Results 14,221-14,240 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Health: Patient Transport Provision (28 Apr 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 (28 Apr 2015)

Leo Varadkar: Spinal conditions, including scoliosis, in children and young people are predominantly managed at Our Lady's Children’s Hospital, Crumlin (OLCHC). It is acknowledged by all that waiting times for surgery are unacceptable and the HSE, Children's Hospital Group and OLCHC are actively working to address them as quickly as possible and exploring all short, medium- and long-term options to...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Children's Hospital Status (28 Apr 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: Hospital Waiting Lists (28 Apr 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy might like to note that the NTPF commenced publication of hospital-level waiting list data in April 2015 and that this data will be updated on a monthly basis. As the specific information requested relates to service issues, 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...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointment Delays (28 Apr 2015)

Leo Varadkar: Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual. In relation to...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointment Status (28 Apr 2015)

Leo Varadkar: Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual. The scheduling...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Disease Management (28 Apr 2015)

Leo Varadkar: Lyme disease (also known as Lyme borreliosis) is an infection transmitted to humans by bites from ticks infected with the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. The infection is generally mild affecting only the skin, but can occasionally be more severe and debilitating. Lyme borreliosis is is a notifiable infectious disease, the notifiable entity being the more severe neurological form, Lyme...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (28 Apr 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The National Treatment Purchase Fund is now publishing monthly waiting list reports at the end of each month. The report requested by the Deputy for the numbers of persons waiting for colonoscopies in each hospital, by time category, at March 2015 is now available from the National Treatment Purchase Fund Website: www.ntpf.ie.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Groups (28 Apr 2015)

Leo Varadkar: Hospital Groups have been established on an administrative basis and my priority for 2015 is to get all the Hospital Groups up and running as single cohesive entities. Primary legislation will be required in due course to give full effect to the introduction of Hospital Trusts. While Future Health sets the broad direction of travel for reforming the system, it was always made clear that...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Consultants Recruitment (28 Apr 2015)

Leo Varadkar: At the end of 2014, two consultant transplant surgeons left the renal and pancreas transplant programme at Beaumont Hospital, one on retirement and the second on leave of absence for professional development purposes. Given the limited number of surgeons who specialise in transplantation, the filling of any vacancies poses a challenge. Every effort is currently being made to fill these...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Reports (28 Apr 2015)

Leo Varadkar: A literature review of Independent Hospital Trusts was requested from the Health Research Board by my Department in 2011, to inform policy development. It is regarded as best practice that academic articles and reviews undergo peer review prior to publication. The Health Research Board advised my Department that the peer review undertaken identified a requirement for some further work on this...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (28 Apr 2015)

Leo Varadkar: Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual. In relation to...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Expenditure (28 Apr 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 325 to 327, inclusive together. All Government Departments and Agencies funded from the Exchequer must comply with EU Directives and national guidelines on procurement. Procurement in the health care sector is a service matter. Therefore your question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (28 Apr 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I advise the Deputy that St Vincent's University Hospital will remain as the national liver transplant centre.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Staff (28 Apr 2015)

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: Tobacco Control Measures (28 Apr 2015)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy will be aware, under Section 38 (1) of the Public Health (Tobacco) Acts 2002 to 2013 it is an offence for a person to sell cigarettes by retail in packets of less than twenty cigarettes. This provision was introduced as a method of maintaining a high price level for tobacco products in order to make them less accessible to children. The majority of smokers become addicted in...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Staff Remuneration (28 Apr 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office who will follow up the matter with them.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Health Services Staff Recruitment (28 Apr 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I thank Senator Craughwell for raising this issue today. As the Senator will be aware, psychologists employed by the health service play an integral role in the delivery of a wide range of psychological services. These include working with children and their families who present with developmental, emotional or behavioural difficulties and others who have intellectual and physical...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Health Services Staff Recruitment (28 Apr 2015)

Leo Varadkar: Just because people are on a panel, it does not mean they are available or want to take up a post. Often, people on panels, when offered a job, either are no longer available or they do not want the job or to move to the location of the job. It is not the case that just because people are on the panel they will necessarily be willing to take up a post.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Health Services Staff Recruitment (28 Apr 2015)

Leo Varadkar: When it comes to this decision, the HSE must be satisfied that people are suitably qualified for the position they are being asked to take up. This is not a matter on which I have the authority to issue a ministerial order, or on which I would be comfortable doing so. It is a matter for the working group to determine whether it wishes to change what it deems to be acceptable in terms of...