Results 26,581-26,600 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Funding (24 Mar 2015)

Leo Varadkar: In 2014 the Department provided three sources of direct funding to organisations providing a range of health related services. One was National Lottery Grants through which the Department provides funding for voluntary and community organisations. Details of payments made from this source are available on the Departments web site www.health.gov.ie. The second source is through...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Proposed Legislation (24 Mar 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The General Scheme of the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill was approved by Government on the 3 February 2015. The Scheme includes provisions for minimum unit pricing, health labelling on products that contain alcohol, restrictions on the advertising and marketing of alcohol and the regulation of sports sponsorship. As part of the pre-legislative scrutiny process, the measures are being debated in...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Research and Development Funding (24 Mar 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The Health Research Board (HRB) is the lead agency in Ireland supporting and funding health research. The HRB has advised my Department that it has not received any applications to fund research on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis in its current round of funding for research projects.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Building Programme (24 Mar 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The proposed redevelopment of the National Maternity Hospital on the campus of St Vincent's hospital is one of the Government's major capital health projects. The project will deliver a modern, state-of-the-art hospital for mothers and babies. Co-location at St Vincent's, allows for optimal care for mothers, and particularly those at high-risk, by ensuring access to the range of medical and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Accommodation Provision (24 Mar 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 Staff Recruitment (24 Mar 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: Departmental Functions (24 Mar 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 727 and 728 together. There is currently limited information available in Ireland on the costs of tobacco use to our society. A study on the health costs of smoking carried out on behalf of the European Commission estimated that the annual healthcare costs to Ireland in 2009 was €664 million and that the costs of premature mortality due to smoking...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Legal Matters (24 Mar 2015)

Leo Varadkar: Officials in my Department are aware of the legal actions taken in the United States against the tobacco industry but have not commissioned or carried out any studies in this regard. Tobacco consumption is today the greatest single cause of preventable illness and premature death in Ireland, killing over 5,200 people a year. Smokers die on average 10 years sooner than non-smokers; and one in...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointment Status (24 Mar 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 730 and 731 together. In relation to the queries raised by the Deputy, as these are service matters, 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.

Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (12 Mar 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I thank Deputy Lawlor for raising this important issue and I know he takes a great deal of interest in the matter. I will certainly inform the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy O'Sullivan, of today's debate.

Topical Issue Debate: Health Services Staff (12 Mar 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I am disinclined to comment in detail on the study because I have not had a chance to read it; I have only seen online coverage today. I would speculate that if one did a similar survey on many other professions one might get a very similar result. It has always been the case that people migrate, something which is truer now than ever before. We have a long history of doctors migrating to...

Topical Issue Debate: Health Services Staff (12 Mar 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I am taking three.

Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (12 Mar 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I am taking this debate on behalf on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan. I thank the Deputy for raising this issue as it gives the Government an opportunity to outline the process of monitoring demand for school placements for children with special needs, including those with autism, and providing placements accordingly. The Deputy is aware...

Topical Issue Debate: Health Services Staff (12 Mar 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. The recruitment and retention of doctors at all levels, from medical student to specialist, is important for me as Minister for Health and I am committed to the implementation of the recommendations of the strategic review of medical training and career structure, which was chaired by Professor Brian Mac Craith. Through its various...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Expenditure (12 Mar 2015)

Leo Varadkar: As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy. 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.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Disease Incidence (12 Mar 2015)

Leo Varadkar: As the information sought is not readily available in my Department I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy. 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: Ambulance Service Provision (12 Mar 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 194, 195 and 197 together. HIQA, in its report of December last year, identified serious patient safety concerns over the lack of coordination between the Dublin Fire Brigade ambulance service and the National Ambulance Service. The urgent need to address these issues was stressed, particularly for 999/112 call-taking and ambulance dispatch, as well as...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Ambulance Service Provision (12 Mar 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 Waiting Lists (12 Mar 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The National Waiting List Management Policy, A standardised approach to managing scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures, January 2014,has been developed to ensure that all administrative, managerial and clinical staff follow an agreed national minimum standard for the management and administration of waiting lists for scheduled care. This policy, which has...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (12 Mar 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I refer the Deputy to my answer of 5 March. In relation to your further query in this 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.