Results 4,161-4,180 of 11,979 for speaker:Billy Kelleher

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Insurance Levy (29 Jan 2013)

Billy Kelleher: To ask the Minister for Health if his decision on setting the health insurance levy rates for 2013 was based on a Health Insurance Authority report which assumed that 16% of policy holders would hold non-advanced policies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3778/13]

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Practitioner Services (29 Jan 2013)

Billy Kelleher: To ask the Minister for Health if he will investigate complaints about the quality of the South Doc service being provided to Youghal, County Cork, following claims of refusal to travel to Youghal or instances of failure to show up; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3796/13]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Service Staff (29 Jan 2013)

Billy Kelleher: To ask the Minister for Health if he and the Health Service Executive will act to limit the hours worked by non-consultant hospital doctors to 24 in a consecutive sitting and 60 in a week; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3893/13]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Service Staff (29 Jan 2013)

Billy Kelleher: To ask the Minister for Health if he has any plans to change the shift hours of non-consultant hospital doctors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3894/13]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (29 Jan 2013)

Billy Kelleher: To ask the Minister for Health the number of operations, medical and surgical procedures, in public hospitals that were cancelled in 2012 and to date in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3855/13]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Administration of Medicines (29 Jan 2013)

Billy Kelleher: To ask the Minister for Health if he will confirm that no policy/guideline document exists to cover the administration of medicines by domiciliary care service employees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3870/13]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Administration of Medicines (29 Jan 2013)

Billy Kelleher: To ask the Minister for Health if he intends to introduce guidelines similar to the Guidelines for the Control and Administration of Medicines - Domiciliary Care Agencies as published by the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority of Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3974/13]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Administration of Medicines (29 Jan 2013)

Billy Kelleher: To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide a copy of the Health Service Executive policy covering the role of care workers regarding medication; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3979/13]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Primary Care Centres (29 Jan 2013)

Billy Kelleher: To ask the Minister for Health the reason Raphoe, County Donegal, did not make it to the top of the primary care centre list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3931/13]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Prescription Policy (29 Jan 2013)

Billy Kelleher: To ask the Minister for Health if the European Commission has recommended to him a strict new system mandating doctors to prescribe generic drugs when available; if he intends to proceed with such a recommendation; if such changes could be introduced by regulation or if legislation will be necessary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4370/13]

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Treatment Purchase Fund (29 Jan 2013)

Billy Kelleher: To ask the Minister for Health the current status of the National Treatment Purchase Fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4371/13]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Irish Medical Organisation (29 Jan 2013)

Billy Kelleher: To ask the Minister for Health if his Department was informed in 2004 that the Irish Medical Organisation was setting up a company called Irish Medical Educational Services Limited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4372/13]

Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012 [Seanad]: Second Stage (30 Jan 2013)

Billy Kelleher: I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill. Discussion has taken place in the Seanad where we did not oppose the Bill on Second Stage. However, having read it and given what has occurred in the intervening period since the Seanad debate and the position in terms of the provision of health care, I have some concerns. There was an issue with budgets last year involving a failure to...

Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012 [Seanad]: Second Stage (30 Jan 2013)

Billy Kelleher: It is true. Section 16 provides for powers of appointment and for setting policy and makes the director general accountable and answerable to the Minister in all cases except in respect of individual service providers and patient outcomes. The Minister will have absolute power to decide the location and funding of services. It was only last September that the House had a debate which saw a...

Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012 [Seanad]: Second Stage (30 Jan 2013)

Billy Kelleher: That is the issue about which I have a concern, as do many other people. We have also seen what happened in respect of St. Luke's Hospital and Wexford Hospital. I highlight these cases to show that as matters stand, politicisation takes place. The Bill creates circumstances in which the provision and location of services will be fundamentally in the gift of the Minister. Such decisions...

Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012 [Seanad]: Second Stage (30 Jan 2013)

Billy Kelleher: As I said before, the Minister was like Wyatt Earp heading to the OK Corral. He was going to shoot them down anyway so they said they would flee before he got rid of them. That is the point. He had the cameras waiting as well for it so there is no point in us pretending otherwise. They were going to be dismissed. He then appointed another board. As early as March or April of 2012, the...

Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012 [Seanad]: Second Stage (30 Jan 2013)

Billy Kelleher: And prescription charges.

Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012 [Seanad]: Second Stage (30 Jan 2013)

Billy Kelleher: Along with sacking the board of the HSE, one of the Minister's first acts on entering Hawkins House was announcing the abolition of the prescription charge.

Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012 [Seanad]: Second Stage (30 Jan 2013)

Billy Kelleher: The unfortunate thing is that the Minister is beginning to believe his spin if that is the case. He said he would abolish prescription charges. Why did he announce he was going to abolish them when he now states that he had no intention of abolishing them and increased them threefold in the last budget? At the time, he said that prescription charges were a barrier to people accessing very...

Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012 [Seanad]: Second Stage (30 Jan 2013)

Billy Kelleher: He now increases the charge threefold. In respect of medical card eligibility, when one looks at the service plan, one sees the difficulty is that there have been changes to eligibility and I will tell the Minister where they are. Previously, when a person with cancer applied for a medical card, he or she almost always received it on medical grounds. We now have a very distasteful problem...