available to persons and their dependants who would otherwise experience undue hardship in meeting the cost of General Practitioner (GP) services. In 2005 the GP visit card was introduced as a graduated benefit so that people on lower incomes, particularly parents of young children, who do not qualify for a...