Results 7,581-7,600 of 21,514 for speaker:Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Written Answers — Department of Health: Long-Term Illness Scheme Issues (17 Jul 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: 265. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 677 of 2 July 2013, and in view of the recent announcement of cost saving measures (details supplied) removing the 20% retail mark up for pharmacists, if a person who has both a medical card and a long term illness card will now be able to avail of long term illness prescriptions free of charge; the date on which these...

Health (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (16 Jul 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: If the voices of those who are medical practitioners across a range of disciplines could be heard here - rather than the voice of the Minister, who is a medical practitioner by profession - many of them would totally reject his claims. This Bill is deleterious to the health services and to the finances and health of ordinary citizens. I roundly reject the passage of section 12 and of this...

Health (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (16 Jul 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: Under section 12, we are having higher and further charges imposed, and for what? At the end of the day there is no doubt that it is for shrinking services. That is what we are looking at here. The Bill increases the daily charges for public inpatient services to acute hospitals from €75 to €80. If we consider the cohort of people who will be impacted by that increase, as I...

Health (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (16 Jul 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: The Minister cannot all the time claim that the heroic efforts of front-line service providers is to his credit. It is to their professional credit and integrity and we all acknowledge that.

Health (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (16 Jul 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I support the amendment, which Deputy Troy has moved on behalf of Deputy Kelleher. The Deputy quite rightly highlighted the increased level of charges that will apply. The argument to reduce the period in respect of which charges will apply to ten is reasonable. I am opposed to this section in its entirety but I would be willing to accept the arguments in respect of the amendment if the...

Health (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (16 Jul 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I can assure the Minister that neither I nor my party would countenance those charges applying irrespective of the income stream of individuals. We believe in universal healthcare and its provision on the basis of need. We believe in a progressive form of taxation that will provide for these services. A wealth tax is exactly that, where people who are in a position to pay more should pay...

Health (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (16 Jul 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: Of course the Minister resorts to silly nonsense when he no longer has any cogent argument. Nobody ever suggested a wealth tax was the panacea for all our economic woes and financial ills; far from it. It is part of a package of measures which we have consistently commended to a series of Governments. It is well-documented and well-costed, not by Sinn Féin but by the Department of...

Health (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (16 Jul 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I move amendment No. 4:In page 6, line 15, to delete “7.5 per cent” and substitute “5 per cent”.

Health (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (16 Jul 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I move amendment No. 5:In page 7, line 40, to delete “7.5 per cent” and substitute “5 per cent”.

Health (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (16 Jul 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I move amendment No. 6:In page 8, line 23, to delete “7.5 per cent” and substitute “5 per cent”.

Health (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (16 Jul 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: While I will be opposing both sections 11 and 12, I will deal with section 11 first. When the nursing homes support scheme was introduced, Sinn Féin and others expressed concern that it removed the universal eligibility for a place in a public nursing home as provided for under the Health Act 1970 and this Bill reinforces the position. This is a serious matter because it is drawing...

Health (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (16 Jul 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: Before the Minister replies to the contributions Deputy Naughten and I made, I again emphasise the seriousness of the proposed increase from 5% to 7.5% of the net asset value calculable in terms of the individual's contribution under the terms of the nursing home support scheme. It is wholly inappropriate and excessive. Irrespective of current market values, there is no provision to reverse...

Health (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (16 Jul 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: Sadly and despite all his protestations, which I cited in respect of amendment No. 2, one did not expect the Minister to do so. Talk about performing a volte-face. The position he holds now is a complete reversal of that which he held when he was on the Opposition benches. Essentially, he is a cheerleader for all he opposed when he was an Opposition spokesperson on health. His position is...

Health (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (16 Jul 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I move amendment No. 3:In page 5, line 36, to delete “7.5 per cent” and substitute “5 per cent”.My amendments seek to delete the Minister's proposal to increase the asset contribution to 7.5% and retain the current position of 5%. I do this with some reluctance. An increase from 5% to 7.5% is a 50% increase on the calculable asset value of the recipient of the...

Health (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (16 Jul 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: There is no getting away from the fact that the subsection I have referred to and that I seek to amend is a provision for privatisation, either in whole or in part, of the scheme's administration, which is currently within the public service ambit and which, I strongly believe, should remain there. I support the review of the overall administration to improve it and make it more...

Health (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (16 Jul 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: The Minister starts by rejecting the case I have made and then after a trickle of sentences uses the language of "at this time" and "if in the future". This is exactly what I have described. It is provision for the privatisation of the administration of this scheme or any part of it. No amount of wriggling will get away from the fact that the only reason this is here is that consideration...

Health (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (16 Jul 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I move amendment No. 2:In page 4, to delete lines 1 to 4 and substitute the following:"(b) In administering the Scheme the Executive shall ensure that it is user-friendly and that applicants are assisted at every stage in the making of their applications and that application procedures are as straightforward and comprehensible as possible.".".The proposition in subsection (3)(b) did not...

Health (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (16 Jul 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: The Minister has stated that following positive engagement with the private health insurers he proposes holding the position until 1 January 2014. The Minister may correct me if I am wrong but as I understand it, section 13 applies specifically to those who hold private health insurance. Subsection (2) of the amendment proposes that the sections shall come into operation on 1 September...

Health (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (16 Jul 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I do not wish to be confrontational and am merely seeking to have an issue clarified. Is the Minister proposing by way of a supplementary amendment to change the implementation date from 1 September 2013 to 1 January 2014? Is that the net effect of the Leas-Cheann Comhairle's notification?

Health (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (16 Jul 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: That clarifies that point.