Results 23,401-23,420 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointment Delays (13 Jan 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The latest NTPF Waiting List data, which was published on Friday 8 January, shows that clear progress has been made to reduce the numbers of patients on waiting lists by end December 2015. For In-patient and Day Case waiting lists, overall performance equates to 95% achievement of the 15 month maximum permissible wait time. For outpatient waiting lists, overall performance equates to 93%...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Facilities (13 Jan 2016)

Leo Varadkar: In addition to the endoscopy accommodation the project underway at Naas General Hospital also includes accommodation for the oncology and physical medicine departments. It is expected that the project will be offered for tender in early 2016. Its status has not changed since the HSE wrote to you on 17 December 2015. The HSE has recently submitted its draft Capital Plan for the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Tobacco Control Measures (13 Jan 2016)

Leo Varadkar: A key recommendation from Tobacco Free Ireland is to promote tobacco free campuses for all health care facilities in consultation with key stake-holders. As the Deputy refers to Health Service Executive services and institutions I am referring the matter to the HSE for direct reply.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (13 Jan 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual. The National...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (13 Jan 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual. The National...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Children's Hospital (13 Jan 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Government's decision to locate the new children’s hospital on the St. James’s hospital campus was based on the over-riding priority of best clinical outcomes for our children, and in particular the sickest of these. It is important to recognise the benefits of co-location with St James's Hospital. St. James's Hospital and the new children's hospital are both model 4...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (13 Jan 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin is the largest provider of scoliosis surgery for children and young people. Funding was allocated in 2015 for additional consultant posts including two consultant orthopaedic surgeons, anaesthetist and support staff at Crumlin while capital funding was also provided for a new theatre on site to expand theatre capacity further. The 2016...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (13 Jan 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual. The National...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (13 Jan 2016)

Leo Varadkar: Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual. The National...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health and Social Care Professionals (13 Jan 2016)

Leo Varadkar: The Physiotherapists Registration Board will soon make the necessary bye-laws under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 to allow it to establish its register. The title of physiotherapist will, as a consequence, be protected for the exclusive use of the board's registrants when the register's 2 year transitional period ends in 2018. I am currently examining the issue of...

Topical Issue Debate: Medicinal Products Availability (17 Dec 2015)

Leo Varadkar: On Deputy Maloney's question, I am advised by the NTP that it plans on doing the health technology assessment in the first quarter of 2016, with a view to making a recommendation report in the second quarter. I will ask for that to be expedited, although there are other technologies and drugs in the pipeline also. However, it is important that everyone is treated equally and that no one...

Topical Issue Debate: Medicinal Products Availability (17 Dec 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies for raising this important issue. Decisions on which medicines are licensed for use in Ireland and which are reimbursed by the taxpayer are made on objective, scientific and economic grounds by the HSE on the advice of the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics, NCPE. The NCPE conducts health technology assessment of pharmaceutical products for the HSE and can make...

Topical Issue Debate: Health Services (17 Dec 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I thank Deputy Dowds for providing me with the opportunity to speak on the subject of rehabilitation services for stroke survivors. The aims of the HSE's national clinical programme for stroke are to improve the quality, access and cost-effectiveness of stroke services in Ireland and I am pleased to report that significant improvements in stroke services have been made, as Deputy Dowds has...

Topical Issue Debate: Health Services (17 Dec 2015)

Leo Varadkar: Again, I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I worked for a period of time in care and medicine for the elderly and have a limited knowledge and a particular interest in stroke. The Deputy was in the Chamber for the previous discussion on heart failure which is another area in which we should do a lot more. We know that there are very cost effective interventions in the area...

Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Services (17 Dec 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I thank Deputy Stanton for raising this subject and for giving me the opportunity to speak on it in the House. The tertiary referral service for cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery in the south is provided at Cork University Hospital, CUH. This includes extensive interventional cardiology services and a 24-7 cardiac catheterisation laboratory. In 2010, following an €85 million...

Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Services (17 Dec 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I do not know if funding was made available in the past or whether it was spent. If it was made available, I have not been so informed but it may have been some time ago. The recruitment embargo no longer exists and some 4,000 staff were hired in the health service in the past year. We are not back to where we were but we are not far off it. At the rate we are going, we will be there...

Topical Issue Debate: Garda Compensation (17 Dec 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter which I am taking on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, who is elsewhere on Government business. Under the Compensation Acts 1941 and 1945, a member of An Garda Síochána maliciously injured on duty can make an application for compensation. It is the responsibility of the Minister...

Topical Issue Debate: Garda Compensation (17 Dec 2015)

Leo Varadkar: As I said in my opening remarks, the assessment of each application for compensation is dependent on receipt of reports from the Garda authorities, including the Garda chief medical officer, and on receipt of information from the applicant's legal representatives. On average, both of these parts of the process take up more time than the decision-making process undertaken within the...

Topical Issue Debate: Garda Compensation (17 Dec 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I am taking all Topical Issue matters. I should be getting some sort of allowance.

Seanad: Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015: Second Stage (17 Dec 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I am pleased to introduce the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill to the House. The Bill is the most far-reaching proposed by any Irish Government, with alcohol being addressed for the first time as a public health measure. Ireland has a serious problem - we drink too much alcohol. The majority of people who drink do so in a harmful way. Our alcohol consumption is in the top five among the EU's...