Results 25,921-25,940 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Seanad: Alcohol Consumption in Ireland: Statements (12 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Senators for having this timely and important debate on alcohol. I particularly thank them for their kind words about me and my performance as Minister for Health. To be honest, some days I do not feel I am achieving an awful lot. There is so much going on in any given day, so many moving parts and so many different interest groups, that it is really difficult to get a grip on...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff Recruitment (12 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 436 and 437 together. There was a requirement to reduce public service numbers and maximise savings in the public service from the time of the downturn in the economy. The HSE introduced an embargo on recruitment in 2007, and this was followed by the moratorium on recruitment and promotion in the public sector in 2008. The HSE has had the capacity to...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Provision (12 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 Waiting Lists (12 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: Health Services Staff Remuneration (12 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The HSE has advised that following a national engagement with staff representatives, agreement was reached to make unsocial hours payments to designated staff. This payment commenced on 1 January 2015 and no agreement was made in relation to arrears. There remains a continuing issue of retrospective payment which is being pursued by staff representative organisations and was the subject...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointment Status (12 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: Medical Card Administration (12 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The Health Act 1970 (as amended) provides for two categories of eligibility for all persons ordinarily resident in the country, i.e. full eligibility or limited eligibility for health services. Persons with full eligibility (medical card holders) are entitled to a range of services including general practitioner services, prescribed drugs and medicines, all in-patient public hospital...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Care Professionals (12 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 448, 467, 475 and 503 together. Psychotherapists and counsellors are not currently regulated under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005. However, the Act provides that the Minister for Health may, under section 4(2), designate a health and social care profession not already designated if he or she considers that it is in the public interest...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (12 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: 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 follow the matter up.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointment Status (12 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: Public Health Policy (12 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: Policy responsibility with regard to planning and the legislative framework in relation to wind turbines rests with the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government. The Office of the Chief Medical Officer in my Department has provided advice, which is publicly available, to that Department in the past on the possible effects of noise from wind turbines on human health. I...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products Licensing (12 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: On the 18 of July 2014 the Health Products Regulatory Authority granted a marketing authorisation for cannabis based medicinal product Sativex® to be marketed in Ireland. The remaining timeframe for making the product available for prescribing in Ireland is the responsibility of the holder of the product authorisation, GW Pharmaceuticals PLC and their European partner Almirall. The...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products Availability (12 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The Health Service Executive (HSE) has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicinal products under the community drug schemes in accordance with the provisions of the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. Prior to reimbursing any medicine, the HSE considers of a range of statutory criteria including clinical need, cost-effectiveness and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Staff (12 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 Delays (12 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: Hospital Appointment Delays (12 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: Health Insurance Community Rating (12 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The Health Act 1970 (as amended) provides for two categories of eligibility for all persons ordinarily resident in the country, i.e. full eligibility or limited eligibility for health services. Persons with full eligibility (medical card holders) are entitled to a range of services including general practitioner services, prescribed drugs and medicines, all in-patient public hospital...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Home Help Service Expenditure (12 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: National Treatment Purchase Fund (12 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The 2015 allocation for the The National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) is €5.1m. The NTPF is currently working with the HSE Special Delivery Unit to achieve a reduction in wait times for inpatients, daycases and outpatients. The NTPF is also responsible for the collection, collation and reporting of both in-patient and outpatient waiting lists and is responsible for the pricing of...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Funding (12 May 2015)

Leo Varadkar: 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 follow the matter up.