Results 5,061-5,080 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Appeals (12 Nov 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: General Medical Services Scheme (12 Nov 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...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Primary Care Strategy (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: The key measures that will be implemented in primary care over the remainder of the Government's term in office are the introduction of a universal general practitioner service that is free at the point of access; the introduction of a new GP contract; the phased roll-out of chronic disease management programmes; the development of the primary care workforce to facilitate the universal GP...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Primary Care Strategy (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: As so often, we come to the issue of credibility during oral questions on health. The Deputy's party, of course, did absolutely nothing on this agenda.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Primary Care Strategy (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: It published a document in 2001 or 2002.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Primary Care Strategy (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: It then abandoned the health agenda completely and handed it over to Ms Mary Harney lock, stock and barrel.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Primary Care Strategy (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: We are now welcoming Deputy Kelleher back into the debate about the future of our health services. However, he makes no contribution other than to come in here and present himself as - it would appear - a representative of the GPs. I understood the GPs had a representative body, but Deputy Kelleher now seems to have appointed himself as their representative. Of course the GPs are important...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Primary Care Strategy (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: With some credibility.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Primary Care Strategy (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: An enormous amount is happening in primary care. A huge amount of change is happening and much more needs to happen. The doctors and other professionals who carry out a service are central to that. I do not know what the Deputy means by saying that referral times are down to two or three minutes - perhaps he means consultations.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Primary Care Strategy (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: He is suggesting that consultations may be as short as two or three minutes. In my job, I engage with doctors all the time, as does the Minister for Health. We are very well aware of what is happening on the ground in the services. It is simply not credible to suggest that we can address this enormous challenge for the health services overnight. We are introducing these changes and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Primary Care Strategy (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: It is a vital element of what we need to do. I appeal to him because we will never change our health services by constantly politicising it in this Chamber. For this generation and the next generation we need a completely new health service. Throwing this kind of brickbat back and forth is not achieving anything.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Medical Card Eligibility (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: Under the Health Act 2008, automatic entitlement to a medical card for persons aged 70 and over ended on 31 December 2008. Under the arrangements effected by the Act, a revised system of assessment for eligibility was introduced for those 70 years of age and over, based on the significantly higher gross income limits rather than the standard net income thresholds. This advantageous...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Medical Card Eligibility (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: This was a particular scheme introduced some time ago for the over 70s, as the Deputy will be aware and it is tailored to that age group. As I indicated in my reply, given that it is predicated on gross income, the arrangement facilitates a much greater share of that group of people being able to qualify for a medical card compared with the population as a whole. While I do not have the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Medical Card Eligibility (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: There is no proposal to amend the Bill we propose to bring before the House. Does the Deputy think it should based on net income for all or gross income for all? There is no proposal to do either but I am curious as to which one the Deputy is proposing.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Medical Card Eligibility (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: I do not think people are confused when we explain that there is a different way of assessing income. It is net income for the general population and gross income for the specific group of over-70s. There may be some confusion on the part of people regarding forms and how the thing is managed and that is what we are trying to deal with and I think the HSE is doing a good job on that.

Other Questions: Medicinal Products Expenditure (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: The State has introduced a series of reforms in recent years to reduce pharmaceutical prices and expenditure. These have resulted in reductions in the prices of thousands of medicines. Price reductions of the order of 30% per item reimbursed have been achieved between 2009 and 2013; the average cost per items reimbursed is now running at 2001-02 levels. Additional savings measures are...

Other Questions: Medicinal Products Expenditure (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: I believe every word of it.

Other Questions: Medicinal Products Expenditure (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: Most certainly we can give the commitment that everything will be done in order to drive the savings that are required in this context. I welcome the Deputy's support for these changes, as they are important and will yield a benefit for the State, the Exchequer and the health services. We will press on further. We waited many years for this legislation and introduced it this year. Not...

Other Questions: Medicinal Products Expenditure (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: I will not be able to dress any particular drug, but I share people's interest in and concern about this matter and am keen to follow up on it. There are differentials. A report prepared by the ESRI this year provided a good analysis of this situation. Sometimes, one does not always compare like with like, although I am not making an excuse for the differentials. There are many factors,...

Other Questions: Health Services Provision (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: The construction of a new health centre on Inishbofin was identified as a priority for the provision of health services under the CLÁR programme to the island population in 2003. The Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, which had responsibility for the islands at that time, indicated that there was support for the Inishbofin project under the 2004-05 programme. The...