Results 1,761-1,780 of 1,886 for speaker:Fergal Browne

Seanad: Roads Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (7 Mar 2007)

Fergal Browne: Why is it on the M50 that when a car crash happens, the whole motorway comes to a standstill? It is time to have a rapid response unit to such motor crashes. While the priority should be to rescue injured people, if no one is injured, the traffic should be quickly cleared. It is frustrating to be stuck in a four-mile tailback when all that happened was a car was rear-ended. For minor...

Seanad: Education System: Motion (7 Mar 2007)

Fergal Browne: I welcome the Minister of State. I have great pleasure in seconding this motion and will deal with certain aspects of it. The schools building programme is lacking in accountability and transparency. I undertook the survey to which Senator Ulick Burke referred out of frustration, having asked the Minister for Education and Science three questions on the status of schools buildings projects...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (20 Mar 2007)

Fergal Browne: I agree with what other speakers said about the Pharmacy Bill. I understand the Minister for Health and Children is to bring forward amendments which are not available.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (20 Mar 2007)

Fergal Browne: The amendments, which will have a bearing on us tabling amendments, are not yet available to us. Serious issues are contained in the Bill. When will the Government amendments be available? I presume we can table our amendments before 11 a.m. tomorrow instead. If we do not get through all the amendments on Thursday, could we defer the Bill until next week? It is a very important Bill and...

Seanad: Pharmacy Bill 2007: Second Stage (20 Mar 2007)

Fergal Browne: Fine Gael welcomes this Bill as a way of meeting the challenge of guaranteeing public safety. The past number of years have brought significant changes to the role of pharmacies in Ireland and we need to plan for the future. The Minister stated her intention to introduce amendments on Committee Stage. However, we have not yet seen these amendments. It would be helpful to us if we could...

Seanad: Pharmacy Bill 2007: Second Stage (20 Mar 2007)

Fergal Browne: I did not see that provision in the Bill. Fine Gael would have preferred the Minister to have established a public patient safety authority, which would have given patients a stronger voice and better safeguards. Conflict of interest is a key issue for this Bill. A doctor centre will open in Carlow presently which will include a pharmacy. We need to ensure that any pharmacy located in a...

Seanad: Pharmacy Bill 2007: Second Stage (20 Mar 2007)

Fergal Browne: That is okay. The Minister is very well behaved compared with the Minister for Finance when he was in the House two week ago.

Seanad: Pharmacy Bill 2007: Second Stage (20 Mar 2007)

Fergal Browne: The role of hospital pharmacists is another issue. I was amazed to learn such people exist. I visited St. Luke's Hospital in Kilkenny recently and I saw its huge pharmacy. I did not know hospitals had pharmacies, which dispense not only within the hospital but also to smaller hospitals nearby. Hospital pharmacists have reservations about the legislation and they are wondering whether they...

Seanad: Pharmacy Bill 2007: Second Stage (20 Mar 2007)

Fergal Browne: The problem is years ago people could train to be a pharmacist by doing an apprenticeship and, therefore, a different system was in place. Are many people who came through this system still in the industry? While they may not have the qualifications required nowadays, they can still make a significant contribution. There is concern that they will be forced out of business because of the...

Seanad: Pharmacy Bill 2007: Second Stage (20 Mar 2007)

Fergal Browne: No, but pharmacists have achieved their qualifications in different ways. A significant number attended college and obtained a degree in pharmacy before working in the industry but some entered the industry many years ago having taken a different route, especially those in hospital pharmacies.

Seanad: Pharmacy Bill 2007: Second Stage (20 Mar 2007)

Fergal Browne: From the information I have been given, people who work in hospital pharmacies may have different qualifications. Will their qualifications and experience be recognised by the new body? The pharmacy industry has a good system in place in New Zealand. Pharmacists sit down with their patients to discuss the prescribed medicine and how it should be taken. It is all fair and well for a doctor...

Seanad: Pharmacy Bill 2007: Second Stage (20 Mar 2007)

Fergal Browne: It is more than that. That was just a factor.

Seanad: Pharmacy Bill 2007: Second Stage (20 Mar 2007)

Fergal Browne: On a point of information, I was referring to those who qualified under different circumstances.

Seanad: Pharmacy Bill 2007: Second Stage (20 Mar 2007)

Fergal Browne: I was referring to older pharmacists.

Seanad: Pharmacy Bill 2007: Second Stage (20 Mar 2007)

Fergal Browne: As long as it stays on the skin one is fine. If it goes into one's blood, one is finished.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Mar 2007)

Fergal Browne: Committee, Report and Final Stages of the Pharmacy Bill will be taken today. If Committee Stage is completed, will it be possible to have a break to enable us to submit amendments for Report and Final Stages? It is unusual to deal with all those Stages together and normally it does not happen in this House. This is a important Bill and involves many serious issues. It is also unusual that...

Seanad: Pharmacy Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2007)

Fergal Browne: I agree with the previous speakers. Yesterday I telephoned the Bills Office numerous times and was told the amendments would be ready at 4 p.m. but they eventually arrived at 8.30 p.m. I am not being critical of the Bills Office but of the Government and the way it has handled this. It is very unfair that so many amendments have been tabled at the last minute and that they are all to be...

Seanad: Pharmacy Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2007)

Fergal Browne: I will restate some points I made during the Second Stage debate on the Bill. A prescription is valid nationwide; a prescription written by a doctor can be used in any pharmacy in Ireland. Is the HSE planning to have this stated clearly on prescriptions in the near future? I am aware it is drawing up guidelines in this regard. However, so doing would help remove any misconception or...

Seanad: Pharmacy Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2007)

Fergal Browne: I welcome what the Minister said and urge that prescription validity be written on prescriptions immediately. No reason exists to delay it. The sooner it is done the better and the matter can be solved quickly. People are unhappy about the key money aspect and I cannot blame them. Perhaps the actions of the private sector are a reflection of the void which exists at present. During my 30...

Seanad: Pharmacy Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2007)

Fergal Browne: Provided the Bill goes through the Seanad today and will be before the Dáil tomorrow, when will it take effect? I presume it will go through Committee Stage in the Dáil next week.