Results 5,521-5,540 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Topical Issue Debate: Medical Card Eligibility (16 Jan 2014)

Alex White: The Deputy mentioned the survey and whether the figure was 100 or 1,000 but I was referring to reports I had seen in recent days of 1,000.

Topical Issue Debate: Medical Card Eligibility (16 Jan 2014)

Alex White: I am not saying that there are 1,000 children concerned but I have seen those reports. I am not seeking to argue with the Deputy about numbers but I do not know what are the statistics. I am not being in the least bit facetious with the Deputy but it is not possible for me to establish the numbers, formally or otherwise, because the system does not include such information. The Deputy...

Topical Issue Debate: Medical Card Eligibility (16 Jan 2014)

Alex White: The Government is committed to extending universal access to the whole population within the lifetime of this Government. That is not the full medical card because, as the Deputy will say, there are other services as well. In recent days, the Minister for Health acknowledged that there are other services to which many people need access that they do not have with a GP-only card but would...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Applications (16 Jan 2014)

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 (16 Jan 2014)

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 Issues (16 Jan 2014)

Alex White: Under the Drug Payment Scheme, no individual or family pays more than €144 per calendar month towards the cost of approved prescribed medicines. The scheme significantly reduces the cost burden for families and individuals incurring ongoing expenditure on medicines. In addition, people who cannot, without undue hardship, arrange for the provision of medical services for themselves and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Eligibility (16 Jan 2014)

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 (16 Jan 2014)

Alex White: I propose to take Questions Nos. 311 and 318 together. The HSE can only award medical cards in accordance with the Health Act 1970 which provides that persons that are ‘unable without undue hardship to arrange GP services for themselves and family’ qualify for a medical card. The Act obliges the HSE to take account of the overall financial situation of an applicant and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Eligibility (16 Jan 2014)

Alex White: Under the provisions of the Health Act 1970 (as amended), a person has full eligibility for health services, specifically a medical card, where he/she is unable without undue hardship to arrange general practitioner medical and surgical services for him/herself and dependents. The assessment for a medical card is determined primarily by reference to the person's overall financial situation,...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff Recruitment (16 Jan 2014)

Alex White: The recruitment process is ongoing in relation to the of 264.5 Primary Care Team posts, which were announced in 2012 and approved in 2013. The position as of 6th January 2014 is as follows: - 160 posts filled or start dates agreed; - 51 posts offered / start dates still to be agreed; - 17 posts in final stages of recruitment (subject to Garda clearance, etc.); - 36.5 posts...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on the Department of the Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (16 Jan 2014)

Alex White: Apologies have been received from Deputy Heather Humphreys. The main topic of business is consideration of the Revised Estimates for the Department of the Taoiseach. The Dáil ordered on 18 December 2013 that the following Revised Estimates for the public services be referred to this committee for consideration: Vote 1 - President's Establishment; Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach;...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on the Department of the Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (16 Jan 2014)

Alex White: I thank the Taoiseach and the Chief Whip for their opening statements. I invite Deputy Sean Fleming to put questions.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on the Department of the Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (16 Jan 2014)

Alex White: Can Deputy Fleming refer to particular pages in the presentation?

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on the Department of the Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (16 Jan 2014)

Alex White: I will allow a certain degree of flexibility, but we are talking about budgetary operations, the outputs and the inputs, as opposed to the agendas of meetings.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on the Department of the Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (16 Jan 2014)

Alex White: We are discussing the operations in a budgetary context in terms of outputs an inputs and so forth. We will not go into the issue of whether something was discussed at this or that meeting. Does the Deputy understand me?

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on the Department of the Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (16 Jan 2014)

Alex White: I am going to interject here. The briefing note gives a broad scope as to the operational aspects of the Department. The purpose of this afternoon's meeting is specific but I have allowed a degree of flexibility. I can revert to the agreed agenda and we can go through this heading by heading. However, I need a degree of discipline from members. We are discussing programmes in regard to...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on the Department of the Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (16 Jan 2014)

Alex White: I will make one more intervention. Before this meeting we agreed a format, but I have allowed a degree of flexibility. If that is being abused, I will revert to the format we have agreed. Is that okay?

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on the Department of the Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (16 Jan 2014)

Alex White: There will be no showboating here.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on the Department of the Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (16 Jan 2014)

Alex White: I can revert to the strict agenda or I can provide the Deputy with flexibility. If I find the flexibility I am providing is being abused, I will revert to the strict agenda.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on the Department of the Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (16 Jan 2014)

Alex White: I will go back to my opening comments. The purpose of this afternoon's meeting is to deal with the Revised Estimates for the Department of the Taoiseach. It is to deal with Votes 1 to 6, inclusive. The briefing note is to provide additional contextual information. I have treated the Deputy with a certain amount of flexibility, as I did last evening, but he is now pushing the boat out-----