Results 27,301-27,320 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointment Delays (21 Jan 2015)

Leo Varadkar: Latest available paediatric waiting list figures for the Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore indicate that a total of 305 children are waiting for in-patient treatment and 246 patients are waiting for daycase procedures. Of those awaiting in-patient treatment, 183 have been waiting longer than the 20 week target and, of these, 21 have been waiting longer than a year. Of those awaiting...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Building Programme (21 Jan 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The HSE is developing a substantial infrastructure project at Naas General Hospital which includes an endoscopy unit. The proposed project will be a two storey build. The oncology unit and the physical medicine department which includes physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy will be accommodated on the ground floor adjacent to the main concourse and out-patients. The...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Building Programme (21 Jan 2015)

Leo Varadkar: As with all capital projects the proposed new ED project at University Hospital Galway must be considered within the overall capital envelope available to the health service. There are proposals to extend and upgrade the Emergency department and some funding is available to advance the development of this project. However, there is limited funding available for new projects over the next...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Maternity Services (21 Jan 2015)

Leo Varadkar: My Department is currently developing a National Maternity Strategy in conjunction with the HSE which will be completed this year. The strategy will determine the optimal configuration of maternity services to ensure that women in Ireland have access to safe, high quality maternity care in a setting most appropriate to their needs. It will be informed by a national review and evaluation of...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (21 Jan 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 Procedures (21 Jan 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I have already addressed this issue in my reply to Question No. 6. As I mentioned, I am currently considering the High Court judgement on this case and its implications. As part of this process I expect to be seeking further information from the HSE to finalise my considerations and understanding of what lessons we may learn from this extremely difficult and unfortunate case. Finally, I...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (21 Jan 2015)

Leo Varadkar: Improving waiting lists for in patient and day case treatment is a key priority for me and for the Government. My Department is working with the HSE to put in place a plan to eliminate very long waiters by the end of the year. This will involve both productivity improvement and rigorous waiting list management. Further increasing day case surgery rates for specific procedures will be...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Staff (21 Jan 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The HSE has advised that the current complement of NCHD and Consultants in Mullingar Regional Hospital is 106. This compares to 99 posts in July 2014, 102 posts in July 2013, and 99 posts in July 2012. Of these, 26 are Consultant posts and it is worth noting that there has been no reduction in the number of Consultant posts at the hospital since July 2012. Furthermore, the HSE has...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (21 Jan 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: Ambulance Service Response Times (21 Jan 2015)

Leo Varadkar: Ambulance response time targets for the National Ambulance Service are set out in the HSE National Service Plan. For ECHO and DELTA calls (life threatening conditions), the 2015 response time target is for 80% of calls to get a patient-carrying vehicle on scene within 19 minutes. The latest published data shows that, in October, the volume of ECHO calls rose by 5% compared to the same...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Insurance Regulation (21 Jan 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The Government agreed in December 2011 to address the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling of September 2011 which found that Ireland had failed to fulfil its obligations under the EU non-life Directives by exempting VHI from being regulated (i.e. holding authorisation) by the Central Bank of Ireland (CBI). Significant progress has been made since the subsequent Government Decision of 3...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Disease Management (21 Jan 2015)

Leo Varadkar: Lyme Disease (also known as Lyme borelliosis) is an infection caused by a spiral-shaped bacterium called Borella burgdorferi. It is transmitted to humans by bites from ticks infected with the bacteria. The infection is generally mild affecting only the skin, but can occasionally be more severe and highly debilitating. The commonest noticeable evidence of infection is a rash called erythema...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Proposed Legislation (21 Jan 2015)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy is aware, the Government has approved an extensive package of measures to deal with alcohol misuse to be incorporated in a Public Health (Alcohol) Bill. These measures are based on the recommendations contained in the Steering Group Report on a National Substance Misuse Strategy, 2012. The package of measures to be implemented will include provision for minimum unit pricing,...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (21 Jan 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 (21 Jan 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The HSE has advised that Naas General Hospital has agreed staffing levels to cover the entire hospital. When the hospital experiences surges in activity, additional staff are sourced to meet that demand. Naas General Hospital has approval to appoint 27 staff nurses and is currently in the process of appointing 10 temporary nurses. Interviews are being held next week to fill the remaining...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Insurance Regulation (21 Jan 2015)

Leo Varadkar: The Government agreed in December 2011 to address the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling of September 2011 which found that Ireland had failed to fulfil its obligations under the EU non-life Directives by exempting VHI from being regulated (i.e. holding authorisation) by the Central Bank of Ireland (CBI). Significant progress has been made since the subsequent Government Decision of 3...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Cancer Screening Programmes (21 Jan 2015)

Leo Varadkar: Planning for the age extension of BreastCheck to 65 - 69 year olds is underway and screening of the extended cohort will commence in Quarter 4 of 2015. The additional eligible population is approximately 100,000 and, when fully implemented, 540,000 women will be included in the BreastCheck Programme. The age extension will be implemented on an incremental basis in line with the capacity...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Abortion Legislation (21 Jan 2015)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy is aware Article 40.3.3 of the Irish Constitution states that: 'The State acknowledges the right to life of the unborn and, with due regard to the equal right to life of the mother, guarantees in its laws to respect, and, as far as practicable, by its laws to defend and vindicate that right.' The interpretation of Article 40.3.3 was considered by the Supreme Court in Attorney...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Accident and Emergency Departments (21 Jan 2015)

Leo Varadkar: ED overcrowding is a priority issue for me and for the Government and I acknowledge the difficulties which the current surge in ED activity is causing for patients, their families and the staff who are doing their utmost to provide safe, quality care in very challenging circumstances. All hospitals have escalation plans to manage not only patient flow but also patient safety in a...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Patient Data (21 Jan 2015)

Leo Varadkar: I have indicated that the roll out of a system of health identifiers will be a key priority for 2015. The new identifier registers will be managed and operated by HSE. HSE has already established the necessary project management structure and is currently developing a comprehensive project plan which will be available to me shortly. The principal benefits of health identifiers will be...