Tuesday 14 May 2013

Oireachtas Update 13 May 2013
This week in the Oireachtas the following will be raised: in the Dáil, there will be statements in relation to a report on offshore oil and gas Exploration and the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2012 will be discussed at second stage and the Minister for Health will answer questions in the Dáil on Tuesday 14 May; in the Seanad a statement will be made on a recent OCED Review of the Irish Pensions System.; at Committee there are two private Health and Children Committee meetings on Tuesday 14 and Thursday 16 May in advance a full day of discussion on Friday 17 May in relation to the Public Hearings on the Heads of Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013.

New Chairman appointed to HIQUA
Mr Brian McEnery the new Chairperson of the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) was announced by the Minister for Health.  Mr McEnery is a qualified accountant and currently a Partner with BDO Consulting (Corporate Finance and Healthcare). He is the lead partner in healthcare consulting dealing in particular with older person care, primary care and acute care (March 2012 to date) and was previously responsible for the financial management of the corporate finance and restructuring area of the firm.  The Minister welcomed the new appointment and commended the outgoing Chairperson Pat McGrath acknowledging his significant contribution as Chairperson of HIQA since its inception six years ago.

New inspection regime for HIQUA
HIQA has published its first report aimed at strengthening and improving Ireland’s child protection and welfare services. The report, HSE Child Protection and Welfare Service in Carlow/Kilkenny http://hdl.handle.net/10147/291056  is the first in a series of reports into Ireland’s child protection and welfare services that will be published by the Authority. 

The Authority now inspects HSE Children and Family Services to measure its compliance with the National Standards for the Protection and Welfare of Children. The Authority is also assessing the implementation by the HSE of Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children (2011).  The Authority will report on its findings publicly and, as part of this process, hope to promote improvements in these services and tackle the issues of non compliance highlighted in the report.
  
World Hypertension Day Thursday May 17

Will kick off with a national blood pressure check road show with a mobile unit in the following centres;
Ø       Monday 13 May 2013 10am – 2pm, City Square Shopping Centre, Waterford
Ø       Tuesday 14 May 2013 10am – 2pm, Mahon Point Shopping Centre, Cork
Ø       Wednesday 15 May 2013 10am – 2pm, Crescent Shopping Centre, Limerick
Ø       Thursday 16 May 2013 10am – 2pm, Eyre Square Centre, Galway
Ø       Friday 17 May 2013 10am – 2pm, Blanchardstown Centre, Dublin 15

St. James’s Hospital develops a new cancer test
St. James’s Hospital is involved in an international consortium in biomarking and through the Ion Torrent project are developing a test using nonagrmas of DNA to map multiple gene mutations at once.  The initiative is part of a drive towards personalised medicine which is yielding excellent results in the treatment of cancer.  The test will cost the same as current tests that detect individual cancer mutation genes which is approximately €200. 

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