Results 3,681-3,700 of 4,810 for speaker:Liam Twomey

Medical Practitioners Bill 2007: Second Stage (23 Feb 2007)

Liam Twomey: I think he realises how delicate democracy can be. Fianna Fáil has been in power for 18 of the past 20 years and that party does not particularly care about what is being discussed here, as is evident from the fact that none of its members is here this morning. Fianna Fáil is more interested in controlling the organisations that give leadership. It controlled the unions, the local...

Medical Practitioners Bill 2007: Second Stage (23 Feb 2007)

Liam Twomey: I hope so. In fact, if I were Minister for Health——

Medical Practitioners Bill 2007: Second Stage (23 Feb 2007)

Liam Twomey: ——I would not like to have that sort of a power because absolute power is always abused. I do not mind if the Medical Council has a lay majority, but it must not have direct linkage with Government which is bad for patient care in the long term. The Minister has been long enough in politics to know that we need a strong independent Medical Council. It does not matter whether the council...

Medical Practitioners Bill 2007: Second Stage (23 Feb 2007)

Liam Twomey: Would the Minister blame me after watching him for four years?

Medical Practitioners Bill 2007: Second Stage (23 Feb 2007)

Liam Twomey: I am talking about a Minister introducing termination of pregnancies.

Medical Practitioners Bill 2007: Second Stage (23 Feb 2007)

Liam Twomey: If in the future a Minister issued such a directive to the Medical Council, what would be the position in terms of general policy? The Minister is including many such provisions.

Medical Practitioners Bill 2007: Second Stage (23 Feb 2007)

Liam Twomey: We will wait and see because the Minister might believe she could override them. A more important and immediate issue, on which the Minister has not touched, is that of competence assurance, about which I have asked her on many occasions in parliamentary questions before this Bill was drafted but she has never indicated her position. How will it work? The Minister stated she would provide...

Medical Practitioners Bill 2007: Second Stage (23 Feb 2007)

Liam Twomey: It cannot be voluntary.

Medical Practitioners Bill 2007: Second Stage (23 Feb 2007)

Liam Twomey: It is but the only people who engage in voluntary schemes——

Medical Practitioners Bill 2007: Second Stage (23 Feb 2007)

Liam Twomey: There is no point in the Minister talking about what she intends because she should know exactly how she will proceed.

Medical Practitioners Bill 2007: Second Stage (23 Feb 2007)

Liam Twomey: The scheme in operation is the simplest in the world because it only applies to general practitioners. It is relatively easy to competence-assure them. How will one competence-assure neurosurgeons, cardiothorastic surgeons, haematologists, pathologists and orthopaedic surgeons? How can I be assured the Minister is protecting patients? She should set up a patient safety authority, as Fine...

Medical Practitioners Bill 2007: Second Stage (23 Feb 2007)

Liam Twomey: It changes too often.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (22 Feb 2007)

Liam Twomey: Question 152: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the status of a capital grant (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6976/07]

Written Answers — Health and Safety in Schools: Health and Safety in Schools (22 Feb 2007)

Liam Twomey: Question 192: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to a complete lack of car parking spaces at a school (details supplied) in County Wexford and the risks associated with the current situation; her plans to solve this problem; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6977/07]

Health Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed) (22 Feb 2007)

Liam Twomey: And the Minister of State is getting it wrong.

Order of Business (22 Feb 2007)

Liam Twomey: We must oppose the guillotine on the Medical Practitioners Bill 2007. The events in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in 1998 formed the basis of that legislation. The Judge Harding Clark report on the inquiry showed what went wrong in the protection of hospital patients. It is despicable that we are to have a three-hour debate on so important an issue.

Order of Business (22 Feb 2007)

Liam Twomey: As with last night's guillotined legislation, in which regard we are unsure as to whether the Government made a deal with Quinn Direct, I must oppose this guillotine. For the protection of the country's patients, I want a proper discussion on the Bill. We have waited 30 years for the legislation.

Written Answers — Road Traffic Offences: Road Traffic Offences (21 Feb 2007)

Liam Twomey: Question 162: To ask the Minister for Transport his position in relation to making motorists convicted of drink driving offences re-sit their driving test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6577/07]

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2007: Second and Subsequent Stages (21 Feb 2007)

Liam Twomey: I wish to share time with Deputy Coveney. This whole issue about health insurance has been going on since April 2005. Extensive debates have taken place at meetings of the Joint Committee of Health and Children on every aspect of health insurance, with the Health Insurance Authority, VIVAS, VHI, BUPA, the Minister for Health and Children and the Department of Health and Children since April...

Greenhouse Gas Emissions. (21 Feb 2007)

Liam Twomey: Question 134: To ask the Minister for Transport the measures his Department will take to reduce the level of environmentally damaging emissions from the transport sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6578/07]