Results 16,541-16,560 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Health: Alcohol Advertising (1 Dec 2015)

Leo Varadkar: Ireland has a significant alcohol problem which needs decisive and innovative action to address it. A broad range of complementary measures is required to successfully reduce consumption of and the harms associated with alcohol misuse especially amongst young people. The Steering Group Report on a National Substance Misuse Strategy, 2012contains recommendations which take a multi-pronged...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Vaccination Programme (1 Dec 2015)

Leo Varadkar: As Minister for Health I consider meeting any organisation in the health area that requests to do so. However due to scheduling commitments and other diary events such as Cabinet and Dáil business I am not always available to meet all who request a meeting. In Ireland, the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) is the regulatory authority for medicines in Ireland. There are 2...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Cancer Screening Programmes (1 Dec 2015)

Leo Varadkar: Last year I announced the extension of BreastCheck, the free breast screening service, to women aged 65-69 years, in keeping with EU Guidelines. Previously, this service was available to women aged 50-64 years. I am pleased to confirm that the first invitations to the extended age range have issued and that the screening of 500 women in this cohort will take place this year. Earlier this...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Accident and Emergency Departments (1 Dec 2015)

Leo Varadkar: Last December I convened the ED Taskforce to assist in dealing with the challenges presented by ED overcrowding and significant progress has been made to date. Additional funding of €117m has been provided in 2015 to relieve pressures on acute hospitals including reducing delayed discharges, lowering the waiting time for Fair Deal funding and providing additional transitional care...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointment Delays (1 Dec 2015)

Leo Varadkar: Improving waiting times for scheduled care for patients is a key priority for the Government. In January, taking into account current pressures on acute hospital services, I put in place maximum permissible waiting times for in-patient and day case treatment and outpatient appointments of 18 months by 30 June and 15 months by year end. The HSE was provided with additional funding of...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff (1 Dec 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 473, 474 and 475 together. The safety of service users is of paramount importance and steps need to be taken to anticipate and avoid things going wrong and to reduce the impact if they do. All employees including medical staff are required to disclose and report incidents in line with the HSE's Safety Incident Management Policy. Creating a culture of...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Maternity Services (1 Dec 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: Abortion Legislation (1 Dec 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.' Article 40.3.3 of the Constitution, as interpreted by the Supreme Court in Attorney...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Legal Cases Data (1 Dec 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The information requested regarding the number of legal cases ongoing or which took place from 2011-2014 and associated costs is not immediately available and will be collated and forwarded to the Deputy at the earliest opportunity. Details of legal cases taken by or against other bodies under the aegis of the Department are operational matters for the bodies concerned and the Deputy...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Staff Data (1 Dec 2015)

Leo Varadkar: One employee in my Department is on a contract of indefinite duration and is on an incremental pay scale. I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly on the aspect of the question that relates to their employees. In relation to Non-Commercial State Agencies under the remit of my Department, this information is being sought and will be forwarded to the Deputy when collated.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Hospital Services (1 Dec 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I thank Senator Cullinane for raising this matter today. Services at the regional cardiac catheterisation laboratory, cath lab, at University Hospital Waterford are led by three consultant interventional cardiologists and their teams.The service is developing in line with best practice and the national clinical programme for acute coronary care. The cath lab at University Hospital...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Hospital Services (1 Dec 2015)

Leo Varadkar: When we discuss patient numbers and caseload on the particular issue the Senator is raising, we are referring only to patients who could benefit from a PPCI, not patients or cardiology patients in general. General cardiology is already provided on call, 24-7 in Waterford. Only a few months ago - this year or last - there were three 24-7 PPCI hospitals in Dublin serving the greater Dublin...

Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Waiting Lists (2 Dec 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I thank Deputy Spring for raising this issue and giving me the opportunity to confirm to the House that reducing waiting times for scheduled care is a key objective for the Government. In January, I put in place maximum permissible waiting times for inpatient and day case treatment and outpatient appointments of 18 months by 30 June, and 15 months by the end of this year. The HSE was...

Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Waiting Lists (2 Dec 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I will double check the NTPF figures in case I am mistaken. The NTPF does a number of things. It calculates the waiting lists and negotiates prices with private nursing homes for the fair deal scheme. Its traditional role prior to 2012, where people telephoned it and were able to go private, ended some time ago. I think only €1 million, or perhaps a couple million euro, is provided...

Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Waiting Lists (2 Dec 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I have already told the Deputy but will do so again. It is usually done towards the end of the year. I think it was used for endoscopy last year. A total of €50 million has been provided this year and certain amounts, although not as much, have been provided in previous years. That budget is controlled by the HSE and the hospital groups, so the €50 million provided this...

Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Waiting Lists (2 Dec 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I do not have knowledge at the level of individual hospitals but I will certainly check that matter out. I will check the issue of them going to community medical ophthalmologists first before going to surgeons but it may well turn out to be the case that the surgeons are not happy to operate on a patient they have not seen. Often surgeons will want to see the patient before they operate on...

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2015: Report and Final Stages (2 Dec 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I welcome the wide support for the Bill across the House. Ensuring as many individuals as possible have access to affordable health insurance, regardless of their age, gender or health status, forms the basis of Government policy in this area. Particular attention is given to protecting the needs of older and less healthy policy holders. We all recognise the important role risk...

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2015: Report and Final Stages (2 Dec 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies for their comments. I thank Deputy Kelleher and Deputy Ó Caoláin for their support for this Bill. I note there are reservations and caveats attached to it. I also welcome their support for universal health care and agree with their objective in that regard. In the next few weeks, we will be moving into an election phase and there is an obligation on the...

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2015: Report and Final Stages (2 Dec 2015)

Leo Varadkar: Fianna Fáil has an opportunity to show how much better it would be than any other party in government by producing a detailed and costed plan on bringing about universal health care in the first term of a Fianna Fáil government with Deputy Kelleher as Minister, presumably, and how he would achieve the transition. Perhaps I could learn from it. I look forward, therefore, to reading...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Obesity Strategy (2 Dec 2015)

Leo Varadkar: Childhood overweight and obesity are a major public health issue in Ireland. Health information data from Growing Up in Ireland(2012), theChildhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative(2012), the Health Behaviour in School-aged Childrensurvey (2015) and other sources confirm that one in four children are overweight or obese. As well as being a significant cause of concern for children’s...