Results 12,521-12,540 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Access (2 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: People with fibromyalgia have access to the broad range of primary, community and hospital based services for the diagnosis and treatment of their condition. Individuals may also be entitled to a medical card depending on their circumstances. Like many other conditions, there is no formal monitoring of occurrence outside of existing Health Service Executive (HSE) information systems - such as...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Ambulance Service Provision (2 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Vaccination Programme (2 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I am aware that there are currently issues concerning the supply of BCG vaccine available in Europe. The Health Service Executive has been working to secure supplies of the vaccine as quickly as possible. The National Immunisation Office (NIO) has been informed by the contracted supplier that the earliest possible delivery date for the next shipment of the vaccine will be the week...

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE Staffing (2 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter. 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: HSE National Service Plan (2 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The Health Service Executive's 2015 National Service Plan was considered at Government on Tuesday last and approved by me on Wednesday 26th November. The Plan, setting out the type and volume of health and social care services to be provided by the Executive with the funding allocated by Government during the course of next year, was published by the HSE on Thursday, 27th November.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Charges (2 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I do not propose to introduce any new charges from 1 January 2015. In accordance with the Health (Charges for In-Patient Services) Regulations 2005-2011, charges apply for in-patient services other than for acute hospital care and for long-term residential care services supported under the Nursing Homes Support Scheme (Fair Deal), both of which are subject to separate charging regimes....

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE Staffing (2 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The total numbers employed in management grades in the Health Service Executive stood at 3,031 at the end of October 2014. The vast majority of these (2,183) are employed at middle management level which includes those working in supervisory roles. The numbers of employees working in management grades has reduced by close to 6% since September 2007. The distinction between the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Graduate Nursing Scheme (2 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Preceptorship programmes are provided for Registered nurses to prepare them for the role of preceptor, to support nursing students undertaking undergraduate nurse education programmes. Additionally nurses undertaking post-graduate education programmes, in the main, are supported by clinical education facilitators, for example nurses undertaking the Higher Diploma in Intensive Care Nursing....

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Provision (2 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: In relation to the particular patient query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff Recruitment (2 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform announced in the budget that he intended to delegate greater autonomy to Departments and Agencies to manage their own staffing levels. From 2015 Departments and Agencies will have discretion over staffing levels within the overall framework of their pay budget. This policy change will give HSE management greater autonomy to manage their own...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Tobacco Control Measures (2 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy will be aware, Government approval was received on 19thNovember 2013 to proceed with drafting the Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill 2013. The legislation has now been passed by the Seanad and Second Stage of the Bill concluded in the Dáil on 2ndOctober 2014. The Bill was formally notified to the Commission and to Member States under the EU Technical...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (2 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Ambulance Service Response Times (2 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Expenditure (2 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The information requested by the Deputy is not immediately available within my Department. The information is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE Expenditure (2 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The SDU was brought under the governance of the HSE on 1 January 2013. As such, the details sought are a matter for the HSE and I have asked them to respond to you directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Treatment Abroad Scheme (2 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The Treatment Abroad Scheme (TAS), operated by the HSE, provides for the referral of patients to another EU/EEA country or Switzerland for a treatment that is either not available within the State or not available within a time normally necessary for obtaining it in Ireland, taking account of his/her current state of health and the probable course of the disease. There are strict...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Appointments to State Boards (2 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Since my appointment as Minister for Health in July of this year, I have made 19 board appointments. Of these, 7 were made on the nomination of bodies specified in legislation and 5 appointments were by Election. Of the 7 appointments made at my discretion, 4 were filled without being advertised. 2 appointments were made to the Hepatitis C and HIV Compensation Tribunal on the advice of the...

Topical Issue Debate: Ambulance Service Provision (3 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I very much welcome the HIQA report on the ambulance service, which was requested by my predecessor, the former Minister, Deputy Reilly, some time ago. The report provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the progress made in pre-hospital emergency services and to acknowledge the challenges and opportunities ahead. I am aware there are shortcomings in the current service provision....

Topical Issue Debate: Ambulance Service Provision (3 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I am not sure if the figures are calculated or available, but I will look into the matter. I am not sure if the Deputy has had a chance to read the report from cover to cover, but, for anyone who has, it is abundantly clear that an overemphasis on crude response times is not a good idea. In other parts of the world overemphasis on response times has caused ambulance services to pull out of...

Topical Issue Debate: Graffiti Issues (3 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Alan Kelly. I assure the Deputy that I am fully aware of the blight on communities which graffiti causes, both in the greater Dublin area and nationally, and that the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government is totally committed to tackling the issues of graffiti...