Results 2,921-2,940 of 4,810 for speaker:Liam Twomey

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage (19 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: Those debates should be held in these Houses. The Houses should return earlier than the end of January because that is what the public expect of us. They do not want us to have a show case day in the Mansion House. They want us to show the real leadership they are looking for now to deal with the domestic crisis in the public finances, the economic crisis which is caused by outside...

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: I move amendment No. 14: In page 3, line 11, after "CONTRIBUTIONS" to insert the following: ", TO IMPROVE REPORTING SYSTEMS IN HEALTH SERVICE DELIVERY". The Minister of State referred to the sharing of information between the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages and the HSE, which already applies under section 45 of the 1997 Act. Will the Minister of State confirm whether there is a...

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: Will the Minister of State explain then how we GPs are often accused of getting paid for patients who have died? There appears to be a problem here. I am aware that the HSE in my local area is very involved in registering patient deaths in County Wexford. Concern has been expressed, and I realise it has been rebutted several times, about the HSE paying for patients who are deceased. Is...

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: They are not.

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: Half of patients die in hospitals. Nobody tells us half the time.

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: It was something I was not aware of, but I just wanted to get confirmation that it was the case, and it should be improved.

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: We should try to be more sensible in dealing with this issue. Terminally ill patients still have to go through the wringer to get medical cards. Likewise, cancer patients have to give all their information to the HSE. It is not that the HSE wants to be bolshy about it, but it is covered by legislation which requires it make such people jump through a number of hoops to get a medical card....

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: When former Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Martin, announced in 2001 that there would be medical cards for everybody over the age of 70, the one point that he got dramatically wrong was the actual number of people in this category. The Minister of State, Deputy Hoctor, stated the reason she is fixed on the figures of €600 and €1,200 is because the Revenue Commissioners have...

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: It is arbitrary to state 95% of people over 70 will have free medical cards while 5% will not. This is a funny way of doing business at the best of times. Our amendment seeks to ensure that we get it right. If we notice that many people over 70 are losing their medical cards at a quite dramatic rate and it is indicated that the Department's figures could be wrong, there will be a need to...

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: I move amendment No. 13: In page 7, before section 9, but in Part 3, to insert the following new section: "9.—The Minister shall lay before the Houses of the Oireachtas a report on the amount deferred both by those persons over 70 that hold a medical card and those that do not.". This amendment might be a bit difficult to understand but it concerns the health levy. It goes without saying...

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: Is the Minister of State opposed to making the information available?

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: I would not want to see the Senator's tax returns or anybody else's. We are simply seeking the gross figures in the same way that all those who availed of tax loopholes in recent years must now include the relevant figures in their tax returns, which they did not have to do for very many years.

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: There is no administrative burden. It has been said that people over 70 have lost their medical cards because of the number of millionaires and billionaires over 70 running around with their gold cards in their back pockets. If the payment of the income levy is not required by those who are extremely wealthy, it contradicts the purpose of the legislation in the first instance.

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: The Senator may well be right that there is a substantial number of millionaires and billionaires over 70 benefiting from not having to pay income tax. However, it may also be the case that there are not many people over 70 with such wealth. Consequently, it serves no great purpose to abolish their medical cards.

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: That is not the issue; the point concerns the actual amount. I just want the details on whether this information could be obtained. The information would point out whether there are people over 70 earning vast incomes. It may be too late on Friday evening to discuss this. Perhaps we will discuss it when considering the Finance Bill.

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: I will try to obtain the information myself from the Department of Finance.

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: The Minister of State should accept the amendment because those over the age of 70 are vulnerable to changes in prescribing practice. Although this area comes within the remit of HIQA, it is relevant to the Bill before us because of the specific implications for free health care. HIQA's mandate is similar to that of NICE in the UK in that it can legally restrict medication for people over...

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: I have a quick question. If somebody is divorced, how would they be assessed?

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: What about a separated person?

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: If there is a judicial separation, the people would be assessed as a couple. If a couple is divorced, they are assessed as individuals.