Results 11,981-12,000 of 21,514 for speaker:Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Contaminated Blood Products (16 May 2012)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: Question 2: To ask the Minister for Health if he will use his powers under the Hepatitis C Compensation Tribunal Act 1997 to make available the measures provided for the majority who have tested positive, to the small number of women who received blood products from contaminated batches of anti-d in the 1977-79 and 1991-1994 periods but who are testing negative while experiencing severe...

Contaminated Blood Products (16 May 2012)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I understand that the cohort of women described in my question is 15 in number, two of whom are currently seriously ill. I take this opportunity to send my best wishes to them and their families at this very difficult time. The women who make up this tiny minority are very disappointed to have been excluded from the measures provided for the majority who have tested positive, including...

Contaminated Blood Products (16 May 2012)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I have a note before me, which I will pass on to the Minister, setting out the most up-to-date medical information relevant to this case. The absence of serological markers for hepatitis C does not exclude the distinct probability that an individual was exposed to virus-contaminated anti-D immunoglobulin. There is very good evidence that some individuals, when exposed to the hepatitis C...

Medicinal Products (16 May 2012)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: Question 5: To ask the Minister for Health if new procedures will be put in place to address both the recurrent problem of supply to pharmacists of vital prescription drugs and the need to make the most effective drugs and treatments available as soon as possible to public patients as shown by the recent case of the cancer drug ipilimumab. [24410/12]

Medicinal Products (16 May 2012)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I welcome the fact that the cancer drug in question has been approved. Given the debate on the issue, will the Minister of State bring forward, in conjunction with her colleagues, the Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly, and the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, a policy to ensure cancer patients and others who require advanced drugs and treatments will receive what they need as...

Medicinal Products (16 May 2012)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: The Minister of State did not address the issue of the availability of tysabri in all HSE areas. Will she, please, do so? Will she reiterate and confirm the position outlined by the Minister in response to Deputy Joan Collin's question on women testing positive for hepatitis C? This is very important. The women concerned have a statutory entitlement under the terms of the 1996 Act. It is...

General Practitioner Services (16 May 2012)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: When will the promised costing structure of the proposed health reforms based on health insurance be available? This has been signalled for some time. Can the Minister of State give Members an indication as to when that will be available? Will the Minister of State clarify the step approach to the roll-out of GP care for all? Is it on a two-step basis - those who currently hold the...

General Practitioner Services (16 May 2012)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: So it will be more than a two-step process.

Care of the Elderly (16 May 2012)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: The Minister of State is clearly aware that as recently as Monday last the HSE was still stating that the promised consultation process relating to Abbeyleix community nursing unit and the care of older people in the midlands has not yet commenced. This process was promised last year and it is now May 2012. Nothing has been heard about the process in all of the months that have passed. As...

Care of the Elderly (16 May 2012)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I sincerely hope that the situation at Abbeyleix will not present as being calamitous at any time in the future. However, the situation for older people across the State who are awaiting discharge from hospital settings and who cannot access nursing home beds is indeed calamitous for them and their families. I make no apology for using that language.

Care of the Elderly (16 May 2012)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I am not trying to incite fear at all, I am merely attempting to spell out to the Minister of State and her colleagues in the Chamber the fact that we are dealing with a very serious situation. The Minister of State indicated that there is no policy. Will she impress that fact upon the HSE? In respect of the service plans that were announced earlier this year, the HSE stated there will be...

Care of the Elderly (16 May 2012)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I hope that model will apply to all homes.

Prescription Charges (16 May 2012)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: At the time prescription charges for medical cardholders were introduced by the then Minister, Mary Harney, in 2010, the then Fine Gael spokesperson on health - I wonder who that would have been - described them as "aimed at the most vulnerable, sickest and weakest in our society". He pointed to international research showing that "any disincentive for people to take medicine should be...

Prescription Charges (16 May 2012)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: The Government's policy was to repeal the imposition of prescription charges but it has never been given effect. Recently, I presented a Bill to repeal this charge to the respective office in the Oireachtas for consideration but it was rejected on the basis that the repeal of a charge by an Opposition Deputy would represent a charge on the Exchequer. Every obstacle is put in our way as...

Prescription Charges (16 May 2012)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: The Minister knows best about those who do not want to hear because he does not want to hear what he said himself when he was in opposition. He will be reminded of it time and again. The Minister would have the support of all voices in this House if he proceeded with Mary Harney's promise of reference pricing and generic substitution. Legislation was promised to address that. These are...

Prescription Charges (16 May 2012)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: Will the Minister address that matter? Will the Minister indicate to the House his intention to repeal this charge on medical cardholders that is an impediment to access to essential medication?

Hospital Services (16 May 2012)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: If I could-----

Hospital Services (16 May 2012)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: This is Question Time.

Hospital Services (16 May 2012)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: The clock is fast.

Written Answers — Mental Health Legislation: Mental Health Legislation (16 May 2012)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: Question 58: To ask the Minister for Health if he will give assurances that the review of the Mental Health Act will address the situation of the lack of safeguards for voluntary patients, many of whom remain in mental health hospitals without any requirement of external review of admission or detention, the lack of adequate protections in relation to electro-convulsive therapy, the lack of...