Results 15,161-15,180 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Hospital Consultants Recruitment (8 Jul 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The consultant who carried out pancreas transplants at Beaumont Hospital took early retirement at the end of 2014. Given the limited number of surgeons who specialise in transplantation, the filling of such vacancies poses a challenge. While Beaumont Hospital is making every effort to recruit a suitable replacement, it is also collaborating with St. Vincent's University Hospital on a...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Hospital Consultants Recruitment (8 Jul 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The post was advertised. I cannot say with absolute certainty when it was advertised, but it was certainly advertised many months ago. However, it was not possible to find a suitable applicant. As the Senator will know, the health service works in such a way that the HSE is not always the employer. Beaumont Hospital, for example, is a voluntary hospital. Therefore, the people who work...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Universal Health Insurance (9 Jul 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The Government is committed to a major programme of reform for the health service, the aim of which is to deliver a single-tier health service where access is based on need and not income. The White Paper on universal health insurance was published on 2 April 2014. Following its publication, a major costing exercise involving the Department of Health, the ESRI and others was initiated to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Universal Health Insurance (9 Jul 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I know there is a good deal of debate and comment around terminology. Universal health care is a group term meaning access to health care on an equal basis, based on need rather than ability to pay. There are many ways of bringing that about. Universal health insurance is one of those. We can have a multi-payer or a single payer system, a social insurance-based system, a tax-based system...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Universal Health Insurance (9 Jul 2015)

Leo Varadkar: When it comes to whether it covers GP care, it depends entirely on what policy people have. Many people have a policy already that covers GP care, but most people do not and chose not to take that out. Where we differ is that I do not believe the most fundamental question is how the money is collected and funded.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Universal Health Insurance (9 Jul 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The fundamental question is whether the health services are adequately funded. No matter what the system, if the funding and staffing levels are inadequate, then it will not be a good health service. The second thing is to ensure that money is spent well. This comes from activity-based funding. We are very much pushing ahead with activity-based funding to ensure that money follows the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Universal Health Insurance (9 Jul 2015)

Leo Varadkar: All those things need to be determined. We also have to get other things right first; things which have not been got right.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Surgical Symphysiotomy Payment Scheme (9 Jul 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The surgical symphysiotomy payment scheme commenced on 10 November 2014. It was estimated that 350 women would apply to the scheme, but in fact 577 applications have been accepted. The applications are being assessed by former High Court judge Ms Justice Maureen Harding Clark. Contrary to the Deputy's assertion, the scheme has brought about an end to years of uncertainty and costs for...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Surgical Symphysiotomy Payment Scheme (9 Jul 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The scheme was established in this manner so that it would not be adversarial. One alternative was to require people to go through the courts and make their case on the witness stand, with the possibility of being subjected to cross-examination and significant financial losses if the case is unsuccessful. The Deputy will be aware that judgments in a number of recent cases have found against...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Surgical Symphysiotomy Payment Scheme (9 Jul 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The scheme is voluntary and participants can withdraw at any time if they are not satisfied, and can pursue their case through the courts in the normal way. It remains voluntary until the point at which somebody accepts an award. Judge Clarke receives advice from medical experts but she was appointed to act as an independent assessor. That is why I will not attempt to go over her head or...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Surgical Symphysiotomy Payment Scheme (9 Jul 2015)

Leo Varadkar: -----any decision she makes is based on medical advice.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Drug Treatment Programmes (9 Jul 2015)

Leo Varadkar: Individuals with an addiction to drugs and alcohol can access the full range of general health services including primary care, secondary care, social care and mental health services. There are also specific services for addiction. Health Service Executive funding of €109 million is provided for alcohol and drug addiction services in 2015. People who present for alcohol addiction...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Drug Treatment Programmes (9 Jul 2015)

Leo Varadkar: If individuals present to an emergency department, they are treated as an emergency and their injuries or other acute medical illnesses are dealt with. Two thirds of patients who attend emergency departments are discharged and the remaining third are admitted. If they are admitted, I imagine they would receive some sort of referral to the addiction services while they are in hospital but...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Drug Treatment Programmes (9 Jul 2015)

Leo Varadkar: 10 o’clock I am not familiar with the particular project mentioned by Deputy O'Sullivan but it is open to any project to apply for funding from the HSE or the local drugs task force. I do not know the people involved and I do not dispute what they say but I have never met a group that did not tell me that its service was great. That is the nature of these things. It is...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Services for People with Disabilities (9 Jul 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The Government is very committed to the protection and safety of our most vulnerable citizens and placed regulation and inspection of residential disability centres on a statutory footing in November 2013. Every person who uses disability services is entitled to expect and receive care of the highest standard and to live in dignity and safety. People with a disability should be able to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Services for People with Disabilities (9 Jul 2015)

Leo Varadkar: Of course I am appalled at the negative reports that were published about some disability centres. Often, there are a number of issues as to why care is substandard. Resources are often only part of the picture. Deputy Keaveney will be aware that Áras Attracta was very well staffed but, none the less, there were major failings in care. First, more than 500 reports on residential...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Services for People with Disabilities (9 Jul 2015)

Leo Varadkar: As is always the case, the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, and I will do our very best to make as strong a case as we can for all health and social care services, not just disability but also for mental health, acute hospitals and primary care. Funding is limited but the Deputy can rest assured that we will make as strong a case as we can to the Government to provide the additional...

Other Questions: Hospital Waiting Lists (9 Jul 2015)

Leo Varadkar: Improving waiting times for scheduled care is a key priority for Government. In January, I put in place maximum permissible waiting times for inpatient and day case treatments and outpatient appointments of 18 months by mid-year and 15 months by the end of the year. As of 30 June, the HSE is reporting a 99.6% achievement against the maximum permissible waiting time for inpatient and...

Other Questions: Hospital Waiting Lists (9 Jul 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The particular initiative that has occurred in the last few months is additional capacity, where possible, within the public system and the outsourcing of some patients to the private sector, where they were waiting more than 18 months. On the outpatient waiting list figures, there are about 50,000 people waiting for orthopaedic treatment, but the largest single category within that are...

Other Questions: Hospital Waiting Lists (9 Jul 2015)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy knows, GPs can inject joints, provided they are sufficiently trained to do so. They often do not do it for medical card patients because it is not economical to do so. One of the items that will be under discussion in the new contract talks with the IMO, which are due to start shortly, is that of changes to what are called special-type consultations - the additional fees that...