Results 18,841-18,860 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

National Treatment Purchase Fund. (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: Yes, absolutely.

National Treatment Purchase Fund. (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: I am hearing all about care models and the cost-benefit analysis. Does anybody think the facilities at Temple Street and Crumlin are adequate to the needs of our children and that we should build two new hospitals?

National Treatment Purchase Fund. (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: I am inviting the Deputies to deal with these issues at the committee next week.

Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: They are all connected. I do not know what the issue is. I am happy to discuss them.

Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: As I said before the lunchtime break, the purpose of the legislation is to provide by way of a tax credit by the Exchequer the support of older sicker people by younger people. That has been done by way of a stamp duty on the companies. Clearly, there can be no intention here of overcompensation. That is not only our view, but also very much the view of the EU Directorate General for...

Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: I flagged on Committee Stage that I would be introducing them on Report Stage. Some of them are clarifications from our own perspective and some of them are on foot of our engagement with the EU on the matter of justifiable state aid. I flagged that matter, because otherwise I would not be able to introduce them. We had been in dialogue with the EU for quite some time and I had expected a...

Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: Many of the amendments have the approval of the EU. Others arise out of issues raised on Committee Stage in respect of the provision of greater clarity. We are seeking to make insurance affordable to older and sicker people through what was previously risk equalisation and is now a tax credit. For example, where a company, in this case the VHI, is over-compensated that money will go to the...

Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: I move amendment No. 6: In page 5, between lines 41 and 42, to insert the following: "'information return' means an information return referred to in section 7D(1);".

Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: I move amendment No. 7: In page 5, to delete lines 42 to 44 and in page 6, to delete lines 1 to 31.

Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: I move amendment No. 8: In page 6, line 32, after "the" to insert "cumulative".

Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: I move amendment No. 9: In page 6, lines 36 and 37, to delete all words from and including "a" in line 36 down to and including "undertaking" in line 37 and substitute the following: "a period, means that, for that period and that undertaking".

Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: I move amendment No. 10: In page 6, line 38, before "net" to insert "cumulative".

Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: I cannot accept this amendment which would allow an insurance company to offer a product for 24 hours. In other words, an insurance company could offer a product to a particular company, many of whose members are young people, and give them 24 hours to make up their mind about it before anybody else has an opportunity to hear about it. Competitors of the VHI made a complaint to me on this...

Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: I do not wish to misrepresent the Deputy's motives but the effect of his amendment would be that a company could offer a product for only one day. While I accept it would be offered at community rating those who do not know about it will not be able to avail of it. I mentioned earlier that there is in this city a company that employs 1,200 to 1,400 people. As I understand it, that company...

Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: I have already shortened it from 20 to ten days, which I believe is reasonable. What we are seeking to do is ensure the products offered are fair and provide community rating. I believe ten working days, which is two weeks, for the health insurance authorities to assess those products is not unreasonable. Previously, they had 20 days within which to do so and would prefer if they still...

Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: I move amendment No. 13: In page 11, line 42, to delete "new". The deletion of the word "new" from the section will facilitate the health insurance authority continued register of all health insurance contracts. The current wording is considered to be unduly restrictive.

Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: I move amendment No. 14: In page 12, line 10, to delete "or renewed".

Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: The Revenue Commissioners require the insurance companies to have PPS numbers to make tax credits to individuals. The Bill refers to "all reasonable efforts". In other words, we are asking them to do only what is reasonable. Clearly, the Revenue Commissioners require the PPS number to be able to allocate the tax credit to the individual company. This would be a cop-out. The words...

Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: We require them to obtain the information and to take all reasonable steps to do so. If they cannot get it, that is a different issue. They are required to make every effort to get the information. In other words, they should ask the people they are insuring for their PPS numbers at the time of renewal or on taking out new contract so that it can be transmitted to Revenue who in turn can...

Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: The jury is out on the appropriate electronic patient identifier. The general view is that the PPS is not appropriate for it, something else will be needed and the sooner we get it the better, not least for patient safety issues. We are discussing the matter with the Data Protection Commission and we must satisfy the commissioner. The Revenue Commissioners require the PPS number to give the...