Results 27,061-27,080 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Health: Patient Transport Provision (10 Feb 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 (10 Feb 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I am committed to making every effort to increase the rate of organ donation and the number of successful transplantations. The enormously positive impact that an organ transplant can have on the life of a recipient, and to the lives of those around them, cannot be overstated. The Deputy's question relates to service delivery matters and accordingly I have asked the HSE to respond directly...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Complaints Procedures (10 Feb 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I believe that it is generally best that complaints are dealt with locally when they occur and all efforts made to resolve them with the patient or person who has the complaint. There are a number of options open to individuals to make a complaint about the health services at present. Part 9 of the Health Act 2004 states that a person has the right to complain about any action of the Health...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Administration (10 Feb 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The scheduling of appointments for patients is a matter for the hospital to which the patient has been referred. Should a patient's general practitioner consider that the patient's condition warrants an earlier appointment, he or she would be in the best position to take the matter up with the consultant and hospital involved. In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Administration (10 Feb 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 Appointments Administration (10 Feb 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: Medical Card Eligibility (10 Feb 2015)

Leo Varadkar: Under Regulation (EC) 883/2004 persons insured in any EU Member state, together with persons insured in any EEA Member state (Iceland, Norway or Liechtenstein) or in Switzerland, are entitled to receive health care services in Ireland at the cost of that member state provided they are not subject to Irish social security legislation. Persons in this category are entitled to full eligibility...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Administration (10 Feb 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The scheduling of appointments for patients is a matter for the hospital to which the patient has been referred. Should a patient's general practitioner consider that the patient's condition warrants an earlier appointment, he or she would be in the best position to take the matter up with the consultant and hospital involved. In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products Prices (10 Feb 2015)

Leo Varadkar: Decisions on pricing and reimbursement of pharmaceutical products within public health systems are a national competence for EU Member States. However, the issue of pricing and reimbursement of medicines has been the subject of recent discussion at an EU level. The Council of the European Union issued conclusions in December 2014 on the issue of innovation for the benefit of patients...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products Prices (10 Feb 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 461 and 462 together. The Department of Health and the Health Service Executive have entered into a series of agreements with the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA) and the Association of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers in Ireland (APMI). Between 2006 and 2014 these agreements have generated savings in the region of €790 million. ...

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE Properties (10 Feb 2015)

Leo Varadkar: As the management of the health property portfolio is a service matter, therefore your question 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 on the matter.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Administration (10 Feb 2015)

Leo Varadkar: Spinal conditions, including scoliosis, in children and young people are predominantly managed at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin (OLCHC). It is acknowledged by all that waiting times for surgery are unacceptable and the Children's Hospital Group, OLCHC and the HSE are actively working to address them as quickly as possible and exploring all short, medium- and long-term...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Calorie Posting on Menus (10 Feb 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The levels of overweight and obesity have increased in recent years. Currently 61% of all adults in Ireland are either overweight (37%) or obese (24%). The picture in relation to childhood overweight and obesity is similar where one in four children is either overweight or obese. A significant contributor to this trend is the consumption of high calorific foods and drink outside the home....

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE Investigations (10 Feb 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 Appointments Administration (10 Feb 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The scheduling of appointments for patients is a matter for the hospital to which the patient has been referred. Should a patient's general practitioner consider that the patient's condition warrants an earlier appointment, he or she would be in the best position to take the matter up with the consultant and hospital involved. In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Beds Data (10 Feb 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The best measure to use for international comparisons would be Eurostat data on curative care beds. This specifically excludes day case beds, beds used for longer term care, for example geriatrics, and it also excludes psychiatric beds. The data Ireland supplies to Eurostat is based on the publicly funded acute hospitals only. In the most recent data available from 2011, Ireland had 217...

Protection of Life in Pregnancy (Amendment) (Fatal Foetal Abnormalities) Bill 2013: Second Stage [Private Members] (6 Feb 2015)

Leo Varadkar: No exceptions at all.

Protection of Life in Pregnancy (Amendment) (Fatal Foetal Abnormalities) Bill 2013: Second Stage [Private Members] (6 Feb 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I do not have much more to add to what I said previously but I want to pick up on a few points made by Deputies. Deputy Wallace referred to the possibility that 30% of people in prison are wrongly convicted. I do not know if that is true. I certainly hope it is not, but a miscarriage of justice can be reversed, and people can be released. Terminations are not reversible. One of the...

Protection of Life in Pregnancy (Amendment) (Fatal Foetal Abnormalities) Bill 2013: Second Stage [Private Members] (6 Feb 2015)

Leo Varadkar: Essentially, what they are asking for is a hard case, and they are looking for that to happen again-----

Protection of Life in Pregnancy (Amendment) (Fatal Foetal Abnormalities) Bill 2013: Second Stage [Private Members] (6 Feb 2015)

Leo Varadkar: -----which is not a view I would take. The President can refer a Bill to the Supreme Court, but that is a different matter. For whatever reason, the property tax managed to make its way into this debate with both Deputies Wallace and Murphy saying the Government did not have a mandate to introduce a property tax. That is not quite true. A property tax, albeit in the form of a site...