Results 661-680 of 1,253 for speaker:John Crown

Seanad: Protection of Children's Health from Tobacco Smoke Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2013)

John Crown: We would be delighted to look positively at any amendments the Minister offers on Report Stage to deal with any technical issues with either the original Bill or these amendments.

Seanad: Protection of Children's Health from Tobacco Smoke Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2013)

John Crown: I move amendment No. 5: In page 4, after line 10, to insert the following subsection: “(2) This Act comes into operation on such day or days, as the Minister may by order appoint.”.I want the record to reflect what I stated on the Order of Business this morning and what I wanted to say in respect of the Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2013. In that context, I wish to bring to...

Seanad: Protection of Children's Health from Tobacco Smoke Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2013)

John Crown: We would like it to be taken in January 2014.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Dec 2013)

John Crown: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. On a more general principle, I would love at some stage for us to have a fundamental root and branch look at the way we raise funds for the activities of our democracies. I am a social democrat at heart. I am a great believer in people who have more money paying more taxes than people who have less money and people that make more money making a bigger...

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Dec 2013)

John Crown: The needs of those who require social inclusion also includes those who have held challenges. In supporting the amendment, in September 2002, a member of the administration of St. Vincent’s Private Hospital told me that the hospital had been billing the VHI and other insurers in respect of drugs which had been provided to that institution for free for research studies. In the letter,...

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Dec 2013)

John Crown: -----that the billing was deliberate and only ceased when the VHI found out. Incidentally, it found out from me. The only defence the hospital could attempt was the absurd notion that-----

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Dec 2013)

John Crown: -----it did not know its research programme existed in its own hospital.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Dec 2013)

John Crown: I believe it does. It will only take me 20 seconds. This was despite the involvement of dozens of staff and reams of paper documenting its existence. When the hospital was caught out, it next attempted to prove the research programme was illegal.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Dec 2013)

John Crown: The hospital spent tens, if not hundreds of thousands of euro of public money-----

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Dec 2013)

John Crown: -----in an attempt to criminalise a part of its own organisation. As a result of this action, the research programme was closed down for a year. Women were denied access to a drug - herceptin - which we now know is life-saving.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Dec 2013)

John Crown: Although it was not the intention of the fraudsters, or those who attempted the cover-up-----

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Dec 2013)

John Crown: -----as an indirect result of these actions, women died. My hospital, its management and its board failed these women. Justice must be done.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Health Service Plan 2014: Minister for Health and HSE (14 Jan 2014)

John Crown: I welcome the Minister, the director general, Mr. Tony O'Brien, and the team, and wish them a happy new year. I know it will be a very challenging year for everybody working in the health service. I welcome the focus on safety but it is important to realise that there is a lot of talk about this. I studied this formally when I studied health management and quality. With regard to the...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Jan 2014)

John Crown: I add my new year greetings to those we have heard and wish everybody a productive year working on behalf of those who have elected us and the broader society. I ask the Leader to bring to the attention of the Minister for Health information which came to my attention, unfortunately, after the HSE service plan meeting of the Joint Committee on Health and Children yesterday. The information...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Jan 2014)

John Crown: I have asked the Leader to bring this to the Minister's attention. Finally, it was stated that this contract between PwC and the management of St. Vincent's Private Hospital - the entity which had done the dishonest billing - would only be made available to the entity whose moneys were taken, that is, the VHI, if it had the approval of St. Vincent's Private Hospital. I ask the Leader to ask...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Jan 2014)

John Crown: We are soon to have legislation that will have the effect of introducing plain packaging and other restrictions on the tobacco industry. I hope it will be passed and put into law expeditiously. I greatly regret the fact that tobacco control legislation that I introduced, and which would have barred the lobbying by tobacco companies, was defeated. The second of my Bills, co-sponsored by my...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Jan 2014)

John Crown: However, one realises there has not been since the First World War a better example of lions led by donkeys than the situation that applied in this case. I have no problem whatsoever with the activities of St. Vincent's Foundation. My problems are specifically with the board structures of the various organisations in St. Vincent's and other voluntary hospitals, structures that have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Update on Health Issues: Minister for Health and HSE (16 Jan 2014)

John Crown: I again welcome my colleagues. With respect to my previous question on accountancy numbers which was very technical, I am very happy with the written answer provided and do not require any further clarification on the matter. I would welcome a little discussion on the graduate nursing scheme, with which I am slightly troubled. It appears to be implicit in the philosophy behind the scheme...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Update on Health Issues: Minister for Health and HSE (16 Jan 2014)

John Crown: Can we have an assurance that there is no question of existing full-time, full-pay jobs being replaced by cheaper graduate nursing positions? We spoke about the employment guidelines but both the departmental guidelines and the graduate nursing scheme come from the Government. This could be construed as an attempt to lower the bar of competition for the pay and conditions of nurses.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Update on Health Issues: Minister for Health and HSE (16 Jan 2014)

John Crown: I thank Mr. O'Brien. That is very helpful. Who will pick the boards?