Results 5,301-5,320 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products Availability (26 Jun 2013)

Alex White: Yasmin and Yaz are prescription-only combined oral contraceptives which are authorised for use in Ireland and across the EU since 2000 and 2008, respectively. It is well established for many years that combined contraceptives carry a very small risk of clots, known as venous thromboembolism. Detailed information about the risk of clots is clearly outlined in the product information for...

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Practitioner Services (26 Jun 2013)

Alex White: The Programme for Government provides for the introduction of a new General Medical Services (GMS) General Practitioner (GP) contract with an increased emphasis on the management of chronic conditions, such as asthma, diabetes and cardiovascular conditions. It is envisaged that the new contract, when finalised, will focus on prevention and will include a requirement for GPs to provide care...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Chronic Disease Management Programme (26 Jun 2013)

Alex White: The HSE is developing integrated chronic disease management programmes to improve patient access and to manage patient care in an integrated manner across service settings, resulting in best health outcomes, enhanced clinical decision making and the most effective use of resources. The Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Clinical Care Programmes are of particular...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Post Office Network (25 Jun 2013)

Alex White: The Department of Social Protection is a key player in the payment services sector in Ireland. The manner in which payments are made to customers impacts on the State, notably in respect of costs. As with all of its activities, the Department is compelled to look at any scope for efficiencies in how it makes payments to ensure it provides value for its customers and for the economy at...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Post Office Network (25 Jun 2013)

Alex White: Senator Conway raises an important issue. I agree with him when he says that not everything is about the bottom line. The post office has a crucial role to play, not just in rural Ireland, although it is most important in rural Ireland, but also in urban centres and provincial towns. There is no suggestion or intention on the part of the Government to do anything other than uphold the...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: NAMA Staff Recruitment (25 Jun 2013)

Alex White: The Senator has raised the matter of referring to the Garda national bureau of criminal investigation the fact that an ex-employee of NAMA has now taken up employment with a private sector entity with which NAMA has previously engaged in a business transaction. It is unclear on what basis the Senator believes that this is a matter that the Minister for Finance should refer to the bureau....

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: NAMA Staff Recruitment (25 Jun 2013)

Alex White: I do not think I can advance the matter any further.

Seanad: Health (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Jun 2013)

Alex White: The Bill will update and replace existing arrangements for charging for long-stay inpatient services other than acute hospital care or services covered under the fair deal nursing home support scheme. The Bill essentially continues existing arrangements for people in a range of residential settings who contribute towards the cost of their maintenance. The Bill is putting these arrangements...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Jun 2013)

Alex White: I take the points the Senator has raised. The costs that are set out in the schedule are the economic costs of the provision of the service. It is not unreasonable to look at some of them and gasp. However, I am instructed they represent the economic cost of the provision of the service. Everybody is concerned about the issue, not least the Minister. Today the Minister announced the...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Jun 2013)

Alex White: Are we dealing with the Senator's second amendment?

Seanad: Health (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Jun 2013)

Alex White: I understand that but I had thought there were amendments that proposed to delete sections. I suppose I misread my instructions. I apologise. Section 53A of the Health Act 1970 enables the HSE to charge a person in an acute setting if he or she is no longer receiving medically acute care and treatment. The charge applicable is the average cost of long-term residential care in public...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Jun 2013)

Alex White: Under section 53B there is provision for charges for long-term residential care services under the Nursing Home Support Scheme Act 2009. This is a technical amendment resulting from the repeal of section 53 of the Health Act to which the House has agreed. The new section 53C provides for charges to be raised for acute public inpatient services in public hospitals at a rate of €80 per...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Jun 2013)

Alex White: I am advised that the actual or economic cost involved is approximately of the order of €1,000 per day. We are asking that the citizen involved would make a co-payment, essentially a contribution to that cost. Under the Bill we are setting an absolute ceiling of one quarter of the cost, which will be approximately €250. That is the absolute ceiling. I reiterate to the House...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Jun 2013)

Alex White: The existing nursing home support scheme provides that a person who was in nursing home care when the scheme commenced in 2009 shall have his or her State support backdated to 27 October 2009. This provision was originally inserted in anticipation of a large volume of applications in the initial months of the scheme. It ensured that if any backlogs occurred at that time, applicants would...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Jun 2013)

Alex White: The Senator is a distinguished lawyer and I am sure he was well able to give the best advice to his then client.

Seanad: Health (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Jun 2013)

Alex White: One of the things we cannot do from our position in these Houses is provide legal advice. However, I am of the view that the point the Senator raises is covered by the section. In that context and for the purposes of the scheme, a specified person - as defined in the existing legislation - is able to act on behalf of another individual. The scenario to which the Senator refers is,...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Jun 2013)

Alex White: The asset contribution is to be increased from 5% to 7.5% for new entrants to the scheme following the enactment of the Bill. Anyone who is already in receipt of financial support under the scheme will not be affected. The asset contribution will be capped at 22.5% - or three years in total - in the case of the principal private residence. In the case of a couple, the cap on that...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Jun 2013)

Alex White: Senator Ó Clochartaigh suggests this presages a privatised model. It is very important to have some sense of proportion when we debate these issues. It is not a question of introducing a privatised model. I do not accept that is the implication of what is being done. It is an enabling provision to allow the HSE, in circumstances which might arise in the future, to enter into an...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Jun 2013)

Alex White: Part 2 of the Bill provides for four amendments to the nursing home support scheme. In brief, these relate to outsourcing the HSE's functions under the scheme, abolishing the requirement to backdate State support to the commencement of the scheme for those who were in nursing home care prior to the scheme commencing, and increasing the asset contribution under the scheme from 5% to 7.5%, as...

Other Questions: Obesity Strategy (25 Jun 2013)

Alex White: Hear, hear.