Results 5,721-5,740 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Further Education and Training Colleges (11 Feb 2014)

Alex White: I thank the Senator for raising this Adjournment matter which I am taking on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn. The PLC programme is a self-contained whole-time learning experience designed to provide successful participants with specific vocational skills to enhance their prospects of securing lasting, full-time employment or to...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Further Education and Training Colleges (11 Feb 2014)

Alex White: From what the Senator said, there is terrific work being done in the school with a dedicated staff. It is, however, a question of how we address priorities. The Senator’s request is not unreasonable, but it must fall to be dealt with within the assessment of priorities in the allocation of limited resources. He has made a good case for the school, but it must be seen in the context...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Dental Services Provision (12 Feb 2014)

Alex White: As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Appeals (12 Feb 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...

Seanad: Health Identifiers Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Feb 2014)

Alex White: Amendments Nos. 1 to 4, inclusive, concern changes to the definition of relevant employees and relevant agents. As the changes are similar in nature it is proposed to discuss the four amendments together. The Bill allows the Minister for Health to assign unique identifiers to health service providers. Providers must use their unique identifiers in health records they make and their...

Seanad: Health Identifiers Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Feb 2014)

Alex White: The Bill provides that the individual health identifier, IHI, can be used for relevant purposes. These are the primary and secondary purposes set out in the Bill. Primary purpose means the present, past or future provision of health services to an individual. Secondary purpose relates to the wider health service matters, such as health service management and patient safety. This amendment...

Seanad: Health Identifiers Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Feb 2014)

Alex White: Amendment No. 6, as the Senator has indicated, would delete section 5(3) of the Bill. The purpose of the Health Identifiers Bill is to put in place a legislative framework for individual health identifiers. This is primarily a patient safety issue. Eligibility for health services is a separate, although important, issue and is provided for in other legislation as the Senator and the House...

Seanad: Health Identifiers Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Feb 2014)

Alex White: One of the provisions of section 11 of the Bill is that a health care provider, when providing a health service, can request an individual to give his or her IHI to the provider so that it can be associated with the patient record. It is proposed in amendment No. 7 to amend this provision to encompass a situation where the individual concerned cannot give his or her IHI because of age or...

Seanad: Health Identifiers Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Feb 2014)

Alex White: The legislation seems to me to be safe in respect of what Senator Burke has said. To some extent the Senator’s concerns are being dealt with, belt and braces, in this amendment. To the extent that there might be such concerns, it seems to me that this resolves them. Existing law and provisions in respect of power of attorney, or enduring power of attorney, have their own legal...

Seanad: Health Identifiers Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Feb 2014)

Alex White: Amendment No. 8 is essentially a drafting amendment. Section 11 currently allows the Minister for Health to process an individual’s IHI and other identifying particulars in the register for a relevant purpose. Amendment No. 8 brings section 11 into line with section 10 which provides that the Minister may access the national IHI register for a relevant purpose or for the purpose of...

Seanad: Health Identifiers Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Feb 2014)

Alex White: Amendment No. 9 is a drafting amendment and relates to substituting the word “provide” for the word “disclose” in section 11(6)(d) for consistency.

Seanad: Health Identifiers Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Feb 2014)

Alex White: Section 30 allows the Minister for Health to carry out measures to verify any information provided to the Minister under the Bill or to establish the efficient and effective operation of the registers. Amendment No. 10 clarifies that verification arrangements under section 30 would not apply to information given by An tArd Chláraitheoir on births and deaths or information given by other...

Seanad: Health Identifiers Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Feb 2014)

Alex White: Section 31 provides that for the purposes of the Bill a data exchange agreement may be entered into between the Minister and other persons, including professional regulatory bodies and health service providers. Amendment No. 11 extends section 31 to include all specified persons and not just health service providers as the section currently provides. The amendment also deletes the reference...

Seanad: Health Identifiers Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Feb 2014)

Alex White: These amendments relate to the lists of persons in Schedules 1 and 2. Schedule 1 lists the authorised disclosees. Schedule 2 lists specified persons. Specified persons may access the IHI register and process the IHI and other identifying data on it for a relevant purpose. Authorised disclosees do not have access to the IHI register but they are persons to whom a specified person may...

Seanad: Health Identifiers Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Feb 2014)

Alex White: I thank Senators for the constructive and very useful debate on Second Stage and today. This Bill gives us the enabling legal framework for a unique identifier system for individuals and health service providers right across the public and private health system. It is worth saying again that first and foremost, a unique identifier system is an important component of a safe health service,...

Seanad: Health Identifiers Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Feb 2014)

Alex White: I thank the officials in the Department of Health for their assiduous attention to the legislation. It has been extremely helpful. I also thank the Members.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Health Services Provision (13 Feb 2014)

Alex White: Does Deputy Kelleher have any proposals about anything on health?

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Health Services Provision (13 Feb 2014)

Alex White: It is ten years since Deputy Kelleher had a policy on health. He has no policies.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Health Services Provision (13 Feb 2014)

Alex White: Even you Billy.

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Practitioner Services (13 Feb 2014)

Alex White: I propose to take Questions Nos. 16 and 71 together. The General Medical Services (GMS) Scheme provides for general practice dispensing services in certain limited circumstances where there is no pharmacy in an area and clients are unable to access prescribed drugs or medicines from retail pharmacies. In 2013, the HSE conducted a review of doctor dispensing arrangements, the purpose of...