Results 6,081-6,100 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Applications (27 Mar 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 (27 Mar 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 (27 Mar 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 (27 Mar 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...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: General Practitioner Services (1 Apr 2014)

Alex White: The Government's vision for primary care is the development of a single tier system in which access is based on medical need, rather than ability to pay. The Government is, therefore, committed to introducing a universal general practitioner service without fees, on a phased basis, in its term of office. The word "universal" has the meaning of applying to everybody and does not touch on the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: General Practitioner Services (1 Apr 2014)

Alex White: What Deputy Kelleher said is incorrect. The Government has a clear plan in relation to the implementation of access to free GP services for children under six years of age. The legislation in this regard will be published shortly. I look forward to hearing the Deputy's response to that legislation because I am anxious to know whether he supports the initiative. The IMO has indicated it...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: General Practitioner Services (1 Apr 2014)

Alex White: The Deputy is making up figures or pulling them from the sky.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: General Practitioner Services (1 Apr 2014)

Alex White: The Deputy asked a question to which I have responded. If he wants to have a discussion on discretionary medical cards I am happy to do so. There is no mention of that in the Deputy's original question, which refers to what he calls the "negative response of general practitioners to their proposed new contract".

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: General Practitioner Services (1 Apr 2014)

Alex White: It is interesting that Deputy Kelleher almost always moves off the subject of free medical care for those under six years of age, even when the question he tables refers to them. The Deputy spent no time discussing those to whom I refer and instead tried to deflect the House's attention towards another matter.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: General Practitioner Services (1 Apr 2014)

Alex White: We are quite happy to discuss discretionary medical cards. The Deputy is wrong. There is no systematic policy, or anything like it, to remove discretionary medical cards. The Deputy is well aware of what I meant when I stated there is no such thing as a discretionary medical card. A medical card is a medical card. Regardless of whether one applies through the means-tested system or the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Neuro-Rehabilitation Policy (1 Apr 2014)

Alex White: As the Deputy has indicated, his question refers to a recent report compiled by the Neurological Alliance of Ireland. Neuro-rehabilitation health services are provided across a range of settings by different organisations and by many health professionals and carers. The Government has set out a four-year plan with a series of recommendations under the national policy and strategy for the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Neuro-Rehabilitation Policy (1 Apr 2014)

Alex White: I would like and the Government intends to ensure that universal access to GP service is available - universal meaning access by everyone in the community, including those with an illness or condition. That is the way we intend to address at least part of the issue the Deputy raised. I cannot answer directly the Deputy's question on the timeframe, but I will certainly access that...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Neuro-Rehabilitation Policy (1 Apr 2014)

Alex White: A group is looking at the matter of the mobility allowance. We can certainly ensure we get a progress report to the Deputy and to the House as soon as possible. I want to ensure the Deputy has not misinterpreted what I said. He used the word "conduit". Neither the Minister for Health nor I have any role whatsoever in the allocation of or appeals over medical cards, discretionary or...

Other Questions: Care of the Elderly Provision (1 Apr 2014)

Alex White: I propose to take Questions Nos. 101 and 106 together. The programme for national recovery 2011-16 commits to developing and implementing national standards for home support services, which will be subject to inspection by the Health Information and Quality Authority. Primary legislation and resources will be required for the introduction of a statutory regulation system for home care...

Other Questions: Care of the Elderly Provision (1 Apr 2014)

Alex White: First, as I have indicated to the House, primary legislation is required and is intended to be brought forward for the introduction of a statutory regulation system, which is, of course, the most secure and best way to address the reasonable issues the Deputy raises concerning a regulation system for home care services. The programme for Government gave that commitment. I do not for a...

Other Questions: Care of the Elderly Provision (1 Apr 2014)

Alex White: The HSE is progressing a range of measures to improve its home care provision overall, to standardise services nationally and to promote access, quality and safety. For example, there is a procurement framework for home care services with quality and, most important, screening requirements applying to services procured by the HSE from external providers. A national tender system introduced...

Other Questions: Care of the Elderly Provision (1 Apr 2014)

Alex White: I do not know if I can put it any better than I have. I take the points raised by both Deputies. In fairness, one hears accounts of bad experiences or those that certainly have been less than satisfactory. Other accounts are relayed, perhaps not as often, where people have very good experiences. I do not think it is universally bad but the way we can reassure the public and people...

Other Questions: Care of the Elderly Provision (1 Apr 2014)

Alex White: The Deputy makes some very good points and I welcome his suggestion that the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children would, on its own initiative, address this issue. When the legislation is brought forward by the Minister, it will be subject to pre-legislative scrutiny by the committee, but given that it may be some time off - one hopes not too far off - perhaps it is something the...

Other Questions: Care of the Elderly Provision (1 Apr 2014)

Alex White: I am aware of the contracts issue being of difficulty. Indeed, the issue was raised in the Labour Court last year. I am not sure if the Deputy is aware that there have been recent Labour Court recommendations on annualised contracts. The Labour Relations Commission, LRC, has addressed that issue and, as I understand it, has resolved it. As a consequence of the LRC recommendation, minimum...

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Practitioner Services (1 Apr 2014)

Alex White: I propose to take Questions Nos. 111, 124 and 134 together. The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner has not raised concerns with the Department of Health or the HSE about sections of the draft agreement for the provision of services to children under six years that relate to the exchange of information between General Practitioners (GPs) and the HSE. However, it is the HSE's...