Results 12,721-12,740 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (17 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 193 and 194 together. As these are service matters, 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: Hospital Procedures (17 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: Hospital Services (17 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.

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (17 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics, NCPE, carries out health technology assessments for pharmaceuticals in Ireland and aims to provide impartial advice to help decision-makers provide the most effective, safe and value for money treatments for patients. In Ireland, once a product is licensed for use in the public health system, the relevant company can make an application for...

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (17 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Senator for his contribution. Community rating is a fundamental cornerstone of the Irish health insurance market. Everyone is charged the same premium if they have a particular health insurance plan, irrespective of age, gender, genetics or the current or likely future state of their health. This means that the price of health insurance for all persons reflects the principle of...

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (17 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I wish to make two points. I do not have an entirely closed mind on this issue. It is something I would like to have examined for my own interest. My apologies-----

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (17 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: That is a Labour Relations Commission call so I am not going to answer it.

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (17 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Somebody must be agreeing some sort of deal. It is an issue on which I do not have an entirely closed mind. It is something to which I would like to give more consideration but there are two difficulties that arise. There is exactly the issue of insurance fraud, of somebody coming into hospital and the hospital discovering the person is obese and having to get back payments because the...

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (17 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The Health Insurance Authority is the independent regulator of the health insurance market and performs a range of specialist functions, as set out in the Health Insurance Acts. These include monitoring the market, advising the Minister, operating and managing the risk equalisation fund, providing consumer information and maintaining registers. In carrying out its monitoring role, the...

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (17 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Similar to other non-life insurance contracts, health insurance contracts generally have a duration of 12 months and the insurer cannot alter the terms and conditions of the contract during that period. Consumer protection measures in existing private health insurance legislation provide that insurers must notify the Health Insurance Authority, HIA, of variations to existing product benefits...

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (17 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The Senator may have raised the issue before. It relates to a specific procedure that was covered by health insurers and now it is not. I do not really understand how that pertains to this amendment. The nature of health insurance is that there is a minimum level of benefits that every package must cover, with anything beyond that a variable. Anybody who has tried to get health insurance...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Assisted Human Reproduction (18 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I have stated my intention to bring a memorandum for Government, seeking approval to draft the General Scheme of legislative provisions for assisted human reproduction. It is envisaged that a comprehensive Bill would deal with a wide range of issues from the beginning to the end of the assisted reproduction process and will include provisions relating to the issue of surrogacy.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Reports (18 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The Department's Annual Report for 2013 was published on the Department's website www.health.gov.ie on 8 August, 2014.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Maternity Services (18 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 they will follow up the matter with them.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Staff Data (18 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 346, 347 and 427 together. 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: Hospital Procedures (18 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: Accident and Emergency Services Provision (18 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 with them.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Diabetes Strategy (18 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy 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 with them.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Patient Transport Expenditure (18 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 355 and 356 together. As these are service matters, 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: Hospital Appointment Status (18 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The scheduling of appointments for patients is a matter for the hospital to which the patient has been referred. Should a patient's general practitioner consider that the patient's condition warrants an earlier appointment, he or she would be in the best position to take the matter up with the consultant and hospital involved. In relation to the specific case raised, as this is a service...