Results 16,081-16,100 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney
- Written Answers — National Treatment Purchase Fund: National Treatment Purchase Fund (5 Dec 2006)
Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 81, 93 and 134 together. I am satisfied that the taxpayer is receiving excellent value for money from the National Treatment Purchase Fund. I am not aware of evidence that the cost of procedures arranged by the Fund in the private sector is "substantially more" than similar procedures in public hospitals. It is difficult to make a direct comparison between the...
- Written Answers — Hospitals Building Programme: Hospitals Building Programme (5 Dec 2006)
Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 82, 130 and 157 together. The Health Services Executive is currently undertaking a procurement exercise to select consortia to build and operate private hospitals on 10 public hospital sites utilising the competitive dialogue tendering process. Invitations to participate in dialogue issued to pre-qualified bidders in mid September 2006 with a deadline to...
- Written Answers — Hospital Staff: Hospital Staff (5 Dec 2006)
Mary Harney: I have no direct function in relation to the staffing of private acute hospitals. According to the latest report on Consultant Staffing published by the National Hospitals Office, the number of consultants holding Category II posts, which entitles them to work in private hospitals, stands at 610 which represents 31% of the number of consultants available nationally. I would point out that it...
- Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (5 Dec 2006)
Mary Harney: The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act, 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
- Written Answers — Screening Programmes: Screening Programmes (5 Dec 2006)
Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 85 and 107 together. Screening is a service provided to apparently healthy people so that some who may go on to develop the disease may be diagnosed and treated effectively. The aim is to reduce the number of people suffering and dying from a specified health condition. As a process, screening has risks and benefits and is not without cost. My Department...
- Written Answers — International Agreements: International Agreements (5 Dec 2006)
Mary Harney: The Convention in question is primarily designed to reduce both the number of experiments and the number of animals used for such purposes. Parties to the Convention are encouraged not to experiment on animals except where there is no alternative and to encourage research into alternative methods. Animals to be experimented on should be selected on the basis of clearly established...
- Written Answers — Infectious Diseases: Infectious Diseases (5 Dec 2006)
Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 88, 146 and 329 together. The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) collects data on MRSA bacteraemia (also known as bloodstream infection or "blood poisoning") as part of the European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System (EARSS). EARSS collects data on the first episode of blood stream infection per patient per quarter. The Irish data for...
- Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (5 Dec 2006)
Mary Harney: The Health Service Executive (HSE) established an Orthodontic Review Group. The terms of reference for the group are: to review the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee Reports; to examine the recommendations within the operational remit of the HSE and to establish their status; to conduct an analysis of the HSE's existing orthodontic delivery structure and capacity. Based on...
- Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (5 Dec 2006)
Mary Harney: The Health Service Executive (HSE) established an Orthodontic Review Group. The terms of reference for the Group are: to review the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee Reports; to examine the recommendations within the operational remit of the HSE and to establish their status; to conduct an analysis of the HSE's existing orthodontic delivery structure and capacity. Based on...
- Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (5 Dec 2006)
Mary Harney: This Government is committed to the development of acute hospital services in each individual hospital, network, and region. Each hospital, including Roscommon, has a role to play in providing acute hospital services. Our policy is to provide safe, high-quality services that achieve the best possible outcomes for patients. This will mean that those services that can be safely delivered...
- Written Answers — Hospital Waiting Lists: Hospital Waiting Lists (5 Dec 2006)
Mary Harney: Responsibility for the collection and reporting of waiting lists and waiting times now falls within the remit of the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF). My Department has, therefore, asked the Chief Executive of the NTPF to reply to the Deputy directly in relation to the information requested.
- Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (5 Dec 2006)
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 — Accident and Emergency Services: Accident and Emergency Services (5 Dec 2006)
Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 102 and 127 together. My Department was recently made aware of a case of an elderly woman who, following treatment in the accident and emergency department of a public hospital, received a bill in respect of private services from a Consultant who attended to her there. Patients attending A&E departments in public hospitals are deemed to be public patients and...
- Written Answers — Primary Care Strategy: Primary Care Strategy (5 Dec 2006)
Mary Harney: The Strategy, Primary Care: A New Direction, aims to develop services in the community to give people direct access to integrated multi-disciplinary teams of general practitioners, nurses, health care assistants, home helps, 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...
- Written Answers — Health Insurance: Health Insurance (5 Dec 2006)
Mary Harney: In July 2005, I announced an initiative designed to provide up to 1,000 additional beds for public patients. This will be achieved through the development of private hospitals on the sites of public hospitals, transferring private activity to those hospitals and freeing up beds currently reserved for private patients. As the charges levied on private health insurers for treating private...
- Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (5 Dec 2006)
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. Therefore, the Executive is the appropriate body to provide the information requested by the Deputy. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have the information provided...
- Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (5 Dec 2006)
Mary Harney: The question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
- Written Answers — Hospitals Building Programme: Hospitals Building Programme (5 Dec 2006)
Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 111 and 241 together. The cost of developing private hospitals on public sites must be seen in the context of delivering up to 1,000 acute hospital beds for public patients. It also has to be seen in the context of the significant benefits that the HSE expects to receive in return for the concessions granted to the private operators. The Health Service...
- Written Answers — Cancer Screening Programme: Cancer Screening Programme (5 Dec 2006)
Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 113, 139, 254, 255, 270 and 302 together. I am committed to ensuring that the BreastCheck service is rolled out to the remaining regions in the country as quickly as possible. I have approved additional revenue funding of â¬8 million for 2007 to meet the additional costs involved, bringing BreastCheck's revenue budget to â¬21.7 million in 2007. I have also...
- Written Answers — Medical Research: Medical Research (5 Dec 2006)
Mary Harney: The use of live animals in scientific research and other experimental activity is strictly controlled in accordance with the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876, as amended by the European Communities (Amendment of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1876) Regulations 2002 and 2005. Under the Act, each licence applicant must satisfy the Authority that they have the appropriate education and training (including...