Results 17,421-17,440 of 45,622 for speaker:Simon Harris

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Health Screening Programmes (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 and 34 together. I thank Deputies Donnelly and O'Reilly for their important and timely questions. We began to discuss this issue last week and it is quite right and important that we keep it on the agenda in the House. On the State and lawyers, it is very important that the State accepts liability in regard to non-disclosure in any of these cases, does...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Health Screening Programmes (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: The Deputies' suggestions are very helpful and constructive. I concur that this is an issue on which we must all work and pull together and I have no doubt that we will do so. "Yes" is the short answer to Deputy Donnelly's question as to whether I will endeavour to find a mechanism to brief health spokespersons or the health committee on the legal advice or rationale behind any approach I...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Facilities (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: The Deputy is entirely correct and I assure him that not only will the Department take an interest in this but I will take a personal interest in it. I know that Deputies Durkan and Heydon will continue to monitor this issue in the House. It is important for people to know exactly what the mental health unit will involve. The Kildare and west Wicklow mental health service proposes...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Facilities (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: Development phase three, which is the exciting new development for Naas hospital, including the endoscopy unit but much more than that, is, I understand, at tender stage. This consists of accommodation, ancillary services to support the endoscopy unit, a physical medicine unit, a physical therapy unit, an oncology unit and a day procedure department. It will also include a duplex reverse...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Home Care Packages Provision (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 15 together. I am taking these questions on behalf of my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, who is at a dementia conference today. Improving access to home support is a priority for the Government. Over the past four years, we have seen a considerable increase of nearly €140 million in the budget, which has grown from...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Home Care Packages Provision (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: Absolutely. The Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, and I are keeping in very regular contact with the HSE on this issue because apart from the societal impact of not providing home support and the impact on a family, it can have a significant knock-on effect on hospital admissions, the use of hospital beds and delayed discharges, to use a phrase I do not like. The Minister of State...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Home Care Packages Provision (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: I have no doubt we could do that. In advance of the introduction of the fair deal scheme, the question of significant delays in accessing nursing home care was a very persistent one in this House, probably tabled by Deputy Durkan, who is known for his parliamentary questions, and by many other Deputies. The fair deal scheme, which was landmark legislation, brought through by the former...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Facilities (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 215 together. I thank Deputies Durkan and Heydon for asking these important questions about Naas General Hospital. I was delighted to visit the hospital on a number of occasions with Deputies Durkan and Heydon. There are, as the Deputy said, two distinct capital development proposals for Naas General Hospital at present. The first development...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Paediatric Services (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for this important question. Children’s Health Ireland has advised that recruitment is well under way to secure the required staff for the opening of the outpatient urgent care centre at Connolly Hospital and that the majority of staff have been recruited, with start dates over the forthcoming weeks and, in some cases, months. A total of 13 consultant posts are...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Paediatric Services (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: I have no doubt this service will see additionality from July in regard to paediatric healthcare. I take the points the Deputy makes that if we are just taking a doctor from here to there, that is not additionality. I genuinely have no doubt it will bring additionality in terms of extra appointments for children. I outlined in my last answer the volume I expect as a result of this centre...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Paediatric Services (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: I thought that might be the case.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Paediatric Services (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: I expect we are likely to know in the month of June but I will confirm that with Children’s Health Ireland and write to the Deputy. The Deputy is entirely correct that this requires a lot of planning. I make the point that, thanks to the legislation passed in this House, which the Deputy co-operated on and supported, we now have Children's Health Ireland, which is one hospital...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Hospital Consultant Recruitment (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: I cannot give a definitive timeframe for that because these processes require two sides being willing to negotiate an outcome. When we engaged with the GPs, for example, a massive amount of intensive work was required. When we engaged with GPs and then with nurses, after they took the significant step of industrial action, which they did not take lightly, both sides had requests. It will...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Health Services Staff Recruitment (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for this important question. To clarify, I would not describe what is happening as a recruitment embargo in the health service, nor did the new director general of the HSE do so in his first memorandum to his HSE leadership team, which I read about this morning. The issue can be accurately described as individual hospital groups and community health organisations across...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Health Services Staff Recruitment (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: I agree with the Deputy on the need to tackle agency staff. That is why in the new deal we have with nurses and the new nurses contract both I and the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO, believe that the new measures will help reduce a dependency on agency staff and help to recruit and retain more nurses in full-time, permanent posts. That is the view of the union that has just...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Health Services Staff Recruitment (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: I was at its conference.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Health Services Staff Recruitment (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: One cannot describe a situation where we will hire 2,000 additional staff this year as a recruitment embargo. An embargo suggests that we are not hiring any more people. In other words, that we are stopping recruitment. We are not doing that; we are going to hire 2,000 more people. However, what we are expecting hospital groups and CHOs to do is something that every other public service...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Hospital Consultant Recruitment (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: The number of consultants working in the public health service continues to grow year-on-year. It increased by 119 whole-time equivalents, WTEs, or 4% in the year to the end of March 2019. In the five years to the end of March 2019, the number of consultants increased by 529, more than 20%, and now stands at 3,110 WTEs. It is important in any discussion of this issue to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Hospital Consultant Recruitment (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: I outlined my position very clearly in that regard at the IMO conference in Killarney a couple of weekends ago and I am happy to outline it again here. Addressing consultants and their concerns is the next major issue we need to resolve. I say that from the position that we have just reached an agreement with general practitioners, which is still being considered by the Irish Medical...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Occupational Therapy Waiting Lists (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: I acknowledge that the current time to access Occupational Therapy services can be too long in certain locations and that this may cause anxiety for parents and patients who are currently waiting to access services. That is why the HSE will be prioritising investment in Occupational Therapy in 2019 to reduce waiting times and improve access to services. Across the country, 40 additional...