Results 29,061-29,080 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointment Delays (15 Jul 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 by the Deputy, as this...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (15 Jul 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: Medicinal Products (15 Jul 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy will appreciate that the prescribing of medications is solely a matter for the individuals medical practitioner to determine based upon their expert knowledge. Recommendations for malaria chemoprophylaxis for sub-Saharan Africa are country specific. Links to country specific malaria chemoprophylaxis guidance prepared by World Health Organisation (WHO), Centers for Disease Control...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Long-Term Illness Scheme Coverage (15 Jul 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 634 and 661 together. The Long Term Illness (LTI) Scheme was established under Section 59(3) of the Health Act, 1970 (as amended). Regulations were made in 1971, 1973 and 1975 specifying the conditions covered by the LTI Scheme. The conditions covered by the LTI Scheme are as follows: Acute Leukaemia; Mental handicap; Cerebral Palsy; Mental Illness (in a...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Services for People with Disabilities (15 Jul 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The Health Service Executive has recognised the need to increase the level of consistency and standardisation in the way services for children with disabilities are delivered. It is currently engaged in a reconfiguration of existing therapy resources to multidisciplinary geographic based teams for children as part of its National Programme on Progressing Disability Services for Children and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Children's Hospital Location (15 Jul 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The new children's hospital is a commitment in the Programme for Government. In November 2012 the Government announced its decision that the new children’s hospital will be co-located with St James’s on its campus, ensuring it benefits from the broadest possible range of adult sub-specialty expertise and research capability, and will ultimately be tri-located there with a...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Data (15 Jul 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I am aware that a reminder issued to the HSE and I have issued a further one. I will revert to the Deputy once the information requested has been received.

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE Staff Responsibilities (15 Jul 2014)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy will be aware the Health Service Executive has 15 working days to respond to queries that have been referred to it. I will forward the Deputies question in relation to this matter to the Executive for direct reply to him.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Professional Ethics (15 Jul 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Under the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995 and the Standards in Public Office Act 2001 certain prescribed bodies must furnish a statement of compliance with legislation to the Standards in Public Office Commission. These bodies include Government Departments, public officials and public servants. Compliance with legislation is overseen by the Standards in Public Office Commission....

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Medical Services Scheme Payments (15 Jul 2014)

Leo Varadkar: As the information requested by the Deputy is not routinely available in my Department, I have asked the Health Service Executive to reply directly to the Deputy on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Records (15 Jul 2014)

Leo Varadkar: As my predecessor indicated to the Deputy last week, the Healthcare Pricing Office (HPO) has advised my Department that it does not make patients' personal records available to pharmaceutical companies, insurers or any other commercial entities. In carrying out its function and in order to protect patient identities, the HPO does not collect name, address or specific date of birth from the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (15 Jul 2014)

Leo Varadkar: In relation to the specific query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Applications (15 Jul 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible. The Health Service Executive operates the General Medical Services scheme, which includes medical cards and GP visit cards, under the Health Act 1970, as amended. It has established a dedicated contact service for members of the Oireachtas specifically for queries relating to...

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE Staff Remuneration (15 Jul 2014)

Leo Varadkar: In relation to the specific query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Vaccination Programme (15 Jul 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) has not made any recommendation in relation to the use of Meningitis B vaccine in the primary childhood immunisation programme in Ireland. However NIAC has issued guidance in relation to the use of the Meningitis B vaccine in the control of clusters or outbreaks of Meningococcal B disease.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Staff Recruitment (15 Jul 2014)

Leo Varadkar: In relation to the specific query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Tobacco Control Measures (15 Jul 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I wish to inform the Deputy that there is no maximum price applied to a packet of cigarettes in this jurisdiction. Tobacco Free Ireland, our latest policy document in the area, sets a target of lowering smoking prevalence to below 5% by 2025. It notes that research has found that pricing is a key tool in the efforts to control smoking and in particular preventing children and adolescents from...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Tobacco Control Measures (15 Jul 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Although I am aware that the tobacco industry has argued that standardised packaging will lead to smokers choosing cheaper brands, I have not seen any research that conclusively demonstrates that cheaper cigarettes have a greater impact on a person’s health, or that cheaper tobacco causes more disease than so-called “premium brands”. On the contrary, I would like to...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Tobacco Control Measures (15 Jul 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The revised EU Tobacco Products Directive, which has been in force since 20 May 2014, states that “A unit packet of roll-your-own tobacco shall contain tobacco weighing not less than 30g.” Member States have two years to transpose the new rules into national law and Ireland will be introducing appropriate legislation in due course.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Dental Services Provision (15 Jul 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Dental services for children up to 16 years of age and persons of all ages with special needs are provided by the Public Dental Service of the HSE through its dental clinics. All HSE dental clinics prioritise emergency care for children up to 16 years of age, treatment for special needs patients and screening of children aged from 11 to 13 years, including referral for orthodontic services...