Results 1,741-1,760 of 3,665 for speaker:Seán Power

Written Answers — Housing Aid for the Elderly: Housing Aid for the Elderly (30 May 2006)

Seán Power: The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. This includes responsibility for the provision of the Housing Aid Scheme for the Elderly, on behalf of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. Accordingly, the Department has...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (30 May 2006)

Seán Power: The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, the Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (30 May 2006)

Seán Power: The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, the Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (30 May 2006)

Seán Power: The release of the report, 'Sexual Assault Treatment Services — a National Review' is currently being planned in this Department. A definitive date has yet to be decided. The report will, however, be released very shortly.

Health (Repayment Scheme) Bill 2006: Order for Report Stage. (31 May 2006)

Seán Power: I move: "That Report Stage be taken now."

Health (Repayment Scheme) Bill 2006: Report Stage. (31 May 2006)

Seán Power: I move amendment No. 1: In page 4, between lines 39 and 40, to insert the following: ""Fund" has the meaning assigned to it by section 11(1);". This amendment will define in the legislation what constitutes the donation fund.

Health (Repayment Scheme) Bill 2006: Report Stage. (31 May 2006)

Seán Power: Deputy Twomey raised this on Committee Stage and amendment No. 9 will deal with a number of the issues raised about the donations fund. This amendment will allow for the fund to be established and managed by the Health Service Executive. The fund will be also be able to receive donations of property and the proceeds of any dispersal shall be placed in it. The HSE will be able to invest the...

Health (Repayment Scheme) Bill 2006: Report Stage. (31 May 2006)

Seán Power: The Deputies have raised a number of issues with which I will try to deal. I cannot accept the amendment as it would not allow for the appointment of an outside company to administer the scheme. The Government decision allowed for the appointment of an outside company to provide an independent input into the process. The current public tendering process is at a very advanced stage. It is...

Health (Repayment Scheme) Bill 2006: Report Stage. (31 May 2006)

Seán Power: This is not the type of job which the HSE has the necessary expertise to do. Consideration was given by the HSE to the involvement of public sector staff to assist the executive in administering the scheme, but the HSE has indicated that this approach was not taken due to a number of factors. These included potential industrial relations difficulties, the requirement to assign dedicated HSE...

Health (Repayment Scheme) Bill 2006: Report Stage. (31 May 2006)

Seán Power: Yes. Not that we take any comfort from the Supreme Court finding that something was done which should not have been, but the practice was accepted by successive Governments and the majority of the people involved. They felt they were getting good value for the care given. That aside and following the Supreme Court decision, we have a responsibility which we have acted on. By appointing an...

Health (Repayment Scheme) Bill 2006: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (31 May 2006)

Seán Power: I move amendment No. 3: In page 6, line 5, after "person" to insert the following: "and in relation to the functions imposed under this Act on the Executive in respect of the Fund". This amendment will allow the Health Service Executive to enter into an arrangement with an agency to administer the donation fund on its behalf. The HSE may employ a fund manager to oversee investment of the fund.

Health (Repayment Scheme) Bill 2006: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (31 May 2006)

Seán Power: l do not accept this amendment because it places a deadline on the period for determining eligibility under the scheme and there may be a delay in certain cases in determining eligibility where an applicant had not applied for a medical card but who fell within the income-means threshold for a medical card. The scope of the scheme will apply to fully eligible people, that is, medical card...

Health (Repayment Scheme) Bill 2006: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (31 May 2006)

Seán Power: Two points must be addressed. A number of consultations between the Departments of Health and Children, Finance and Social and Family Affairs, the Health Service Executive, the Office of the Attorney General, the Revenue Commissioners, the probate office of the High Court, the Courts Service, the Office of the Wards of Court and the Office of the Ombudsman needed to take place before we could...

Health (Repayment Scheme) Bill 2006: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (31 May 2006)

Seán Power: Regarding the 28 days, there is no desire——

Health (Repayment Scheme) Bill 2006: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (31 May 2006)

Seán Power: ——on the part of anyone in the Department of Health and Children to unnecessarily delay these payments. However, if we were to include a 28-day time limit in legislation, it would place significant constraints on all parties involved. It is unnecessary and could have legal implications. If a particular person who was dealing with the file was laid up at home for a couple of days, the...

Health (Repayment Scheme) Bill 2006: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (31 May 2006)

Seán Power: Whether the Deputy trusts me, we should wait to determine how the scheme operates. We will just see——

Health (Repayment Scheme) Bill 2006: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (31 May 2006)

Seán Power: I could stand on my head——

Health (Repayment Scheme) Bill 2006: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (31 May 2006)

Seán Power: If Deputies give me the chance, I will explain.

Health (Repayment Scheme) Bill 2006: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (31 May 2006)

Seán Power: I would be quite happy to deal with the Deputy's amendments.

Health (Repayment Scheme) Bill 2006: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (31 May 2006)

Seán Power: I clearly explained our efforts to try to make the scheme as simple as possible so that people can get their money without requiring recourse to legal assistance or incurring the expenses involved therein. The system will operate in such a way that once an application has been processed and an agreement reached on the amount of money due, the person in question will be notified. He or she...