Results 25,881-25,900 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Data (19 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I understand that the Deputy is referring to the Healthcare Records Archived Library associated with the Midlands Regional Hospital Tullamore patient registers, including maternity registers. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Procedures (19 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Tobacco Control Measures (19 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 365 and 366 together. As the Deputy will be aware, tobacco control has long been a priority in this country. Ireland has been in the forefront of tobacco control legislation in Europe, and ranked second of thirty-four European countries in relation to tobacco control initiatives. Officials in my Department monitor developments in the area on an ongoing basis....

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE Staffing (19 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on the matter. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointment Status (19 May 2015)

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. In relation to the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointment Status (19 May 2015)

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: HSE Staff Training (19 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I understand that should a specific service need for continuing professional development for nurses be identified, it would be addressed and delivered utilising a collaborative approach involving the registrant, health service provider/employer and educators. Stakeholders include the HSE-Office of Nursing and Midwifery Services Director, the Centres for Nursing and Midwifery Education and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE Staffing (19 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: As this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointment Status (19 May 2015)

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 scheduling...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Legal Costs (19 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: Total legal fees for 2012 and 2013 for the Department are presented below.The Department in general, avails of legal services and advice from the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of the Chief State Solicitor. If there is a particular case that the Deputy requires details for, please contact me again and I will investigate further. I will revert to the deputy with the total legal...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Health Issues: Department of Health and Health Service Executive (14 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Cathaoirleach and members of the committee for the invitation to attend. I am joined by Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, Dr. Tony Holohan, chief medical officer, Ms Tracey Conroy, assistant secretary in my Department, Mr. Tony O’Brien, director general of the HSE, and members of his leadership team. Members will recall that at the start of the year, the Minister...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Health Issues: Department of Health and Health Service Executive (14 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I will address the policy questions and leave the various service areas to the directors, as they have the most up-to-date and comprehensive knowledge about them. Deputy Kelleher asked about the oversight implementation and recommendations. It is a very pertinent question. One of the specific eight recommendations made in the HIQA Portlaoise report is that the Department would set up a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Health Issues: Department of Health and Health Service Executive (14 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: We have not yet decided. My plan is for it to be chaired by a Department official but I am open to views on that. There should be independent input, particularly a patient representation. I touched on the outpatient appointment issue. There are 412,000 people now waiting for their first appointment with a consultant, although there could be a fair bit of double counting. We will let...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Health Issues: Department of Health and Health Service Executive (14 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I will ask the director general to speak about the information sharing between the HSE and the State Claims Agency which is important. I will ask the chief medical officer to discuss the plans for open disclosure and the decision made between mandatory and protected disclosure. He will also expand on the issue of figures for perinatal mortality rates, which unfortunately give false...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Health Issues: Department of Health and Health Service Executive (14 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The planning permission is in and the money is available in the capital plan. These are the kinds of decisions that have to be made in the health service. We are always trying to choose between one child and the other but if a commitment is made, it should be honoured as soon as it can be funded. An issue also remains outstanding in respect of academic contracts, however. I will ask Mr....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Health Issues: Department of Health and Health Service Executive (14 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: It is different because we could approach it from either perspective. That decision remains to be made. Senator Gilroy asked about the suicide strategy. The strategy is being led by the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch. It has been considered by the Cabinet sub-committee and we intend to bring it to Cabinet in the next week or two, following which the Minister of State will...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Health Issues: Department of Health and Health Service Executive (14 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: Employees can move employer every two weeks if they like, provided they have a certificate of tax-free allowances.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Consultancy Contracts Data (14 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The Department's total expenditure in the A7 subhead consultancy for the years requested since 2011 is as per the tables below. It is the policy in my Department only to engage the services of external consultants where it is felt to be appropriate and cost-effective, taking account of Government decisions and policy on the matter. YEAR 2014 Total 1,554,511 A7 Subhead Expenditure...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointment Status (14 May 2015)

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 scheduling...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Vaccination Programme (14 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: BCG vaccine is currently part of the primary childhood immunisation schedule and is provided by the HSE for newborn babies. It is given to prevent the most serious forms of Tuberculosis in children (such as TB meningitis). The vaccine is given by HSE community doctors in health centres or maternity hospitals as it is administered intradermally, (which requires specific training and...