Results 5,541-5,560 of 11,979 for speaker:Billy Kelleher

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Alteration of Eligibility Criteria) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (21 Nov 2013)

Billy Kelleher: That is what discretion is for.

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Alteration of Eligibility Criteria) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (21 Nov 2013)

Billy Kelleher: Can I make a suggestion? I would like to fight the good fight for as long as possible but we can go through this very quickly if the Government agrees to that.

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Alteration of Eligibility Criteria) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (21 Nov 2013)

Billy Kelleher: I accept that and am just trying to facilitate the Minister of State. I am trying to facilitate everyone here.

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Alteration of Eligibility Criteria) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (21 Nov 2013)

Billy Kelleher: If the Minister of State concedes-----

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Alteration of Eligibility Criteria) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (21 Nov 2013)

Billy Kelleher: Concedes was the wrong term. The Minister of State might agree to go through this quickly.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Prevention and Treatment of Lyme Disease: Discussion (21 Nov 2013)

Billy Kelleher: I thank the witnesses for their submissions and particularly for sharing their personal experiences with us. The more I read about Lyme disease and the more I have heard about it through the awareness campaign that the witnesses are engaged in, the more confused I become about the actual process of diagnosis. Is it a very difficult disease to diagnose or is the problem a lack of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Prevention and Treatment of Lyme Disease: Discussion (21 Nov 2013)

Billy Kelleher: I asked that question because I read somewhere that blood testing can sometimes yield false results whereby people are diagnosed as having Lyme disease when actually they are carrying the antibodies to the disease. In that context, I am wondering if blood testing sometimes gives false indications of the prevalence of the disease. I ask for clarity on that question. Is it a notifiable disease?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Prevention and Treatment of Lyme Disease: Discussion (21 Nov 2013)

Billy Kelleher: The key question, then, is whether it is always notified. Is there a follow-up system in place after diagnosis? If GPs and clinicians in general are unaware of the disease, then they are probably also unaware of the fact that it is a notifiable disease. I ask the witnesses for their observations on that issue. On the broader issue, home care packages were mentioned. Witnesses also spoke...

Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (26 Nov 2013)

Billy Kelleher: I thank the Minister of State for his eloquent explanation as to the reason this is only a technical amendment. However, it is amending the substance of the Bill itself, which is to change the income guidelines and the eligibility criteria. While the amendment itself is technical, the section under discussion is the one which effectively legislates for a U-turn of huge proportions. It is a...

Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (26 Nov 2013)

Billy Kelleher: No, it is fine and the Minister, Deputy Rabbitte, is always welcome to contribute to a debate. While he contributes to many debates, on the health area being debated this evening, it really is about the consistency of Government policy. This amendment drives a coach and four through that because even in the programme for Government, the signatories did not state it was their intended policy...

Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (26 Nov 2013)

Billy Kelleher: It is, but the people who will be affected by this Bill will encounter another difficulty because, having lost their medical cards, they then will incur further costs to cover their health care and by so doing, will lose their private health insurance. That demographic is the one that has the highest proportion of private health insurance extant and for this reason, I believe this...

Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (26 Nov 2013)

Billy Kelleher: The Minister believes this is just a technical amendment. We stated at the outset that we accept it is a technical amendment but it is a technical amendment to the fundamental part of the Bill. That is the reason we are opposing it, and we have no other way of opposing it. I have said already that this is legislating for a U-turn of massive proportions and I need to find a mechanism with...

Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (26 Nov 2013)

Billy Kelleher: -----what the Minister said prior to 2011 and in the programme for Government in 2011 is at complete variance with this Bill. That is why I have to oppose the technical amendment the Minister has placed before me because it is amending the fundamental Part of this Bill, which is to deny another 35,000 people medical cards.

Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (26 Nov 2013)

Billy Kelleher: It is not agreed. Can we comment on it?

Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (26 Nov 2013)

Billy Kelleher: Would you like to hear our reasons?

Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (26 Nov 2013)

Billy Kelleher: We are opposing the Bill simply because-----

Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (26 Nov 2013)

Billy Kelleher: We are opposing Fifth Stage.

Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (26 Nov 2013)

Billy Kelleher: We are opposing Fifth Stage because we want to-----

Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (26 Nov 2013)

Billy Kelleher: The reason we are opposing this Bill is quite simple. In effect, the Government is legislating for a U-turn of massive proportions. This Bill is simply about reducing the income eligibility criteria that apply to over 70s. It is about taking medical cards from another 35,000 people. A key question must be asked in this context. If it was bad a number of years ago for a couple over the...

Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (26 Nov 2013)

Billy Kelleher: It is simply incredible that Government Deputies can come in here and vote this Bill through. The words that should ring in their ears are "shame on you".