Results 14,421-14,440 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE Investigations (13 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I wish to thank the Deputy for the issue raised. The case remains ongoing and therefore I am limited in my response, however , I have been informed by the HSE that the 2 investigations remain ongoing. There are no other investigations at this time.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Registration of Nurses (13 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I wish to thank the Deputy for the question raised. The most up-to-date information from the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland is that the lady referred to in your correspondence applied for registration as a General Nurse, a Public Health Nurse and a Nurse Tutor in 2013. She was granted registration as a General Nurse on 21 January 2014. Her application was assessed for Public Health...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Consultancy Contracts Data (14 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The Department's total expenditure in the A7 subhead consultancy for the years requested since 2011 is as per the tables below. It is the policy in my Department only to engage the services of external consultants where it is felt to be appropriate and cost-effective, taking account of Government decisions and policy on the matter. YEAR 2014 Total 1,554,511 A7 Subhead Expenditure...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointment Status (14 May 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: Vaccination Programme (14 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: BCG vaccine is currently part of the primary childhood immunisation schedule and is provided by the HSE for newborn babies. It is given to prevent the most serious forms of Tuberculosis in children (such as TB meningitis). The vaccine is given by HSE community doctors in health centres or maternity hospitals as it is administered intradermally, (which requires specific training and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Asbestos Remediation Programme (14 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I would like to advise the Deputy that the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation is responsible for Regulations under the Asbestos Directive which include matters relating to the removal of asbestos. Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Exposure to Asbestos) Regulations 2006 (S.I. No. 386 of 2006) the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) is required to maintain the Asbestosis...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Environmental Protection Agency Remit (14 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I have been informed that the research programme referred to by the Deputy was formally commissioned by the Environmental Protection Agency. I therefore cannot answer the Deputy's question.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Ambulance Service Response Times (14 May 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: HSE Reports (14 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly. If the Deputy has 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 Consultants Contract (14 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on the matter. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days will he please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with the HSE.

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE Staff Promotions (14 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The National Recruitment Service is not in a position to provide statistics on whether appointees into promotional post are internal or external to the HSE. This information is not supplied by candidates and therefore cannot be collated by the National Recruitment Service.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Reports (14 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: We know that in Ireland the level of obesity has doubled over the past 20 years. Currently two thirds of adults are overweight or obese and one in four children are overweight or obese. One in five adults are physically inactive and only 25 per cent of children meet the guidelines on physical activity. The report in question arises from a recent presentation by the World Health...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Negligence Claims (14 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: Approximately 60% of births occur in HSE run maternity units and 40% in Dublin voluntary maternity hospital units. The State Claims Agency (SCA) has provided further clarification in relation to the figures it released to a Sunday newspaper, which were based on a very specific series of questions from that newspaper. The SCA has advised my Department that when symphysiotomy claims are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Health Issues: Department of Health and Health Service Executive (14 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Cathaoirleach and members of the committee for the invitation to attend. I am joined by Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, Dr. Tony Holohan, chief medical officer, Ms Tracey Conroy, assistant secretary in my Department, Mr. Tony O’Brien, director general of the HSE, and members of his leadership team. Members will recall that at the start of the year, the Minister...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Health Issues: Department of Health and Health Service Executive (14 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I will address the policy questions and leave the various service areas to the directors, as they have the most up-to-date and comprehensive knowledge about them. Deputy Kelleher asked about the oversight implementation and recommendations. It is a very pertinent question. One of the specific eight recommendations made in the HIQA Portlaoise report is that the Department would set up a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Health Issues: Department of Health and Health Service Executive (14 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: We have not yet decided. My plan is for it to be chaired by a Department official but I am open to views on that. There should be independent input, particularly a patient representation. I touched on the outpatient appointment issue. There are 412,000 people now waiting for their first appointment with a consultant, although there could be a fair bit of double counting. We will let...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Health Issues: Department of Health and Health Service Executive (14 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I will ask the director general to speak about the information sharing between the HSE and the State Claims Agency which is important. I will ask the chief medical officer to discuss the plans for open disclosure and the decision made between mandatory and protected disclosure. He will also expand on the issue of figures for perinatal mortality rates, which unfortunately give false...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Health Issues: Department of Health and Health Service Executive (14 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The planning permission is in and the money is available in the capital plan. These are the kinds of decisions that have to be made in the health service. We are always trying to choose between one child and the other but if a commitment is made, it should be honoured as soon as it can be funded. An issue also remains outstanding in respect of academic contracts, however. I will ask Mr....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Health Issues: Department of Health and Health Service Executive (14 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: It is different because we could approach it from either perspective. That decision remains to be made. Senator Gilroy asked about the suicide strategy. The strategy is being led by the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch. It has been considered by the Cabinet sub-committee and we intend to bring it to Cabinet in the next week or two, following which the Minister of State will...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Health Issues: Department of Health and Health Service Executive (14 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: Employees can move employer every two weeks if they like, provided they have a certificate of tax-free allowances.