Results 18,601-18,620 of 45,789 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Applications (4 Apr 2019)

Simon Harris: As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Applications (4 Apr 2019)

Simon Harris: As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.

Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2018 [Seanad]: Report Stage (3 Apr 2019)

Simon Harris: While Deputy O'Reilly has been a very robust opponent, I have never found her to behave in any way that is not decent. I acknowledge that.

Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2018 [Seanad]: Report Stage (3 Apr 2019)

Simon Harris: I hope that is something we can say about every Member of this House now and into the future. I understand the arithmetic of the House and I do not intend to divide the House on this. I accept the bona fides of what Deputy O'Reilly is endeavouring to do. I have cautioned the House regarding this matter. The record of the House will show that.

Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2018 [Seanad]: Report Stage (3 Apr 2019)

Simon Harris: I move amendment No. 10:In page 21, line 13, to delete “the person referred to” and substitute “a person referred to in”. This is a technical amendment to section 14 of the Bill to replace the words “the person referred to” with “a person referred to in”.

Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2018 [Seanad]: Report Stage (3 Apr 2019)

Simon Harris: I move amendment No. 10a:In page 24, line 36, to delete "an audit committee" and substitute "the audit committee". This amendment is a typographical correction to change the wording from "an audit committee" to "the audit committee".

Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2018 [Seanad]: Report Stage (3 Apr 2019)

Simon Harris: I move amendment No. 11:In page 30, line 38, to delete “Board authorised” and substitute “Executive authorised”. This is a technical correction to Schedule 2 of the Health Act 2004 and provides for the authentication of the seal. The current reference is an employee of the board and this should be to an employee of the HSE.

Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2018 [Seanad]: Report Stage (3 Apr 2019)

Simon Harris: I move amendment No. 12:In page 31, line 10, to delete “Any 6” and substitute “Any 7”.

Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2018 [Seanad]: Report Stage (3 Apr 2019)

Simon Harris: I move amendment No. 13:In page 31, line 13, to delete “6 members” and substitute “7 members”.

Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2018 [Seanad]: Report Stage (3 Apr 2019)

Simon Harris: I move amendment No. 14:In page 31, line 19, to delete “5 ordinary” and substitute “6 ordinary”.

Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2018 [Seanad]: Report Stage (3 Apr 2019)

Simon Harris: Now.

Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2018 [Seanad]: Report Stage (3 Apr 2019)

Simon Harris: That is correct. The Bill will pass the Dáil in the normal way. The Bill will then will have to go back to the Seanad anyway because it has been amended here. There will then be an opportunity for me to amend the amendments in the Seanad and I will do that along the lines we discussed in regard to the composition of the board. I believe the Bill will then return to the Dáil for...

Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2018 [Seanad]: Report Stage (3 Apr 2019)

Simon Harris: I am disappointed by the position being adopted because I think it means it is likely that the amendment might pass. I need to put on the record of the House my concerns in this regard. The first point is that this is the law today, so when Deputies were at the health committee meeting this morning discussing CervicalCheck, this was the law and has been the law in the Health Act since...

Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2018 [Seanad]: Report Stage (3 Apr 2019)

Simon Harris: A discussion of our ideologies could be interesting. I want to make it very clear, as I think I did on previous Stages in the Seanad, that I certainly do not doubt that a person nominated by ICTU could well have all the qualities and experience needed to be an effective member of the HSE board. Based on my interactions with the trade union movement, I have no doubt about the calibre or...

Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2018 [Seanad]: Report Stage (3 Apr 2019)

Simon Harris: I move amendment No. 5:In page 9, line 35, to delete "4 members" and substitute "5 members".

Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2018 [Seanad]: Report Stage (3 Apr 2019)

Simon Harris: I move amendment No. 6:In page 10, between lines 13 and 14, to insert the following: "(12) For the purpose of this section, "health profession" means any of the following professions:(a) dentist; (b) a designated profession within the meaning of section 3 of the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005; (c) medical practitioner; (d) midwife; (e) nurse; (f) pharmacist.".

Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2018 [Seanad]: Report Stage (3 Apr 2019)

Simon Harris: We already have guidelines on appointments to State boards that set out the confirmation process for chairperson. In fact, I think the chair designate of the HSE board offered to go before the Joint Committee on Health and the committee decided it did not need to meet with him. Persons being proposed by the Minister for appointment as chairpersons of State boards or agencies are required to...

Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2018 [Seanad]: Report Stage (3 Apr 2019)

Simon Harris: I had different views on this because we strengthened this legislation compared with the Health Act 2004, which did not suggest that the CEO would have to seek board approval for any other office, employment, business or the like. However, I am persuaded by the argument put forward by Deputy O'Reilly and am happy to accept the amendment.

Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2018 [Seanad]: Report Stage (3 Apr 2019)

Simon Harris: It is not a view that is new to colleagues on the Opposition benches tonight that we must ensure the Bill is legally robust. We have spoken much about cervical cancer in these Houses, as well as the Scally report and recommendations. I accepted an amendment put to me in the Seanad and redrafted it to ensure we could implement the Scally recommendations. This relates to section 16N(2)(b) of...

Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2018 [Seanad]: Report Stage (3 Apr 2019)

Simon Harris: Yes, and such a financial expert. I am suggesting that we accept my amendments but at the next available opportunity I will make that change. There is an opportunity on the legislative list this year and I will work with the Opposition to further refine membership of the board if it is the view of the House that there should be an additional seat for clinical expertise and a ring-fenced...