Results 14,421-14,440 of 21,514 for speaker:Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Child and Family Agency Bill 2013: Fifth Stage (21 Nov 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I commend the Minister's work and congratulate her on the successful passage of the establishing legislation for the new child and family agency. The Bill has been a long time in gestation and, having gone through this House, it will now go to the Seanad. This is a very important, if not historic - an often abused term - development in the context of the State's role vis-à-vis the care...

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Nov 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: The Bill is a follow on from the Health Insurance (Amendment) Act 2012, a very important piece of legislation which significantly updated the regulatory regime for the health insurance sector in the State. The 2012 Act introduced a permanent risk equalisation scheme from 1 January 2013. Risk equalisation makes possible the scheme of community rating, which ensures all consumers are charged...

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Nov 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I have been promised Santa Claus's arrival for many years, but he has failed to pop up. It must be something to do with my age.

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Nov 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: If the Minister is Santa Claus, nothing will surprise me any more. Here we are waiting on Santa Claus's White Paper. Perhaps we will have a white Christmas, too. A market based private health insurance system is not the route to real and necessary reform of the health service. I will repeat that message ad nauseam in the hope the Minister and his colleagues will listen to my argument....

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Alteration of Eligibility Criteria) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (21 Nov 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I oppose not only this section but each of the two subsequent sections. I am absolutely opposed to the legislation in its entirety. It is not amendable in any shape or form. It was a great disappointment to me because I was very happy to record my support for the provision of free GP care for all children aged five and under as announced in the recent budget. This was something I...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Alteration of Eligibility Criteria) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (21 Nov 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: A Chathaoirligh, make no mistake, it will have such an effect.

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Alteration of Eligibility Criteria) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (21 Nov 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: No, that is not the case.

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Alteration of Eligibility Criteria) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (21 Nov 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I am speaking on the Bill. Make no mistake about it, a Chathaoirligh.

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Alteration of Eligibility Criteria) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (21 Nov 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: Chairman, you cannot just pick what you like about what I have to say, although I am sure that is damn little in terms of what I have put on the record so far, but the fact of the matter is-----

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Alteration of Eligibility Criteria) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (21 Nov 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: -----I would far prefer, as I have indicated to the Minister already on the floor of the Dáil, that I would be able to say that I welcome such a step, proposal or measure. I have shown and demonstrated time after time that I am an Opposition Deputy willing and prepared to do that when it is merited. That is what disappoints me most of all. I would like to be in that situation. The...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Alteration of Eligibility Criteria) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (21 Nov 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: Not everyone over 70 years is retired. There are those over 70 in paid employment who are taxpayers. They may not comprise a large number, yet the position on their medical card entitlement under the terms of this and previous legislation is such that they are being evaluated on the basis of their gross pay, not their net pay. I use the term "pay" certainly-----

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Alteration of Eligibility Criteria) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (21 Nov 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: There will be those over 70 years in paid employment who are tax contributors and who will be treated differently from those under 70 on the basis of gross rather than net income. I heard this referenced in the consideration of the Bill on Second Stage. I listened carefully to the Minister's reply on that occasion. It is a question of understanding why the Minister lowered the qualifying...

Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Order for Report Stage (26 Nov 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: Reluctantly.

Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (26 Nov 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: Is it possible to comment at all?

Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (26 Nov 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: That is regrettable.

Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (26 Nov 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I wish to raise a point of order in respect of the sections of the Bill. Are the sections taken in the course of Report Stage, section by section?

Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (26 Nov 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: Is it the case that Members do not individually take each of the sections, as they do on Committee Stage? In other words, do they decide whether the section is agreed?

Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (26 Nov 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I apologise to the Minister of State.

Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (26 Nov 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I did not have the opportunity to either address the first amendment in my name and that of Deputy Kelleher, or indeed, the specific section to which that amendment referred. The Minister of State's amendment is an opportunity for us to make it crystal clear to him and to his colleagues in the Department of Health that the so-called Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) (No. 2)...

Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (26 Nov 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I remind the Minister that the Title of this Bill is the Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) (No. 2) Bill 2013. This is not the first time the Minister has done this in this year of 2013. Does he have any idea as to how older citizens feel about this measure? This is the second time in this 12 month period the Minister has targeted the medical card entitlement of over 70s...