Results 12,161-12,180 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Seanad: Health Services: Statements (4 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Another Sinn Féin policy which I am absolutely certain exists is ---

Seanad: Health Services: Statements (4 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Senator Cullinane also asked me to pay attention to him when he was speaking but now he will not let me speak.

Seanad: Health Services: Statements (4 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: It is certainly Sinn Féin policy to transfer €90 million in costs to private health insurers which would essentially drive more people out of private health insurance, increase the demands on the public system and make the two-tier system even worse. That is very much Sinn Féin policy. The health service is very difficult to reform and change. If it was like a ship, one...

Seanad: Health Services: Statements (4 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: We need administrative staff. As somebody who has worked in hospitals for the best part of six years and in general practice for four, I know one needs somebody to answer the telephone, book appointments and look after medical records. Administrative staff may not be front line but one cannot function as a front-line staff member without administrative staff. They should not be dismissed...

Seanad: Health Services: Statements (4 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Metering for water is pretty straightforward as one puts in the meters and then make charges.

Seanad: Health Services: Statements (4 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Health insurance and health care is very complicated.

Seanad: Health Services: Statements (4 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: What would arise, for example, if there was universal health insurance with competing insurers and people refused to give their insurer their PPS number? What would happen if one brought in compulsory health insurance and people refused to pay the health insurance contribution? Would we then refuse them treatment?

Seanad: Health Services: Statements (4 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: There are a lot of things that need to be thought through, which is why we had a public consultation process. I will publish the results of the public consultation process soon. The ESRI and the Health Insurance Authority are doing their work on the costings and that will be published. I expect to be in a position towards the middle of next year to set out a revised roadmap as to how we...

Seanad: Health Services: Statements (4 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I was asked about primary care centres and the incentives for people to use them over their emergency departments. Incentives do exist because the charge is lower for primary care centres than for an emergency department. If one attends one's own GP or primary care centre then one does not have to pay an ED charge at all. A big job must be done around educating people on where is the right...

Seanad: Health Services: Statements (4 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I will do my best to get around to them all. As Members will know, there are 47 acute hospitals in the State. That is just hospitals, never mind every other aspect of the health service. If I were to spend one day a week on visits it would take me a year to get around to the acute hospitals, never mind trying to get anywhere else. In the new year I will try to get out and about a bit more...

Seanad: Health Services: Statements (4 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I am going to Galway in December. It is useful to do it exactly for that reason; to see the reality. There are other Ministers who spend a huge amount of their time just seeing reality and touring the country and not actually getting down to their desk and being here in Parliament.

Seanad: Health Services: Statements (4 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I want to spend 80% of my time here in Parliament, in my Department and with the HSE, and maybe 20% in my constituency and elsewhere. I think that is probably the right balance, but it means that I cannot get around as much as I would like. On the Fampyra medicine, I do not know that one in detail. The National Institute of Clinical Excellence, which did a paper on it in the United Kingdom,...

Seanad: Health Services: Statements (4 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I can guarantee that the decision on which drugs are reimbursed will not be a political or ministerial one. That decision will continue to be based on clinical and economic guidelines. The first question is whether the drug is effective. The second is what its side effect profile is and the third is whether the price is fair. I can understand that clinicians and interest groups will...

Seanad: Health Services: Statements (4 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: There is a detailed agreement with the IPHA on the assessment times and when they can stop and start again. It is always open to pharmaceutical companies to come in with new evidence or more evidence as to why a product is effective. It is always open for them to come in with a new price. It is always possible to introduce new options, for example, cost-sharing options where the HSE only...

Seanad: Health Services: Statements (4 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I have no proposals to close any emergency departments in Ireland.

Seanad: Health Services: Statements (4 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I will look into that. I do not know the details.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Long-Term Illness Scheme (4 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I wish to thank the Senator for raising this important matter. At the outset I think it is important to state that decisions on which medicines and appliances are reimbursed by the taxpayer, are not political or ministerial decisions. They are made on objective scientific and economic grounds by the HSE. The HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Long-Term Illness Scheme (4 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I do not have a timeline for Senator Moloney but I will certainly check on it to see whether there is a timeline for it. I conducted a quick research check before responding to the debate. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find a significant amount of research on it, although there is one paper which suggests that, while there is no statistically different improvement in HbA1c in...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Medical Card Applications (4 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The Senator will be aware that in accordance with the relevant health legislation, full eligibility for a medical card is awarded where a person cannot arrange GP services for himself or herself and his or her family without undue hardship, having regard to his or her financial circumstances. It is important to clarify that, under the Health Act 1970, as amended, the determination of an...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Medical Card Applications (4 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: If the Senator contacts my private office later in the week I can undertake to have a senior person examine the file. As the Senator accepts, I cannot direct him or her to provide a medical card.