Results 13,001-13,020 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (21 Jan 2015)

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 (21 Jan 2015)

Leo Varadkar: Ambulance response time targets for the National Ambulance Service are set out in the HSE National Service Plan. For ECHO and DELTA calls (life threatening conditions), the 2015 response time target is for 80% of calls to get a patient-carrying vehicle on scene within 19 minutes. The latest published data shows that, in October, the volume of ECHO calls rose by 5% compared to the same...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Insurance Regulation (21 Jan 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The Government agreed in December 2011 to address the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling of September 2011 which found that Ireland had failed to fulfil its obligations under the EU non-life Directives by exempting VHI from being regulated (i.e. holding authorisation) by the Central Bank of Ireland (CBI). Significant progress has been made since the subsequent Government Decision of 3...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Disease Management (21 Jan 2015)

Leo Varadkar: Lyme Disease (also known as Lyme borelliosis) is an infection caused by a spiral-shaped bacterium called Borella burgdorferi. It is transmitted to humans by bites from ticks infected with the bacteria. The infection is generally mild affecting only the skin, but can occasionally be more severe and highly debilitating. The commonest noticeable evidence of infection is a rash called erythema...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Proposed Legislation (21 Jan 2015)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy is aware, the Government has approved an extensive package of measures to deal with alcohol misuse to be incorporated in a Public Health (Alcohol) Bill. These measures are based on the recommendations contained in the Steering Group Report on a National Substance Misuse Strategy, 2012. The package of measures to be implemented will include provision for minimum unit pricing,...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (21 Jan 2015)

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 Staff Recruitment (21 Jan 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The HSE has advised that Naas General Hospital has agreed staffing levels to cover the entire hospital. When the hospital experiences surges in activity, additional staff are sourced to meet that demand. Naas General Hospital has approval to appoint 27 staff nurses and is currently in the process of appointing 10 temporary nurses. Interviews are being held next week to fill the remaining...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Insurance Regulation (21 Jan 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The Government agreed in December 2011 to address the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling of September 2011 which found that Ireland had failed to fulfil its obligations under the EU non-life Directives by exempting VHI from being regulated (i.e. holding authorisation) by the Central Bank of Ireland (CBI). Significant progress has been made since the subsequent Government Decision of 3...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Cancer Screening Programmes (21 Jan 2015)

Leo Varadkar: Planning for the age extension of BreastCheck to 65 - 69 year olds is underway and screening of the extended cohort will commence in Quarter 4 of 2015. The additional eligible population is approximately 100,000 and, when fully implemented, 540,000 women will be included in the BreastCheck Programme. The age extension will be implemented on an incremental basis in line with the capacity...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Abortion Legislation (21 Jan 2015)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy is aware Article 40.3.3 of the Irish Constitution states that: 'The State acknowledges the right to life of the unborn and, with due regard to the equal right to life of the mother, guarantees in its laws to respect, and, as far as practicable, by its laws to defend and vindicate that right.' The interpretation of Article 40.3.3 was considered by the Supreme Court in Attorney...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Accident and Emergency Departments (21 Jan 2015)

Leo Varadkar: ED overcrowding is a priority issue for me and for the Government and I acknowledge the difficulties which the current surge in ED activity is causing for patients, their families and the staff who are doing their utmost to provide safe, quality care in very challenging circumstances. All hospitals have escalation plans to manage not only patient flow but also patient safety in a...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Patient Data (21 Jan 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I have indicated that the roll out of a system of health identifiers will be a key priority for 2015. The new identifier registers will be managed and operated by HSE. HSE has already established the necessary project management structure and is currently developing a comprehensive project plan which will be available to me shortly. The principal benefits of health identifiers will be...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Accident and Emergency Departments (21 Jan 2015)

Leo Varadkar: Emergency Department over-crowding is a priority issue for me and for the government. All hospitals, including Beaumont have escalation plans to manage not only patient flow but also patient safety in a responsive, controlled and planned way that supports and ensures the delivery of optimum patient care. These plans include the opening of additional overflow areas, reopening of closed beds,...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Accident and Emergency Services Provision (21 Jan 2015)

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 Waiting Lists (21 Jan 2015)

Leo Varadkar: It is not acceptable that any hospital should attempt to lower their waiting list by denying patients clinically warranted treatment. Hospitals are expected to accept all patient referrals and prioritise on the basis of strict chronological order, other than in cases of evidenced clinical urgency including relevant cancer cases. It is not unreasonable for larger tertiary referral centres to...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (21 Jan 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The National Waiting List Management Policy, A standardised approach to managing scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures, January 2014,has been developed to ensure that all administrative, managerial and clinical staff follow an agreed national minimum standard for the management and administration of waiting lists for scheduled care. This policy, which has...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Children's Hospital Status (21 Jan 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The National Paediatric Hospital Development Board is the statutory body responsible for planning, designing, building and equipping the new children's hospital. The new hospital will be co-located with St. James's Hospital, and ultimately tri-located with a maternity hospital to be developed on campus. In addition to the main hospital, the project includes two satellite centres at the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE Expenditure (21 Jan 2015)

Leo Varadkar: Procurement The most recent information provided by the HSE is that the Annual Financial Statements for 2014 are currently being prepared but not yet finalised and consequently national data on the 2014 cost of catering is not available. In 2013 catering non pay cost in the HSE owned hospitals and residences was approximately €54m. The HSE National Procurement Office seeks to...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Insurance Regulation (21 Jan 2015)

Leo Varadkar: VHI submitted its application to the Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) on 16 May 2014. It continues to engage closely with the CBI in respect of its application, and my Department has also provided a number of clarifications to the Bank to assist it in its understanding of the interaction between the private health insurance market and the health system. Consideration of the VHI's...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (21 Jan 2015)

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.