Results 28,001-28,020 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Insurance Data (12 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The total health insurance premiums paid in 2013, gross of tax relief, amounted to €2,378m.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Charges (12 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The Health Service Executive has been asked to examine the matter of income generated by hospital charges and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office who will follow up the matter with them. The hospital charges that currently apply are as follows. The Health (Out-Patient...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Charges (12 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The question of the whether there will be hospital charges under a future system of universal healthcare remains to be determined. Co-payments for certain services are often a feature of health insurance systems in other countries. The White Paper on Universal Health Insurance, published earlier this year, had stated that the State would determine the standard UHI package, including the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (12 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: A new Nurses and Midwives Act was passed into legislation in 2011. The Act provides, inter alia, for the protection of the public in its dealings with nurses and midwives and the enhancement of their high standards of professional education and competencies. The Department of Health is responsible for oversight of the governance of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI). The...

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE Investigations (12 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I wish to thank the Deputy for the question raised. The most up to date information from the HSE is that there are 2 investigations ongoing into the Philomena Canning case. I understand that there is an Internal System Analysis investigation that is expected to report within approximately 4 months. There is also an Independent Supervisory Investigation to be carried out in parallel, in...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (12 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: A new Nurses and Midwives Act was passed into legislation in 2011. The Act provides, inter alia, for the protection of the public in its dealings with nurses and midwives and the enhancement of their high standards of professional education and competencies. The Department of Health is responsible for oversight of the governance of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI). The...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (12 Nov 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 up the matter with them.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Midwifery Services (12 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: As this matter remains sub judiceI remain restricted in the response I can give to the Deputy on the questions raised. However, in response to the first part of the Deputy's. I have been informed by the HSE that there were 13 mothers-to-be contracted for Home Births by Ms Canning at the time of the suspension. To date, 5 mothers have delivered of their babies. The remaining 8 mothers-to-be...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Industrial Relations (12 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The Labour Court has recommended an intensive process of conciliation over a period not exceeding 9 months. This process commenced yesterday, Tuesday, 11 November 2014.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (12 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: St. Vincent’s University Hospital (SVUH), St. James’s Hospital and Mater Misericordiae University Hospital operate as designated 24/7 Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PPCI) centres for the Greater Dublin Area. In relation to the withdrawal of SVUH as a 24/7 PPCI centre, the HSE has advised my Department that a premature decision was taken in this regard without...

Leaders' Questions (11 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Free dinners.

Other Questions: Health Services Provision (11 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The Department and the HSE both believe that trolley waits are an unacceptable feature of the Irish health care system which must be addressed. Figures for 7 November show that compared to the baseline year of 2011, there are 32.3% fewer patients on trolleys, equivalent to 24,851 patients. However compared to 2013, there are 3.1% more patients on trolleys. This is equivalent to 1,559...

Other Questions: Health Services Provision (11 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I would like to correct one of the Deputy's comments. We are not moving patients on trolleys up the wards to massage the numbers.

Other Questions: Health Services Provision (11 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Then the Deputies are not being told the truth. I will be happy to inform them if they care to listen. We move people on trolleys up to the wards to reduce overcrowding in accident and emergency departments but they are counted in the figures. The HSE figures that are produced include people on trolleys on ordinary wards. This is not being done to massage figures because they are in the...

Other Questions: Health Services Provision (11 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: It is being done to get them out of the accident and emergency departments and to reduce overcrowding. I would be happy to give the Deputies more information but they are not interested in knowing the facts and, therefore, I will not bother.

Other Questions: Hospital Facilities (11 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I am informed in the reply there is no waiting list, and since the new unit has opened I have not heard of any case on the waiting list. I am enough months in the job at this stage not necessarily to believe everything I am told, but certainly I have not heard anything to the contrary.

Other Questions: Hospital Facilities (11 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy's point about a potential surge is well made. There is always the risk of a surge because of an infectious disease, and the last circumstance one would want is someone who is either immunosuppressed or has cystic fibrosis being mixed in with patients with an infectious disease. It is certainly a valid point on which I concur with the Deputy.

Other Questions: Public Sector Staff Data (11 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I can provide the Deputy with a detailed breakdown of the figures to the extent that I have them. The information gives a full breakdown of fixed term, part-time and full-time posts. Terms and conditions of employment are also important, as it is not all about money, and these are improving. For example, an NCHD working more than a 24-hour shift is now relatively unusual. The residence at...

Other Questions: Public Sector Staff Data (11 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: They are working in hotels in Cuba. I have been there.

Other Questions: Hospital Facilities (11 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: St. Vincent’s University Hospital is the designated national adult referral centre for patients with cystic fibrosis and currently provides services for over 300 adult patients. The designated in-patient and day care cystic fibrosis unit in the new seven-storey Nutley wing development at St. Vincent’s University Hospital, became operational during summer 2012 and represents a...