Results 28,281-28,300 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Lottery (4 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The establishment of a health lottery as outlined by the Deputy is not within my remit as Minister for Health. However, as the Deputy will be aware, National Lottery funds, administered by my Department, are available annually to provide once-off grants to organisations providing a range of health related services to specific clients groups e.g. disability, elderly, mental health. Further...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (4 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: Hospital Waiting Lists (4 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The target for urgent colonoscopy is 4 weeks. Since 2011 there has only 1 patient has been in breach of this target, in August 2014. This patient was prioritised and dealt with in September 2014. With regard to general waiting lists, it is a key part of HSE Waiting List policy to treat patients in chronological order, unless clinical need dictates otherwise. The HSE is currently undertaking...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Insurance Prices (4 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: There is a need for much greater cost control in the private health insurance industry so that premiums are affordable for as many people as possible. My Department and the Health Insurance Authority (HIA) monitor the factors that contribute to costs on an ongoing basis. The cost of private health insurance is influenced by issues such as the number of persons and the age profile of those...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Bodies (4 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: No new statutory bodies have been established under the aegis of my Department since 2011.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (23 Oct 2014)

Leo Varadkar: New medicines - direct-acting antivirals - are now available to treat hepatitis C. These are much better the existing drug treatment, interferon. In possibly up to 95% of cases, these new antiviral drugs can clear the virus entirely. It is really a wonderful advance in modern medicine that we can now cure many patients with hepatitis C. The new drugs are, however, very expensive. My...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (23 Oct 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I again apologise for being obliged to leave. The oversight forum on drugs is meeting at 2.30 p.m. and I do not want to miss that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (23 Oct 2014)

Leo Varadkar: In some regions additional nurses and therapists are paid for through fund-raising.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (23 Oct 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The chief medical officer has been tasked with linking with the HSE to develop a working group on the quality and nutritional value of food in hospitals. Much has been done on this in the Cavan-Monaghan region and I would like to see this across the health service. In Britain, the NHS has done much to improve hospital food. Some people attend hospital for short periods and need energy, so...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (23 Oct 2014)

Leo Varadkar: A number of questions relate to very specific services so I will leave them to the national directors for comment. I will leave to the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, the questions on the fair deal scheme and mental health services in St. Christopher's and St. Hilda's. Children First, which is covered in question No. 14 by Senator van Turnhout, is in the mix for the services plan...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (23 Oct 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Mr. Hennessy can give further information on that. It is a matter I inquired into this morning. Some of them were offered an alternative community midwife while others were not and were offered hospital care instead. Community midwives in Ireland are independent contractors and cannot be forced to take on women if they do not want to. Where a community midwife is available and willing to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (23 Oct 2014)

Leo Varadkar: If I misunderstood, perhaps the Deputy can clarify the question.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (23 Oct 2014)

Leo Varadkar: As that was a clinical case, I had virtually no involvement with it. As is the case with any patient and doctor, what happens between the patient and the doctor is not something politicians have much involvement with. With regard to symphisiotomy, I had not heard the allegation. I am interested to have any information on it, but I should clarify that symphisiotomy is not a crime in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (23 Oct 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I will go first, followed by the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, and Mr. Tony O'Brien. Obviously, a lot of things have been raised here.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (23 Oct 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I will start with Deputy Kelleher's remarks. The situation in emergency departments is variable. We have roughly 50 emergency departments across the State. In some, it is rare for patients to be on trolleys - St. Vincent's hospital is one example of that - while in others it is intermittent, but in certain hospitals it is almost always the case that there are large numbers of patients on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (23 Oct 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The 2015 budget is challenging, but its targets are achievable. We are entering a two-year process in which we aim to stabilise the budget and allow for existing service levels to continue, along with some enhancements in targeted areas. Members of the committee will know, as much as I do, that despite the additional spending power, next year is still going to be a real challenge. There...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (23 Oct 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the committee for the invitation to attend and I look forward to robust quarterly meetings with the committee. I am also joined by Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, and officials from my Department, including Mr. Jim Breslin, the Secretary General, and Mr. Fergal Goodman, the newly appointed assistant secretary with responsibility for primary care. Mr. Tony O’Brien,...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Infectious Diseases Epidemic (23 Oct 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 132, 133 and 146 together. The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the Ebola outbreak to be a Public Health Event of International Concern on 8 August 2014. The total number of cases by 17 October in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone is 9191, with 4546 deaths. The WHO officially declared the outbreak in Senegal over on 17 October, and the outbreak in...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointment Delays (23 Oct 2014)

Leo Varadkar: As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Inspections (23 Oct 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Since late 2012, the Health Information and Quality Authority has been carrying out a monitoring programme against the National Standards for the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections (HCAIs) in hospitals throughout the country. HIQA inspection reports are published on a routine basis. As Minister for Health, I take the prevention and control of HCAIs very seriously....