Results 8,321-8,340 of 24,567 for speaker:Róisín Shortall

Seanad: Mental Health Services (21 Mar 2012)

Róisín Shortall: I am not for one moment trying to defend what has happened up to this current year. We all know the problem is that A Vision for Change was not implemented. However, there is a very strong commitment on the part of this Government to ensure it is implemented and that is why an additional €35 million has been provided this year and will be provided for the next three years at least in this...

Seanad: Mental Health Services (21 Mar 2012)

Róisín Shortall: She is absolutely determined to implement A Vision for Change as it is the way to go and everybody is agreed on that. I assure the Senator that the Government will deliver on it.

Written Answers — Water Fluoridation: Water Fluoridation (22 Mar 2012)

Róisín Shortall: I have received a copy of the recent Report to which the Deputy refers and I have asked the Irish Expert Body on Fluorides and Health to examine it. The Forum on Fluoridation, which reported in 2002, advised that the fluoridation of piped public water supplies should continue as a public health measure. One of the recommendations of the Forum was to amend the Regulations regarding...

Written Answers — Long-Term Illness Scheme: Long-Term Illness Scheme (22 Mar 2012)

Róisín Shortall: The Programme for Government committed to reforming the current public health system by introducing Universal Health Insurance with equal access to care for all. As part of this reform programme, the Government is committed to introducing Universal GP Care within the first term of office of this Government. Initially it is intended to extend GP cover without fees to persons with defined...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (22 Mar 2012)

Róisín Shortall: As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.

Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (22 Mar 2012)

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 (22 Mar 2012)

Róisín Shortall: I continue to engage with the HSE to improve their handling of medical card applications. As a result of actions in this area, the HSE has reported to me that 96% of complete applications received in late-February/early-March have been processed within 15 days, compared to a turnaround target of 90% in its 2012 National Service Plan. The HSE has also reported to me that the backlog in...

Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (22 Mar 2012)

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

Primary Care Strategy (27 Mar 2012)

Róisín Shortall: The key component of the primary care strategy is the development of services in the community to give people direct access to integrated multi-disciplinary primary care teams, PCTs, consisting of general practitioners, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and others. Following changes to team boundaries across the country to integrate with the HSE's new integrated service...

Primary Care Strategy (27 Mar 2012)

Róisín Shortall: I accept there has been much talk but little action on primary care over the past 11 years. More decisions have been taken on developing primary care over the past year than during the previous decade. I am pleased to say that the budget includes a special allocation of €20 million for primary care, which will enable us to recruit the equivalent of 300 posts over the coming weeks. That...

Primary Care Strategy (27 Mar 2012)

Róisín Shortall: The Deputy is mixing up staff and centres here.

Primary Care Strategy (27 Mar 2012)

Róisín Shortall: It is a framework for smaller hospitals and not a strategy. However, we have a primary care strategy and I remind the Deputy that is an 11-year old strategy. We are taking that seriously now. That is why I am very pleased we can now proceed to recruit an additional 300 people in the health service. I am glad to say that this week the HSE is engaged in drawing up the job specifications and...

Medical Cards (27 Mar 2012)

Róisín Shortall: I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 11 together. A number of difficulties arose with the processing of medical cards in the final quarter of last year. These difficulties gave rise to a very large backlog and long delays for both new applicants and medical card renewals. A separate significant backlog also arose in respect of medical card appeals. Reviews of the problems have...

Medical Cards (27 Mar 2012)

Róisín Shortall: I assure the Deputy that under no circumstances was any direction given or intentional decision taken to slow down the issuing of medical cards. I want to rule that out because allegations were made at the end of last year that somehow this was an intentional policy to reduce the number of medical cards. I refute that. In terms of what I stated in my reply, it would seem at this point that...

Medical Cards (27 Mar 2012)

Róisín Shortall: The agreement recently reached with GPs in terms of the processing of medical cards is a very welcome one and it enables a number of actions to be done. The first is to extend a person's eligibility in the case of vulnerable patients where they may not be in a position to do that themselves. The second is in regard to patients who are deceased. Their names are being removed from the panel...

Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (27 Mar 2012)

Róisín Shortall: Under the former Eastern Health Board, it was the practice to provide psychiatric medicines free to all patients who attended an outpatient clinic for services regardless of their eligibility status. Such arrangements were unique to the greater Dublin area. In all other former Health Board Areas, similar patients were provided with psychiatric medicines in accordance with their eligibility...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (27 Mar 2012)

Róisín Shortall: There are currently approximately 21,000 in treatment. The HSE will be commencing an independent review of orthodontic services in 2012 which will consider a number of service provision models. The outcome of this review will give guidance as to what changes will be desirable to provide the best possible model of care delivery, given the current resources available and expected future demand...

Written Answers — General Practitioner Services: General Practitioner Services (27 Mar 2012)

Róisín Shortall: General Practitioner (GP) out-of-hours co-operatives are an essential part of our primary care services and help to ensure that, to the greatest extent possible, care needs are met in the primary care setting. While there is no obligation on GPs to participate in co-operatives, GPs contracted under the General Medical Services Scheme must make suitable arrangements to enable contact to be...

Written Answers — General Practitioner Services: General Practitioner Services (27 Mar 2012)

Róisín Shortall: Separate reports in 2009 by FÁS, ESRI and the Competition Authority and in 2010 by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children referred to the GP manpower issue and stated that 120 training places per year were not sufficient to meet the demands of a growing and ageing population. They recommended that the number of GP training places be increased to 150. In July 2010, the number...

Written Answers — Primary Care Strategy: Primary Care Strategy (27 Mar 2012)

Róisín Shortall: I propose to take Questions Nos. 52 and 583 together. The Programme for Government committed to reforming the current public health system by introducing Universal Health Insurance with equal access to care for all. As part of this reform programme the Government is committed to introducing Universal GP Care within the first term of office of this Government. I have established the...