Results 27,761-27,780 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointment Status (9 Dec 2014)

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 specific case raised, as this is a service...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointment Status (9 Dec 2014)

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: An Fhoireann Rannach (9 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Tá seachtar ball foirne i mo Roinn, nó beagnach 2% den líon iomlán fostaithe sa Roinn, in ann a gcuid dualgas a chur i gcrích sa Ghaeilge agus sa Bhéarla araon. Níl aon staitisticí inchomparáide agam do na blianta 2004, 1994, 1984 ná 1974. Tugtar freagra sa Ghaeilge ar an gcomhfhreagras ar fad a sheoltar don Roinn sa Ghaeilge agus cuirtear...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (9 Dec 2014)

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 they will follow the matter up with them.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (9 Dec 2014)

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 they will follow the matter up with them.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (4 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: From time to time the Health Service Executive is required to carry out investigations. Engagement of external expertise can be necessary in some circumstances. All Government Departments and Agencies funded from the Exchequer including the HSE, are obliged to comply with EU Directives and national guidelines on procurement. If the Deputy has specific concerns she wishes to raise, I would...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Children's Hospital (4 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Following the refusal in 2012 of planning permission for the new children’s hospital at the Mater campus, Minister James Reilly TD established the Dolphin Group to review the options and make recommendations on next steps. The Group was not asked to select a site. The Dolphin Report was consistent with all previous reports on the new children’s hospital in concluding that...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health and Social Care Professionals Registration Fee (4 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The Health and Social Care Professionals Council and the registration boards established under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 are responsible for protecting the public by promoting high standards of professional conduct and professional education, training and competence amongst the professions designated under the Act. The 12 professions designated under the Act are...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Symphysiotomy Issues (4 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The Surgical Symphysiotomy Payment Scheme commenced on 10th November 2014. Government has agreed that the Scheme will also include payments for the small number of women who have had a pubiotomy. The Scheme is designed to be simple, straightforward and non-adversarial, and aims to minimise the stress for the women concerned. Many are elderly and may not want to experience the delay,...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Vaccination Programme (4 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The Vaccine Damage Steering Group was established in 2007. The report from this Group was published on my Department's website in June 2009. This report is under active consideration by my Department. However, this issue is complex and needs to be considered in the wider context of how best to address the long term health and social needs of people who may have experienced adverse...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (4 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The Government has agreed to the establishment of a Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes. My colleague Dr. James Reilly T.D, Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, is taking the lead in this matter. The scope of the Terms of Reference for this Commission is under consideration at present. The issue raised by the Deputy is among a number of matters that are being...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Drugs-related Deaths (4 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Information on drug-related deaths is available from 2004 onwards as the National Drugs Related Deaths Index (NDRDI) was established in September 2005. The NDRDI is an epidemiological database which records cases of death by drug and/or alcohol poisoning and death among drug users and those who are alcohol dependent. Four sources are used to collate deaths: Coroner’s records; Hospital...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Drugs Strategy Implementation (4 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Opioid overdose is treatable with naloxone, an opioid antagonist which rapidly reverses the effects of opioids. In the majority of cases, overdoses are witnessed by a family member, peer or someone whose work brings them into contact with people who use opioids. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), increased access to naloxone for people likely to witness an overdose could...

Health Services: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (3 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: There will be a single application-----

Health Services: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (3 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: It is the legislation.

Health Services: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (3 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I will certainly follow up on the matter raised by Deputy Charlie McConalogue. One of the most frustrating things about reports, into which those involved put a great deal of hard work, is that people do not understand them fully. The HIQA report on the ambulance service is silent on whether there should be additional ambulances. That issue will be addressed in the HSE's capacity report....

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: As Members will be aware from the Second Stage debate the main purpose of this Bill is to specify the risk equalisation credits and corresponding stamp duty levies on the rate of the hospital bed utilisation credit to apply from 1 May next year. Additionally, the Bill specifies the allowable rate of the net premium for young adults, provides for the transfer of an insured person from a...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I appreciate the sentiment of the amendment and understand from where the Deputy is coming in that regard. The idea is to abolish the step effect whereby when a person reaches 21, the cost of health insurance increases substantially, the result being that very often the person does not continue to pay for it or, if his or her parents are paying for it, they discontinue doing so. The date of...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Not entirely. This is discretionary and the industry is not required to do it. If it was mandatory, I would agree with the Deputy, but it is not. That said, this would make everything more straightforward. We will run a large campaign, led by the Health Insurance Authority, HIA, explaining the new changes to people in the early part of next year. It is much easier to explain why things...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2014)

Leo Varadkar: With any change, the industry must give the HIA 30 days' notice. This would create two administrative obligations where there only needs to be one.