Results 181-200 of 2,629 for speaker:Tim O'Malley

Health Services: Motion. (12 Oct 2004)

Tim O'Malley: It is important to put in context the provision of acute hospital services. There have been many important advances in surgical technology, including less invasive surgical methods and advances in anaesthetics. These advances have allowed the range, safety and effectiveness of surgical procedures to be enhanced to a greater extent. However, innovations and technological advances have led to...

Health Services: Motion. (12 Oct 2004)

Tim O'Malley: The NTPF reported in May 2004 that waiting times have reduced significantly, with 37% of patients waiting between three and six months and 43% waiting between six and 12 months for surgery. Therefore, 80% of patients wait less than one year for surgical treatment. This represents a major reduction in the time patients must wait. The fund has substantial capacity to treat patients and will...

Health Services: Motion. (12 Oct 2004)

Tim O'Malley: We were told at the time there was no capacity in the system.

Health Services: Motion. (12 Oct 2004)

Tim O'Malley: In most instances, anyone waiting more than three months will be facilitated by the fund.

Health Services: Motion. (12 Oct 2004)

Tim O'Malley: A total of 19,000 patients is rubbish. How dare the Deputy say that?

Health Services: Motion. (12 Oct 2004)

Tim O'Malley: An important element of acute hospital services is the delivery of emergency services. Comhairle na nOspidéal published a report on accident and emergency services in February 2002, which noted that a hospital-wide response was needed to meet the requirements of the emergency service. Delivery of the emergency service at hospital level is interdependent on the inpatient elective service and...

Health Services: Motion. (12 Oct 2004)

Tim O'Malley: An additional 29 emergency medicine consultant posts were approved in 2001. There are 51 emergency medicine consultant posts in acute hospitals, which is a 260% increase in numbers since 1997. The availability of senior medical staff in emergency medicine departments should facilitate rapid clinical decision making and enhanced management, diagnosis and treatment of patients. Pressures on the...

Health Services: Motion. (12 Oct 2004)

Tim O'Malley: The development of a dedicated helicopter service would involve a considerable lead-in time. Key elements of the process would include the recruitment and training of appropriately skilled staff, development and implementation of education awareness programmes, the procurement of aircraft and the identification, development and certification of landing sites. According to the report, the...

Job Initiative. (12 Oct 2004)

Tim O'Malley: I thank Deputy O'Sullivan for her contribution. When reviewing the opportunities and resources offered to communities it is important to emphasise that a wide range of active labour market, training and education programmes operate across a number of Departments, aimed at improving the prospects of unemployed and inactive persons progressing to jobs in the open labour market. In addition to...

School Accommodation. (12 Oct 2004)

Tim O'Malley: I thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to outline the Department of Education and Science proposals to the House regarding the provision of new accommodation for the Holy Spirit special school in Kilkenny. The school caters for pupils with special educational needs. It has an enrolment of 37 pupils and a staff of seven class teachers and 13 classroom assistants. I am pleased to...

Hospitals Building Programme. (12 Oct 2004)

Tim O'Malley: I thank Deputy McHugh for raising this matter on the Adjournment. Following the closure by the Bon Secours order of the Grove Hospital in Tuam, the Western Health Board, which is responsible for the provision of health services in the Tuam area, took a decision to build a new 50-bed community hospital on the grounds and adjoining land to replace the existing facility. This new hospital will...

Telecommunications Services. (12 Oct 2004)

Tim O'Malley: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter which highlights once again the need for a high level of awareness of fire safety and fire precautions in the home. The regulation of the communications sector is a matter for the Commission for Communication Regulation and I cannot speak for that body in this matter. However, I understand from media reports that there is a technical problem with...

Written Answers — Hospitals Building Programme: Hospitals Building Programme (12 Oct 2004)

Tim O'Malley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 201 and 223 together. In December 2000 the East Coast Area Health Board, in conjunction with the Eastern Regional Health Authority, the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and my Department, established a group to review the future role of the Central Mental Hospital. The review group's report was submitted to the Eastern Regional Health Authority...

Written Answers — Disabled Drivers: Disabled Drivers (12 Oct 2004)

Tim O'Malley: Since the introduction of the current motorised transport grant circular on 1 July 2002, when a grant has been previously been paid towards the purchase of a vehicle, a grant towards the replacement of the car will not normally be payable, unless due to extenuating circumstances, until three years from the date that the previous grant was paid. There are no plans to change this scheme.

Written Answers — Mental Health Services: Mental Health Services (12 Oct 2004)

Tim O'Malley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 209 and 228 together. The majority of child psychiatrists work through a network of clinics. These clinics offer assessment, diagnosis and treatment and provide for the majority of referrals. All health boards have consultant-led multidisciplinary child and adolescent psychiatric teams in place. Since 1997, an extra 19 child and adolescent psychiatric teams...

Written Answers — Health Board Services: Health Board Services (12 Oct 2004)

Tim O'Malley: The individuals who attended the meeting in question were advised that the most appropriate way to initially advance the main issue discussed was to document in more detail the background and supporting information on the approach being taken and the results achieved to date. They were also advised that they should liaise with the relevant health services in their region with a view to...

Written Answers — Departmental Correspondence: Departmental Correspondence (12 Oct 2004)

Tim O'Malley: As the Deputy is aware from my reply to his correspondence, the matter raised by him is a matter for the health board in which the person named in the correspondence resides. As stated in my response to the Deputy, the chief executive officer of the relevant health board has been asked to investigate the matter and reply directly to him.

Written Answers — Departmental Correspondence: Departmental Correspondence (12 Oct 2004)

Tim O'Malley: Responsibility for the provision of funding for services in the Westmeath area is a matter, in the first instance, for the Midland Health Board. My Department has asked the chief executive officer of the health board to investigate the matter raised by the Deputy and reply directly to him.

Written Answers — Health Board Services: Health Board Services (12 Oct 2004)

Tim O'Malley: My Department has recently approved minor capital funding of €100,000 to the Eastern Regional Health Authority in respect of St. Joseph's School for the Visually Impaired, Dublin 9, to alleviate the current female accommodation situation at the school.

Written Answers — Suicide Incidence: Suicide Incidence (12 Oct 2004)

Tim O'Malley: My Department has given special attention in recent years to resourcing of suicide prevention initiatives. Since the publication of the report of the national task force on suicide in 1998, a cumulative total of more than €17.5 million has been provided towards suicide prevention programmes and for research. This year more than €4.5 million is available to the various agencies working...