Results 28,361-28,380 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE Properties (21 Oct 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The Minister for Health has no responsibility for the zoning of land under the planning legislation. The designation of land use is a matter for the planning authorities.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Expenditure (21 Oct 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The Department of Health, in its Comprehensive Review of Expenditure submission to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in the run up to Budget 2015, estimated that demographically driven cost pressures (due to the increasing size and age of the Irish population) would result in an additional resource requirement of about 1.5% annually in order to maintain levels of health service...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Charges (21 Oct 2014)

Leo Varadkar: These questions were referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy. The HSE is currently compiling the information requested and a reply will issue to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Cancer Screening Programmes (21 Oct 2014)

Leo Varadkar: There have been no documented cases of digital mammography contributing to the occurrence of breast cancer.  Manufacturers’ manuals and safety statements are available for mammography machines used in Ireland. BreastCheck utilises digital mammography as it is the most advanced method available, giving enhanced image quality and significant reductions in the radiation dose...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Staff Redeployment (21 Oct 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Staff who were interested in transfers to regional offices could historically seek such transfers through the Central Transfer Lists or the Central Applications Facility which was maintained in the context of the decentralisation programme. The only mechanisms for staff to register an interest in being transferred to a regional location is through application to another Department with an...

Topical Issue Debate: Orthodontic Service Provision (16 Oct 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I wish to thank the Deputy for the opportunity to address the issue of orthodontic services. I am taking the debate on behalf of the Minister of State in my Department, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, who is attending to business elsewhere. Orthodontic treatment is provided by the HSE to patients based on their level of clinical need. The HSE provides orthodontic treatment to those who have been...

Topical Issue Debate: Orthodontic Service Provision (16 Oct 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The figures I gave the Deputy earlier related to the time it takes to get assessed. In fact, HSE Dublin north east is better than Dublin mid-Leinster. One is assessed more quickly in the former but gets to the treatment stage more slowly. Of the 4,000 cases in HSE mid-Leinster, only 87 have been waiting more than two years whereas 748 of the 3,786 cases in HSE Dublin north east have been...

Topical Issue Debate (16 Oct 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Yes. I do not know what day it will be but it will be next week.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Preparedness for Ebola Virus in Ireland: Discussion (16 Oct 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I will respond to the comment made about non-Irish doctors coming here for the changeover in January. We do not have any doctors coming in from west Africa. They need to remain where they are. We have doctors coming here from India, Pakistan, some of the Arab countries and Sudan. To the best of my knowledge, there have been no cases of Ebola in any of those countries. There is no reason...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Preparedness for Ebola Virus in Ireland: Discussion (16 Oct 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Many of these questions are quite sectoral or scientific. I will answer the ones I can and then hand back to Dr. Holohan and Dr. O'Flanagan. Exit screening is in place in the airports of the three most affected countries. Of course it is never possible to be sure that it is 100% up to scratch; that is the nature of these things. So far the only airport in Europe that has decided to carry...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Preparedness for Ebola Virus in Ireland: Discussion (16 Oct 2014)

Leo Varadkar: There was a suspected case yesterday, but not anymore.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Preparedness for Ebola Virus in Ireland: Discussion (16 Oct 2014)

Leo Varadkar: There are a lot of questions. I will not be able to answer them all but I will answer as many as I can and then I will hand over to Dr. Holohan. The task force has met at ministerial level. We met about two weeks ago. At the time we decided not to issue a statement or hold a press conference as we did not want to unnecessarily heighten concern. The task force expects to meet again at...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Preparedness for Ebola Virus in Ireland: Discussion (16 Oct 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I welcome the opportunity to brief the committee this morning on our preparedness for Ebola virus disease, EVD, in Ireland. I am joined by Dr. Tony Holohan, the Chief Medical Officer; Ms Darina O'Flanagan, the director of Health Protection Surveillance Centre, HPSC; Mr. Michael Smith, from the health protection unit of the Department; and Mr. Gavin Maguire from the HSE. In this statement, I...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Expenditure (16 Oct 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Savings associated with the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan are a service issue. Therefore your question has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff (16 Oct 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: Hospital Appointment Status (16 Oct 2014)

Leo Varadkar: In relation to the particular patient query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to him directly.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Infectious Diseases Epidemic (16 Oct 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 167 and 171 together. The Management of Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers in Ireland(VHF) of which Ebola is one form is the national guidelines for the management of any case of VHF, including Ebola, in Ireland. They were published by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) in 2012. Parts of this guidance have been updated in light of the recent Ebola...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointment Status (16 Oct 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy's question relates to service delivery matters and accordingly I have asked the HSE to respond directly to him.

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Lottery Funding Applications (16 Oct 2014)

Leo Varadkar: My Department has received an application for funding from the 2014 National Lottery allocation from the organisation in question. This is one of a large number of applications currently being assessed by my Department. The organisation will be informed of the outcome of the application as soon as a decision has been made.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (16 Oct 2014)

Leo Varadkar: In relation to the particular patient query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to him directly.