Results 11,841-11,860 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar
- Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (7 Oct 2014)
Leo Varadkar: That is a good question. I would have thought that qualified opticians or optometrists would always be on site.
- Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (7 Oct 2014)
Leo Varadkar: If that is the case-----
- Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (7 Oct 2014)
Leo Varadkar: In essence, the current practice will continue. No one will be able to establish a business and begin selling glasses without first employing an optometrist or optician. I presume that dispensing does not occur at the outlets the Deputy mentioned on days when the relevant qualified person is not present.
- Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (7 Oct 2014)
Leo Varadkar: No.
- Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (7 Oct 2014)
Leo Varadkar: I understand people's concerns and I stress that we are not trying to create a problem. Between now and Report Stage I will seek to ensure that we are not going to accidentally create such a problem. The intention is to allow the existing practice to continue.
- Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (7 Oct 2014)
Leo Varadkar: There is an ophthalmologist on the board. However, I do not want to include in primary legislation a requirement that there should be a certain number of ophthalmologists on the board. The 1956 Act provides for 44 ophthalmologists, who are consultants, to serve on the board. This Bill does not provide for specific representation of medical practitioners. However, the interim board...
- Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (7 Oct 2014)
Leo Varadkar: I had not heard that before but it is a good point. I will take a look at it. Part of the charge to attend the accident and emergency department is to encourage people to attend their GP first, which many people do but some do not. One could argue that if somebody goes to a community pharmacist, public health nurse or a physician before being referred to the accident and emergency...
- Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (7 Oct 2014)
Leo Varadkar: It is comprised of 13 members with a lay majority.
- Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (7 Oct 2014)
Leo Varadkar: No. It is not prescribed in legislation.
- Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (7 Oct 2014)
Leo Varadkar: Some members are elected, which could create a problem.
- Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (7 Oct 2014)
Leo Varadkar: That is for candidates rather than elected people.
- Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (7 Oct 2014)
Leo Varadkar: Many of these boards have a good gender balance, given the nature of the professions involved. I would be reluctant to prescribe gender quotas in legislation. It is one thing to set a target and try to achieve it but when it is a position like this, particularly involving elected members, it may lead to a case where a person with fewer votes may get a place because he or she is of a...
- Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (7 Oct 2014)
Leo Varadkar: Section 41 is a technical provision relating to section 42. May I comment on both of them together?
- Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (7 Oct 2014)
Leo Varadkar: Section 41 is a technical provision relating to the terminology used in Part 3. It defines the Act of 2013 as the Health (Amendment) Act 2013 and the principal Act as the Health Act 1970. It is a technical provision.
- Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (7 Oct 2014)
Leo Varadkar: It is no problem. The Deputy has contacted my office about this already and the intention is not to change the status quo. Sales assistants will still be allowed to help people pick frames, handle cash and so on. The professional function of dispensing will be done by an optometrist or a qualified dispensing optician alone. Between now and Report Stage, I must be satisfied that we have...
- Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (7 Oct 2014)
Leo Varadkar: On the wider point made by the Deputy, there is no denying that services are under a lot of pressure. We have fewer staff working in the health service than in recent years and I am not going to pretend that this is not the case. It applies not only to nursing homes but across the board. However, that is a separate matter from this legislation which does not relate to the fair deal scheme...
- Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (7 Oct 2014)
Leo Varadkar: The amount will be set by the HSE.
- Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (7 Oct 2014)
Leo Varadkar: It will be set by me in regulations on their advice but can be reviewed. To ensure there will be no confusion, I do not want this to be mixed up with the nursing homes support scheme and the fair deal scheme. That is not what this is about. The contributions people will make which most of them already make are contributions to the cost of food and utilities. They do not make a...
- Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (7 Oct 2014)
Leo Varadkar: The existing arrangements on the level of contributions that are payable are being retained so all existing long-stay charges exemptions will apply to the new contribution regime. For those not exempted, there will be a continuing requirement to pay an appropriate and affordable maintenance-related contribution in line with current long-stay charges. The maximum contribution level will...
- Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (7 Oct 2014)
Leo Varadkar: It could do. While it is not automatic, it could be raised. However, the people who are paying 80% of their non-contributory pension are people who are in 24-hour accommodation.