Results 5,141-5,160 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Written Answers — Department of Health: Water Fluoridation (19 Nov 2013)

Alex White: The impact of water fluoridation on caries levels in Ireland has been regularly assessed in both national and local surveys since its introduction in the mid 1960s. Enamel fluorosis has been monitored in Ireland since 1984. This is regarded as an accurate method of monitoring total fluoride intake, using increasingly sophisticated new technologies. Surveys to measure the effectiveness of...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Orthodontic Services Provision (19 Nov 2013)

Alex White: The HSE provides orthodontic treatment to patients based on their level of clinical need. An individual's access to orthodontic treatment is determined against a set of clinical guidelines and priority is given to patients with greatest needs. The HSE has been asked to examine the specific query raised by the Deputy and to reply to him as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Delays (19 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: Health Services Provision (19 Nov 2013)

Alex White: At present, over 43% of the population is covered by the General Medical Services (GMS) Scheme. Any person who is experiencing undue hardship in paying for a medical service may apply to the HSE for a medical card or a GP visit card. The HSE, in assessing a person's means, takes into account expenditure by the applicant on medical services and medication. If persons are experiencing undue...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Appeals (19 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: Medical Card Eligibility (19 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: Medical Card Appeals (19 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: Medical Card Appeals (19 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: Medical Card Appeals (19 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: Water Fluoridation (19 Nov 2013)

Alex White: Water fluoridation is the adjustment of the natural concentration of fluoride in drinking water to the optimal recommended level for the prevention of dental caries. The Irish Expert Body on Fluorides and Health, established in 2004, continuously monitors new and emerging issues on fluoride and its effects. The Expert Body and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland advise that there is no...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Charges (19 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: Medical Card Applications (19 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: Departmental Bodies (19 Nov 2013)

Alex White: 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 establishment of a National Coordinating Committee for Drug and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Prescription Policy (19 Nov 2013)

Alex White: Benzodiazepines, as a group of medicines, are commonly used to treat anxiety, sleep disturbance and insomnia. They are known to be associated with dependence and withdrawal symptoms and consequently are primarily recommended for short-term treatment only. There is evidence of their inappropriate use in Ireland. The HSE through the Primary Care Reimbursement Service captures information on...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Applications (19 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: Medical Card Eligibility (19 Nov 2013)

Alex White: It is estimated that, under the new medical card gross income limits for persons aged 70 or older announced under Budget 2014, in the region of 35,000 people will have their medical card replaced with a GP visit card. It is not possible to provide a breakdown of the numbers by county as the data is not collated in a manner to facilitate this. Persons aged 70 or older who are assessed as...

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE Waiting Lists (19 Nov 2013)

Alex White: As the Deputy's question relates to services issues and as the information on waiting times for such therapy services is not routinely returned to my Department by the HSE, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy in these matters.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Primary Care Centres Provision (19 Nov 2013)

Alex White: Delivery of healthcare infrastructure is a service matter. Therefore your question has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Long-Term Illness Scheme Eligibility (19 Nov 2013)

Alex White: Ireland has been supportive of the EU proposals on rare disease which concluded with a Council Recommendation (2009/C 151/02) in June 2009. The end point is that countries are recommended to develop plans or strategies for rare diseases. Ireland is now well advanced in this work and it is expected that a rare disease plan will be finalised in the near future. The Long Term Illness (LTI)...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Local Drugs Task Forces (19 Nov 2013)

Alex White: Local Drugs Task Forces operate a range of education and prevention programmes locally which aim to promote healthier lifestyle choices among young people and other vulnerable groups at risk of problem drug use. In the region of €19.2m was made available from the Drugs Initiative to the Local Drugs Task Forces this year, of which €7.2m was allocated to prevention and education...