Results 4,681-4,700 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Appeals (2 Oct 2013)

Alex White: The length of time it currently takes for medical card appeals to be processed may vary depending on the complexity of the appeal and this can average between 4 to 12 weeks. It is important to point out that many of these appeals cases are reviews of existing medical card holders and in that instance there is no immediate impact on the client as they continue to hold the medical card until...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Primary Care Centres Provision (2 Oct 2013)

Alex White: The delivery of primary care infrastructure is a dynamic process and must take account of changing circumstances including the feasibility of implementing the delivery of the centres by means of lease, direct- build or PPP. The Health Service Executive (HSE) is working with the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) to progress Primary Care Centre Public Private Partnership. The HSE has...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Appeals (2 Oct 2013)

Alex White: 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...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Medical Card Eligibility (1 Oct 2013)

Alex White: I will certainly consider what the Senators have said. As have other colleagues, they have taken a close interest in the issue. Members will recall the programme for Government included a plan to extend general practitioner visiting cards to the population that was to start with people with long-term illnesses and was then to move on to those who needed high technology drugs. I should note...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Medical Card Eligibility (1 Oct 2013)

Alex White: I thank Senator Higgins and Senator Moloney for their contribution on this issue. As Senators will be aware, under the provisions of the Health Act 1970, assessment for a medical card is determined primarily by reference to the means, including the income and expenditure of the applicant and his or her partner or dependants. People with specific illnesses such as cancer are not...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Medical Card Eligibility (1 Oct 2013)

Alex White: No, absolutely not, on the contrary. In respect of medical cards extended on a discretionary basis, social and medical issues are considered when determining whether undue hardship exists for an individual accessing general practitioner or other medical services. This applies even where the person is above the income guidelines and the person can apply to be dealt with under the discretion...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Rare Diseases Strategy Publication (1 Oct 2013)

Alex White: I thank Senator Colm Burke for raising this important issue and providing me with an opportunity to update the House on progress in the development of the national plan for rare diseases. Rare diseases are life-threatening or chronic debilitating conditions affecting not more than five in 10,000 people. Between 5,000 and 8,000 rare diseases have been described, affecting between 6% and 8%...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Rare Diseases Strategy Publication (1 Oct 2013)

Alex White: I will not hazard an answer to the Senator's question. However, I will seek to obtain the information he seeks in the next few days, at which point I will indicate to him whether a list is likely to be included in the plan or will follow thereafter. There is a commitment to publish and implement the plan and the various other components of the process. I thank Senator Burke again for the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Eligibility (1 Oct 2013)

Alex White: Medical Card and GP Visit Card applications are processed in accordance with the Medical Card and GP Visit Card National Assessment Guidelines. The Guidelines were revised and up-dated in May 2013 and are available to access on the HSE.ie website. The current National Assessment Guidelines state that persons aged between 16 and 25 years may have entitlement to a medical card/GP visit card...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Reviews (1 Oct 2013)

Alex White: 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: Medical Card Delays (1 Oct 2013)

Alex White: 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: Medical Card Applications (1 Oct 2013)

Alex White: 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: Medicinal Products Supply (1 Oct 2013)

Alex White: The HSE has accepted the pricing and reimbursement application for Pirfenidone (Esbriet) and associated commercially confidential offer made by Intermune (the market authorisation holder) and commenced reimbursement of the product with effect from 1st of August 2013.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Applications (1 Oct 2013)

Alex White: 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...

Other Questions: Medical Card Numbers (26 Sep 2013)

Alex White: At the risk of irritating the Deputies with repetition, it has never been the case since 1970 that the law provided for the allocation of medical cards to persons on the basis of illness. Discretion does not suggest that someone must have the card. It means that someone must apply a particular assessment to a situation. This is what we are doing. It was centralised two years ago. We have...

Other Questions: Misuse of Drugs (26 Sep 2013)

Alex White: The issue the Deputy raises is related to this question, although it has a slightly different focus. The focus of Deputy Naughten's question was on the misuse of drugs regulations and the increasing problem of the availability, literally on the street, of prescription drugs, many of which are antidepressants and drugs prescribed for anxiety. Deputy Flanagan is correct to link that with what...

Other Questions: Misuse of Drugs (26 Sep 2013)

Alex White: The Deputy raises a very good point, which was precisely the motivation for the consultation process and the intended introduction of these amended regulations. The Deputy is absolutely right; this is an increasing problem. There is poly-drug use, such as combinations of benzodiazepines with methadone or alcohol. It is a major new challenge in this sector and something with which we are...

Other Questions: Medical Card Numbers (26 Sep 2013)

Alex White: The departing Ombudsman also said that her officials' examination of complaints about the removal of discretionary cards showed "nothing substantial had changed in relation to the regulations that applied." The report went on to state the following:In the past, in situations where a person's income was above the threshold, appeals officers looked at other factors, such as their level of...

Other Questions: Misuse of Drugs (26 Sep 2013)

Alex White: A draft Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Regulations, which will amend the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 1988, was prepared in my Department following a consultation which took place with a wide range of stakeholders during late summer and autumn 2012. Amendments proposed include the introduction of measures to address the problem of the illicit trading and supply of benzodiazepines and z-drugs,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Home Care Packages (26 Sep 2013)

Alex White: When cost savings are required, they do not happen in disregard of the real needs of the people involved. That is particularly true in the case we are talking about. Of course resources are always a challenge. We all know the reasons they are a particular challenge at this time. The strategy that has been outlined is being brought forward. The appointment of the consultant in Crumlin is...