Results 7,401-7,420 of 24,567 for speaker:Róisín Shortall

Written Answers — Drugs Payment Scheme: Drugs Payment Scheme (23 Nov 2011)

Róisín Shortall: I propose to take Questions Nos. 215, 224 and 225 together. Pradaxa capsules of 75mg and 110mg are available on prescription to patients availing of the GMS and the Drug Payment Schemes for the prevention of venous thromboembolism in adult patients who have undergone elective hip replacement surgery or elective knee replacement surgery. The HSE is assessing the availability of resources in...

Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (23 Nov 2011)

Róisín Shortall: I have asked the Health Service Executive for a report on the issues raised by the Deputy. I will revert to the Deputy on the matter as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (23 Nov 2011)

Róisín Shortall: As this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (23 Nov 2011)

Róisín Shortall: As this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (23 Nov 2011)

Róisín Shortall: I propose to take Questions Nos. 229 and 230 together. The figures requested concerning the Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) are set out in the table. January - October 2010 January - October 2011 Expenditure on the DTSS €70.5 million €42 million Number of unique patients 339,784 296,475 Average expenditure per patient €207 €142 Due to the position of the public finances,...

Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (23 Nov 2011)

Róisín Shortall: As this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (23 Nov 2011)

Róisín Shortall: As this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.

Seanad: Nurses and Midwives Bill 2010: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)

Róisín Shortall: These are technical amendments. They propose to replace the term "Minister for Finance" with the term " Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform" as these functions have been transferred from the Minister for Finance to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform under the recent Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 2011 and the finance transfer of departmental administration and...

Seanad: Nurses and Midwives Bill 2010: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)

Róisín Shortall: These amendments are for clarification as to what the board may include in regard to criteria in rules. Amendment No. 3 clarifies what criteria can be used for assessing applications for registration. It provides that criteria can include: qualifications, education and training; relevant competencies for registration; possession of sufficient knowledge of language or languages necessary to...

Seanad: Nurses and Midwives Bill 2010: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)

Róisín Shortall: These are technical amendments. The term "or permitted" which is being deleted in subsection (1) was included in the original Bill as published to ensure that information could be disclosed in regard to the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995. The Office of the Parliamentary Counsel recently advised the Department that this should be amended to remove the words "or permitted" and insert a new...

Seanad: Nurses and Midwives Bill 2010: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)

Róisín Shortall: I am pleased to clarify that a member of a local authority may be a member of the board. This matter was dealt with, on foot of the commitment given by the Minister, by way of Report Stage in the Dáil.

Seanad: Nurses and Midwives Bill 2010: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)

Róisín Shortall: I apologise for the confusion on this matter. I was not party to the earlier debate and am only now catching up with it. There was discussion on whether employees of the board could be members of a local authority. I accept Senator Leyden's point in regard to members of the board. I see no difficulty in that respect other than procedural difficulties, in that we do not want any further...

Seanad: Nurses and Midwives Bill 2010: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)

Róisín Shortall: I apologise to the House for the confusion caused. I accept the points made by Senator Leyden. It is the intention of Government to table an amendment to provide for elimination of the exclusion of members of local authorities from membership of the board. I ask Members to bear with me. I intend to shortly table a Government amendment on Report Stage.

Seanad: Nurses and Midwives Bill 2010: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)

Róisín Shortall: Amendment No. 12 amends section 28 by the inclusion of a new subsection (7) to provide for circumstances where the CEO is absent or the position of CEO is vacant. In such cases the board can designate an employee to perform the functions of the CEO. I hope Senators will support this amendment.

Seanad: Nurses and Midwives Bill 2010: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)

Róisín Shortall: On amendments Nos. 15 and 16, it is important to draw a distinction between people who are employed pre-2004 and post-2004. The requirement to retire at the age 65 relates to employees appointed before 1 April 2004. This is a condition of the superannuation scheme to which these employees belong. However, there is no upper age limit for retirement for employees of the board who are...

Seanad: Nurses and Midwives Bill 2010: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)

Róisín Shortall: As some Senators have said, this is part of a wider debate which is probably required and which is not specific to a particular piece of legislation. I agree with Senators that 75 is probably the new 65 at this stage because for a number of reasons, not least our health service, people are living longer and this is wonderful. We need to rethink our treatment of the different phases in life....

Seanad: Nurses and Midwives Bill 2010: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)

Róisín Shortall: I thank Senator Barrett for drawing attention to the fact that an amendment was required in order to include the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. The Government amendment addresses that point. We do not accept that the right to borrow would be restricted to capital reasons and there are a number of reasons for that. For example, it may be necessary at some stage for the board to...

Seanad: Nurses and Midwives Bill 2010: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)

Róisín Shortall: In amendment No. 22 Senator Cullinane proposes to remove the provision that a registered midwife must have adequate clinical indemnity insurance to attend a woman in childbirth for reward. There is clearly a need to ensure that midwives have adequate insurance lest a case of negligence is taken. As court cases in regard to birth where negligence is proven often result in very high damages...

Seanad: Nurses and Midwives Bill 2010: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)

Róisín Shortall: I want to make it clear that I support the principle of choice in regard to childbirth. However, home births can only take place in safe circumstances and it would be extremely remiss of the State to preside over a situation where we did not insist on having that indemnity. I presume the Senator supports the State playing that role and insisting that practising midwives are adequately...

Seanad: Nurses and Midwives Bill 2010: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)

Róisín Shortall: It is either a legal requirement or it is not. The State would be remiss in not insisting on provision of indemnity as a legal requirement. The women who want to have home births, who want to have community midwives assisting them in those births need to be given assurances as to the quality of care being provided and, in the unlikely event that something goes wrong, that there will be...