Results 10,661-10,680 of 15,268 for speaker:Kathleen Lynch

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (12 Feb 2015)

Kathleen Lynch: It is better.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (12 Feb 2015)

Kathleen Lynch: We have much to do in the health sector, covering such a broad spectrum, so sometimes that type of detail is not communicated properly. I accept that fully. Somebody with a GP card and a long-term illness card is better off that somebody with a medical card because there are no prescription charges. There are facts, and it is not about me making stuff up, as Deputy Kelleher argued....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (12 Feb 2015)

Kathleen Lynch: I will give a brief reply to the question on long-stay beds. I apologise to the Deputy but I should has answered his question. Although the matter is ringing alarm bells, it is something that we have known for some considerable time. The difference is that we do now know what we need. The difficulty is that we do not have the resources to supply it. For the first time ever we have a very...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (12 Feb 2015)

Kathleen Lynch: Approximately 2,500 GPs are in the GMS system, which are the people we are dealing with right now. The barriers to entry to the GMS system have been removed substantially and more than 300 additional GPs have been recruited into the system in the past year. It is unclear how many people are represented by each organisation. The other difficulty is that we are at a very critical point in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (12 Feb 2015)

Kathleen Lynch: We should not do it anyway.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (12 Feb 2015)

Kathleen Lynch: I will respond to Senator van Turnhout. It is not a “Yes” or “No” answer. I will discuss the matter with the Senator later. It is a bit more complex and we feel that we have found a way around it by the mechanism on which we are now working.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (12 Feb 2015)

Kathleen Lynch: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (12 Feb 2015)

Kathleen Lynch: I will let Mr. O'Brien deal with the drugs issue. The Chief Medical Officer has just received a recommendation on whether the vaccine should be available on the broader remit. It is not done in other countries to any great extent but we are assessing that recommendation and there will be a decision very shortly. It is not just life threatening, as the Deputy knows, but can result in very...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (12 Feb 2015)

Kathleen Lynch: He has only just received it but he usually makes decisions in a reasonable length of time. It is not something that will drag on forever. I will ask Mr. O'Brien to deal with the savings in respect of FEMPI and the drugs.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (12 Feb 2015)

Kathleen Lynch: That is a reasonable request, to which I had intended to respond earlier. I believe that a small group of people should meet with the Department and the HSE in relation to the framing of the type of strategy that we need in relation to end-of-life issues because this is not only about hospice care. We all know that from the hearings. It would be a very worthwhile exercise to sit down and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (12 Feb 2015)

Kathleen Lynch: It is because we are smaller.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (12 Feb 2015)

Kathleen Lynch: The review of the fair deal scheme is almost complete. The one thing it will tell us is that the fair deal scheme is unsustainable in its present form. The idea that a person with means would pay in the range of €250 to €290 per week for a service that is costing anything up to €1,200 to provide is unsustainable. I take on board the point made by Deputy Catherine...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (12 Feb 2015)

Kathleen Lynch: Pain management.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (12 Feb 2015)

Kathleen Lynch: On Deputy Mitchell O'Connor's question on speech and language therapy for children in mainstream education, it is the progressing disabilities policy, a policy with which we are full steam ahead. There has been some opposition from some quarters but most are now on board.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (12 Feb 2015)

Kathleen Lynch: The difficulty mentioned by the Deputy was that up to this point, the community waiting times were significant but a child in a specialist school got it as part of the school’s service. As we are mainstreaming people with disabilities, we are hoping the service will be delivered in the community for everyone.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (12 Feb 2015)

Kathleen Lynch: In regard to the review of the fair deal scheme, I agree with Deputy Kelleher. The two most successful programmes for delivery of health in this country were in primary care and mental heath, because everyone bought into what was planned for the future. That is the way we should proceed. When the review is published I hope everyone with an interest in the issue will get together to discuss...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (17 Feb 2015)

Kathleen Lynch: As the issue raised by the Deputy relates to an individual case, this is a service matter for the Health Service Executive. I have asked the HSE to look into the particular matter raised and to reply directly to the Deputy. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Drugs Payment Scheme Coverage (17 Feb 2015)

Kathleen Lynch: Under the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the HSE has statutory responsibility for the administration of the primary care schemes, therefore the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to you. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Nursing Homes Support Scheme Applications (17 Feb 2015)

Kathleen Lynch: As this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Admissions (17 Feb 2015)

Kathleen Lynch: As this is a service issue this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply. If you have not received a response within 15 working days, please contact my private office and they will follow up the matter with them.