Results 1-20 of 46 for other and baby speaker:Simon Harris

Select Committee on Health: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2018)

Simon Harris: I do not think that is what I am doing. It is certainly not what we are endeavouring to do. We are attempting to do what Dr. Boylan told this committee. Every other doctor probably told the committee a variation thereof. If a pregnancy reaches viability, except under the emergency head which I want to come back to in a minute because it feeds into this conversation, the baby will be...

Select Committee on Health: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2018)

Simon Harris: ...I came across also, is because each practitioner has to singularly do it. It is still a singular assessment, if the Deputy knows what I mean. The practitioner will have to assess the viability and the other person will also have to assess the viability. From the point of view of drafting, we are satisfied with that. The second part of the question was if the Deputy's understanding...

Select Committee on Health: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2018)

Simon Harris: ...an extra protection. Let us be honest; doctors know what viability is. They make decisions on whether a foetus is viable. They know these things. This will involve two doctors, obstetricians, and they will be dealing with a consenting woman. People will get this. They will know this and these will be personal choices. We are providing doctors with extra protection so that they do...

Select Committee on Health: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2018)

Simon Harris: ...chilling factor which the doctor might have in cases where there is something medical that could keep a foetus alive but where, as the Deputy rightly says, the foetus would never become a viable baby. That is what we are trying to get to. I am not sure any of us is clear whether we have gotten there. I am convinced that is what this section does and other people, including the Deputy...

Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2018)

Simon Harris: Of course, any baby born in a hospital should be given all the supports of a neonatal unit. This is "without extraordinary life-sustaining measures". For these reasons, and based on my engagements with some clinicians working on the roll-out of this service, the legal advice of the Attorney General and the other definitions in the Act, I do not propose to accept the amendment.

Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2018)

Simon Harris: I will not be in a position to accept this amendment proposed by Senators, which is, as acknowledged by Senators Ó Domhnaill and Mullen, virtually indistinguishable from an amendment on this subject put forward in the Dáil. While I can see that the amendments are proposed with the care of infants in mind and I do not dispute the Senators' bona fides on that either, the purpose of...

An Bille um an Séú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht 2018: An Dara Céim (Atógáil) - Thirty-sixth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2018: Second Stage (Resumed) (20 Mar 2018)

Simon Harris: ...a number of occasions in recent months, as have all Deputies. I hope in the not-too-distant future we will have an opportunity to stop speaking on this issue, or certainly to stop speaking to each other on it, and to start engaging with our constituents, communities and civil society as the people make a solemn, serious and complex choice. Tonight has been quite an emotional debate in...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Newborn Screening Cards (11 Sep 2017)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 899, 900 and 1161 together. As I outlined in my previous response to Questions Nos. 769 and 770 of 26 July 2017, following a complaint made to the Data Protection Commissioner in 2009 the State remains in breach of both European Union and national data protection legislation in relation to the retention of newborn screening cards without consent. A policy...

Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (10 Dec 2018)

Simon Harris: In response to Senator Mullen's initial comments, we can vehemently disagree on the content of this legislation, as I know we do, and still have a debate that is respectful and constructive, and, as he rightly says, does not seek to filibuster or delay. I look forward to engaging on that basis. I am not in a position to accept amendments Nos. 3 or 15 because these amendments, tabled by the...

Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report Stage (Resumed) (29 Nov 2018)

Simon Harris: ...Deputies for the debate. I am not in a position to accept this amendment which is indistinguishable from the amendment on the same subject put forward on Committee Stage. We had a long discussion and vote on that amendment then. While I can see that the amendment is proposed with the care of infants in mind - and I do not question the Deputy's bona fides in that regard at all - the...

Select Committee on Health: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Nov 2018)

Simon Harris: ..., or certainly, recommendations were given in the all-party committee report on the eighth amendment in respect of ancillary recommendations. I hate the word "ancillary" because it somehow or other seems to suggest they were afterthoughts. They were not. They were fundamental to the deliberations of the committee. All of us who campaigned for a "Yes" vote stated we were going to...

Select Committee on Health: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2018)

Simon Harris: There is probably great excitement that this woman is pregnant and going to have a baby but all of a sudden some terrible tragedy has hit the family whereby this woman is in a very dire situation, for which I know we all have compassion. That is the situation we are talking about, not the general situation without specific indication or pre-12 weeks so, in that sense, it is quite different....

Written Answers — Department of Health: Commissions of Investigation Data (6 Nov 2018)

Simon Harris: In the main, bodies such as the Health Service Executive or the Health Information and Quality Authority carry out investigations or inquiries into health related issues. There is one commission of investigation currently taking place under the remit of the Minister for Health. The Commission of Investigation (Certain matters relative to a disability service in the South East and related...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Newborn Screening Cards (26 Jul 2017)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 769 and 770 together. In late 2009, a complaint was made to the Data Protection Commissioner regarding the indefinite retention of the Newborn Screening Cards (the cards) without consent, which constituted a breach of the Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2003. The complaint was upheld by the Commissioner, who ruled that the Newborn Screening Card archive be...

Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2018)

Simon Harris: .... The regulation of obstetric practice is not done through this piece of legislation. If it were done, I am sure the Senator would be coming forward with many amendments about how to care for the woman, and how she should be dealt with in this situation, but the Senator has not. The Senator recognises that this Bill does not regulate obstetric practice. There is no treatment plan or...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Communications (21 Nov 2017)

Simon Harris: The following domain names are currently registered to my Department. Some refer to areas which were applicable to the former Department of Health & Children and no longer relate to the business of the Department of Health, while others are no longer in use but the registration has not expired. Domain Name Description health.gov.ie / health.irlgov.ie Department's government domain...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion
Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: ...here bizarrely, is that people measure the health service through a very limited prism. I accept there are access challenges in respect of getting into the health service. That is a valid and fair criticism but if one looks at survival rates for cancer, for strokes, for heart attacks, life expectancy being above the EU average and the fact that a baby girl born in a hospital across the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Electronic Health Records (26 Oct 2017)

Simon Harris: ...MN-CMS) is a pathfinder project towards developing a National Healthcare Electronic Record. The project started with the realisation that healthcare interaction in the future will ultimately be digital and it follows the strategic direction set out in the eHealth strategy for Ireland published in 2013. Although the MN-CMS is primarily about the documentation and communication of mother...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Vaccination Programme (21 Nov 2017)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 326 and 327 together. Influenza can be a serious illness for people in ‘at risk’ groups which can lead to hospitalisation and death. It is strongly recommended that people in at-risk groups get the flu vaccine. ‘At-risk’ people include those aged 65 years and older, people with chronic illness requiring regular medical...

An Bille um an Séú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht 2018: An Dara Céim - Thirty-sixth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2018: Second Stage (9 Mar 2018)

Simon Harris: ...: "Go léifear an Bille an Dara hUair anois." I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." Today, we mark the introduction of a Bill which, if passed, will give the people of Ireland the chance to vote on one of the most debated sections in our Constitution, Article 40.3.3°. I am conscious that we are sitting on a Friday, which is not usual. I thank colleagues for...