Results 18,001-18,020 of 45,789 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Health: Prescriptions Charges (8 May 2019)

Simon Harris: The Programme for Partnership Government contains a commitment to reduce the cost of medicines by reducing the prescription charge for medical card holders. In line with this commitment, in budget 2019 I announced a reduction in the prescription charge to €1.50, subject to a monthly cap of €15, for all medical card holders over the age of 70. This reduction came into effect on 1...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Car Park Charges (8 May 2019)

Simon Harris: Hospitals which charge parking fees are cognisant of the financial implications parking costs can have on patients and their families, particularly those with long-term illnesses. Some hospitals have introduced a maximum daily fixed parking charge, thus capping this expense. I understand that some hospitals also provide reduced rate parking for long-term patients and visitors for whom the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Administration (8 May 2019)

Simon Harris: The GMS contract stipulates that fees for medical and GP visit card holders are not paid to GPs in respect of certain medical certificates which may be required, for example, "under the Social Welfare Acts or for the purposes of insurance or assurance policies or for the issue of driving licences". Any fees charged by GPs for services provided outside the terms of the GMS contract are a...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Delays (8 May 2019)

Simon Harris: Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual. The National...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Status (8 May 2019)

Simon Harris: Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual. The National...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products Reimbursement (8 May 2019)

Simon Harris: The HSE has statutory responsibility for medicine pricing and reimbursement decisions, in accordance with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. The Act specifies the criteria for decisions on the reimbursement of medicines. The Minister for Health has no role in this statutory process. In line with the 2013 Act, if a company would like a medicine to be reimbursed by...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff Remuneration (8 May 2019)

Simon Harris: I expect that the Deputy is referring to the Job Evaluation scheme for support staff grades. As part of the talks which took place under the Lansdowne Road Agreement, a chairman’s note was agreed by all parties on the reintroduction of a Job Evaluation Scheme in the Health Sector. This scheme had been discontinued in 2008. The note provided that all parties would agree on the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Acquired Infections (8 May 2019)

Simon Harris: On 25 October 2017, I convened the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) as a result of the activation of the Public Health Emergency Plan, as a public health response to CPE in Ireland. Over the last eighteen months, a number of measures have been put in place including strong governance arrangements for healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR)...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff Recruitment (8 May 2019)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 917 and 918 together. Officials from my Department have been engaging intensively with the HSE in reaching agreement on a Pay and Numbers Strategy for 2019. The key focus in developing the strategy is to ensure that affordable and appropriate recruitment decisions are made by the HSE as they need to operate within their allocated budget considering the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Vaccine Damage Compensation Scheme (8 May 2019)

Simon Harris: The Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) is responsible for monitoring the safety and quality of all medicines including vaccines that are licensed in Ireland. The HPRA and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) continually monitor adverse events to vaccination. The HPRA operates a national adverse reaction reporting system, which members of the public and healthcare professionals are...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Tobacco Control Measures (8 May 2019)

Simon Harris: As this matter is an operational issue I have sent the question to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Tobacco Control Measures (8 May 2019)

Simon Harris: Tobacco consumption is the largest avoidable health threat in Ireland and 1 in 2 smokers will die from a tobacco-related disease. The Tobacco Free Ireland(2013) policy document contains a number of recommendations to assist smokers in quitting tobacco use. In relation to nicotine replacement therapy (‘NRT’) the recommendation is that NRT should be more widely available,...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Tobacco Control Measures (8 May 2019)

Simon Harris: Tobacco consumption is the largest avoidable health threat in Ireland and one in two smokers will die from a tobacco-related disease. The policy document "Tobacco Free Ireland" sets out over 60 recommendations, with the overall aims of denormalising smoking in our society, protecting children from the harms of tobacco, enforcing, regulating and legislating for tobacco activities and products,...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Drugs Payment Scheme Coverage (8 May 2019)

Simon Harris: Under the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the HSE has statutory responsibility for the administration of the community drug schemes; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Status (8 May 2019)

Simon Harris: Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual. The National...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Patient Safety (8 May 2019)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for asking about the Individual Health Identifier (IHI) which is an important patient safety initiative and a fundamental part of my Department’s eHealth strategy. It is the intention to embed the IHI into all health systems nationally, across multiple sites and as such, it is a project that will continue for several years. The sequencing of the candidate health...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Status (8 May 2019)

Simon Harris: Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual. The National...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Status (8 May 2019)

Simon Harris: Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual. The National...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Cannabis for Medicinal Use (8 May 2019)

Simon Harris: It is open to a registered medical practitioner to apply for a Ministerial Licence under the Misuse of Drugs Acts 1977 to 2016. Such a licence, if granted, enables the licensee (the medical practitioner) to legally prescribe the Schedule 1 controlled drug - cannabis, containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) - for a named patient. Licences have been granted in respect of twenty individual...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Status (8 May 2019)

Simon Harris: Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual. The National...