Results 4,801-4,820 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Data (17 Oct 2013)

Alex White: The information sought by the Deputy is not readily available. However, I have asked the Health Service Executive to supply this information to me and I will forward it to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Data (17 Oct 2013)

Alex White: Under paragraph 11 of the General Medical Services (GMS) contract, a general practitioner (GP) is expected to provide his/her patients who hold a medical card or GP visit card with all proper and necessary treatment of a kind generally undertaken by a GP and not requiring special skill or experience of a degree or kind which GPs cannot reasonably be expected to possess. Under paragraph 27...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Applications (17 Oct 2013)

Alex White: The Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible. The Health Service Executive operates the General Medical Services scheme, which includes medical cards and GP visit cards, under the Health Act 1970, as amended. It has established a dedicated contact service for members of the Oireachtas specifically for queries relating to...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Drug Treatment Programmes Funding (17 Oct 2013)

Alex White: No decisions have been taken yet in relation to the allocations to Drugs Task Forces for 2014. The matter is currently under consideration. It is anticipated that Drugs Task Forces will be informed of their allocations later in the year.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Treatment Abroad Scheme (17 Oct 2013)

Alex White: The Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible. The Health Service Executive operates the General Medical Services scheme, which includes medical cards and GP visit cards, under the Health Act 1970, as amended. It has established a dedicated contact service for members of the Oireachtas specifically for queries relating to...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Local Drugs Task Forces Remit (17 Oct 2013)

Alex White: I propose to take Questions Nos. 226 and 227 together. The Deputy will be aware that I announced a series of measures arising from a review of Drugs Task Forces last December. These measures provide for the extension of the remit of the Task Forces to include alcohol addiction. However, as measures to address the abuse of alcohol remain under consideration by Government, I am not yet in a...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Bodies (17 Oct 2013)

Alex White: I propose to take Questions Nos. 228 and 229 together. The Deputy will be aware that I announced details of a series of measures last December arising from a review of Drugs Task Forces in order to better equip them to respond to the current pattern of substance misuse. These measures included the extension of the remit of the Task Forces to include alcohol addiction and the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Universal Health Insurance Provision (17 Oct 2013)

Alex White: The Government is committed to introducing, on a phased basis, a universal GP service without fees within its term of office, as set out in the Programme for Government and the Future Health strategy framework. As announced in the Budget, it has been decided to commence the roll-out of a universal GP service by providing all children aged 5 and under with access to a GP service without fees....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Update on Health Issues: Discussion (17 Oct 2013)

Alex White: I will try to be quick.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Update on Health Issues: Discussion (17 Oct 2013)

Alex White: I will try to be brief and not repeat any of the points that the Minister has made. He has covered many of the issues. Deputy Ó Caoláin welcomed free general practitioner, GP, care for children aged five years and under. I welcome his welcome. There is a bigger point for the committee, which I wish to make without carrying it too far. In no area of public policy does it apply...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Update on Health Issues: Discussion (17 Oct 2013)

Alex White: The Ombudsman also said she could divine no change in the basis upon which medical cards were being allocated. There is a temptation to play politics with this issue. I do not say it is confined to Deputy Kelleher or his party but that is the position he is in at the moment and we are upholding the system that is in place. Could we try to see ahead and uphold the dignity and integrity of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Update on Health Issues: Discussion (17 Oct 2013)

Alex White: If someone is slipping through the system-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Update on Health Issues: Discussion (17 Oct 2013)

Alex White: Mr. Burke will deal with that. The HSE can only assess someone on the basis of the current situation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Update on Health Issues: Discussion (17 Oct 2013)

Alex White: It cannot go back and compare. It can only assess a person on the basis of the current application and means and whether his or her illness has an impact on his or her income.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Update on Health Issues: Discussion (17 Oct 2013)

Alex White: On Deputy McLellan’s fair question as to what constitutes undue hardship, it should be possible for Deputies, Senators, the press and citizens to be able to have regard for the guidelines so as to know what is being done. They are on the HSE website. The guidelines go through the issue of financial means and the various different tests. It is complex but it goes through it in a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Update on Health Issues: Discussion (17 Oct 2013)

Alex White: I was unaware of the particular circumstances mentioned by Senator O'Brien. If she wants to discuss that particular case with me or through me with the HSE, I would want that to be addressed. I want to understand what happened in those circumstances and to ensure that there would be no repeat of them. I would also be very concerned if there is a lack of compassion and understanding in the...

Topical Issue Debate: Local Drugs Task Forces Funding (22 Oct 2013)

Alex White: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. The Government is committed to addressing problem drug use in a comprehensive way, as is clear from the programme for Government. Our overall strategic objective is to tackle the harm caused to individuals and society by having a concerted focus on the five pillars of supply reduction, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and research. As...

Topical Issue Debate: Local Drugs Task Forces Funding (22 Oct 2013)

Alex White: The chairs.

Topical Issue Debate: Local Drugs Task Forces Funding (22 Oct 2013)

Alex White: I cannot argue with anything the Deputy has said on the work the drugs projects do and the desirability or necessity of having clarity on the funding for next year. I will arrange for that to be done as soon as possible, but I need some more time to finalise the matter. I would like to be able to inform the House that there will be no reduction, but I cannot say that. My job is to curtail...

Topical Issue Debate: Symphysiotomy Report (22 Oct 2013)

Alex White: I thank Deputy Kirk for raising this matter. Following peer review, the independent report by Professor Walsh was submitted to my colleague, the Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly, at the end of May last. The Minister met the three support groups representing the women concerned in August 2013. At that meeting the Minister proposed to appoint a judge to meet the women to facilitate...