Results 2,381-2,400 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Drugs Payment Scheme Administration (18 Oct 2012)

Alex White: As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Medical Card Delays (18 Oct 2012)

Alex White: Under a new procedure, a medical card will remain valid, irrespective of the expiry date shown on the card, once the medical card holder is genuinely engaging with the HSE review process. The medical card status of an individual can be confirmed by any doctor or pharmacist in their practice or pharmacy, or by the medical card holders themselves either on-line at www.medicalcard.ie or through...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Medical Card Applications (18 Oct 2012)

Alex White: As this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Medical Products (18 Oct 2012)

Alex White: Under the Misuse of Drugs Act, 1977, the manufacture, production, preparation, sale, supply, distribution and possession of cannabis or cannabis-based medicinal products are unlawful except for the purposes of research. The Department has been informed by the Irish Medicines Board (IMB) that it has received a market authorisation request from a manufacturer under the EU Mutual Recognition...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Freedom of Information Legislation (23 Oct 2012)

Alex White: Did he take any notes?

Topical Issue Debate: Medical Cards Eligibility (23 Oct 2012)

Alex White: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. More than 1.8 million medical cards have been issued to individuals, the highest number in the history of the State. It represents an increase of approximately 500,000 since the end of 2008. It is expected that the provision of GP services and prescription drugs under the general medical services scheme will cost almost €2 billion in 2012....

Topical Issue Debate: Medical Cards Eligibility (23 Oct 2012)

Alex White: I take the Deputy's point. It would never be the intention or wish of the HSE or any of us to discommode individual applicants, particularly those in the kind of circumstances outlined by the Deputy. I reiterate that there are more than 1.8 million medical cards and in excess of 130,000 GP-visit cards in circulation. This means that almost 43% the population is covered by either medical...

Topical Issue Debate: Home Help Service (23 Oct 2012)

Alex White: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I wish to acknowledge his strong and impressive track record on the issue of carers and home helps for many years. As the Deputy noted, I had some experience of the Labour Court in a previous professional life. I was often - as I am sure he was - at the receiving end of its various recommendations, not all of which were favourable to...

Topical Issue Debate: Home Help Service (23 Oct 2012)

Alex White: I have been assured that the HSE is working towards positive engagement at the Labour Relations Commission by the end of November, as the Labour Court recommended. The court has seisin of the issue at the moment so I do not think it would be appropriate to comment further given that the issues are being dealt with in that manner through the Labour Court. The date of 30 November is not too...

Topical Issue Debate: Community Development (23 Oct 2012)

Alex White: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. The employment schemes to which he refers came within the remit of the Department of Social Protection at the beginning of 2012. Community employment is an active labour market programme, with the emphasis on progression into employment and-or further education and training. The programme is managed within this context, with consideration given...

Topical Issue Debate: Community Development (23 Oct 2012)

Alex White: I accept the points made by the Deputy. On the issue of rules, conditions or standards being applied differently, while I am sure the Minister wants rules to be applied uniformly in as far as this can be achieved, an element of flexibility is needed in all publicly funded schemes. It is important to acknowledge the need to have regard to the fundamental objectives of schemes, even as they...

Topical Issue Debate: Unfinished Housing Developments (23 Oct 2012)

Alex White: I thank the Deputy for raising the matter. An explosion occurred within a private house - one of a terrace of six houses - in the Gleann Riada development in Longford in March of this year. Subsequently, Longford County Council appointed a firm of consulting engineers, Tobin Consultants, to investigate the causes of the explosion. The specific findings of the report from Tobin Consultants...

Topical Issue Debate: Unfinished Housing Developments (23 Oct 2012)

Alex White: I note again the points the Deputy has made in his rejoinder. Like him, the Minister, Deputy Phil Hogan, is committed to resolving what is a spectrum of issues that have arisen not only in regard to Gleann Riada, which is the one the Deputy has raised, but the problems being experienced nationally by residents in unfinished housing developments, which is an acute and difficult issue. Under...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Service Expenditure (23 Oct 2012)

Alex White: I propose to take Questions Nos. 588, 624 and 625 together. HSE expenditure on drugs and non-drug items (dressings, etc.) under the GMS and community drug schemes for the years 2010 and 2011, including mark ups and dispensing fees for pharmacists and wholesalers, is set out in the following table: 2011 2010 Cost of drugs prescribed under the GMS and community drug schemes...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Cards Eligibility (23 Oct 2012)

Alex White: As this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Applications (23 Oct 2012)

Alex White: As this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Drugs Payment Scheme (23 Oct 2012)

Alex White: Under the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill, the Irish Medicines Board has statutory responsibility for establishing and publishing a list of interchangeable medicinal products in respect of which it is satisfied that all the medicinal products which fall into a group of interchangeable medicinal products are, for prescription purposes, interchangeable with each other. It is...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Appeals (23 Oct 2012)

Alex White: As this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Health: EU-IMF Agreement (23 Oct 2012)

Alex White: The Memorandum of Understanding agreed with the EU/IMF in December 2010 provided that the Government would introduce legislative changes to remove restrictions to trade and competition in sheltered sectors including eliminating restrictions on the number of GPs qualifying and removing restrictions on GPs wishing to treat public patients as well as restrictions on advertising; ensuring that...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Applications (23 Oct 2012)

Alex White: As this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.