Results 5,661-5,680 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Written Answers — Department of Health: Primary Care Reimbursement Service Payments (2 May 2013)

Alex White: The prescription charges, referred to by the Deputy, only apply to persons who have eligibility under the GMS Scheme.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Primary Care Reimbursement Service Payments (2 May 2013)

Alex White: Under the Health Act 1970, as amended, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is responsible for assessing an individual's entitlement to a medical card and a GP visit card. Section 45 of the Act provides that adult persons who, in the opinion of the HSE are unable, without due hardship, to arrange general practitioner medical and surgical services for themselves and their dependents are deemed...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Eligibility (2 May 2013)

Alex White: The Medical Card/GP Visit Card National Assessment Guidelines provide for consideration of income that is derived solely from allowances/benefits paid by the Department of Social Protection or the HSE that which are in excess of the Income Guidelines. In 2009, a new scheme was introduced for people aged 70 years and over. This new scheme set a significantly higher gross income limit for a...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Bodies (2 May 2013)

Alex White: The Irish Expert Body on Fluorides and Health and its sub-committees have broad representation from areas such as dentistry, toxicology, biochemistry, environmental health and public health medicine. Given that there is a toxicologist on the New and Emerging Issues sub-committee, the appointment of a toxicologist to the Expert Body is not currently being considered.

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

Alex White: Carrickmacross is one of the 35 potential locations for primary care centres to be developed by means of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) project as announced in the July 2012 Infrastructure Stimulus Package. Of the 35, approximately 20 will be offered to the market subject to a) agreement between the local GPs and the HSE on active local GP involvement in the centres and b) site...

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

Alex White: Kells is one of the 35 potential locations for primary care centres to be developed by means of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) project as announced in the July 2012 Infrastructure Stimulus Package. Of the 35, approximately 20 will be offered to the market subject to a) agreement between the local GPs and the HSE on active local GP involvement in the centres and b) site suitability and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Reviews (2 May 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...

Topical Issue Debate: Medical Card Eligibility (1 May 2013)

Alex White: I thank Deputy Ó Caoláin for raising this matter. The maintenance of health services is a priority in 2013 for the Government, despite the need for significant and challenging financial savings in the health area. Even with the extra resources made available to the Health Service Executive as part of budget 2013, just over €750 million in savings are needed during 2013. My...

Topical Issue Debate: Medical Card Eligibility (1 May 2013)

Alex White: Deputy Ó Caoláin has raised that issue several times and I have answered it several times. I will now answer it again, particularly in the case of the over 70s debate we had and the legislation we introduced. It was pointed out to the House, and I repeat it today, and the Deputy must accept this because it is a fact, that anybody who had a medical card removed from them as a...

Topical Issue Debate: Medical Card Eligibility (1 May 2013)

Alex White: The Deputy has many criticisms-----

Topical Issue Debate: Medical Card Eligibility (1 May 2013)

Alex White: Please, Deputy. There are not many people here. We do not have to interrupt each other. The Deputy has many criticisms that he can legitimately make and questions he can legitimately ask but it is not logical to say that it runs contrary to a policy when nobody has lost access to their GP-only card through any of these measures.

Topical Issue Debate: Medical Card Eligibility (1 May 2013)

Alex White: The Deputy asked how that runs contrary to the Government's policy to extend GP visit cards to the full population. It does not run contrary to it.

Topical Issue Debate: Medical Card Eligibility (1 May 2013)

Alex White: The Deputy must accept that because it is factual. The Deputy asked me how it was consistent with the policy of free GP care. It is not inconsistent with that.

Topical Issue Debate: Medical Card Eligibility (1 May 2013)

Alex White: This is difficult but the Deputy saw the level of cuts that had to be made. There is no doubt that it is extremely difficult but when we examine the various options, and we had to examine the options, we found every one of them difficult. Does the Deputy believe there is any adverse change or cut with which anybody on this side of the House feels comfortable? The answer is "No". We want...

Topical Issue Debate: Ambulance Service Provision (1 May 2013)

Alex White: I thank Deputy Nash and I agree with him; the input of staff and their representatives, including SIPTU, is vital. I expect and believe any concerns raised by SIPTU or any trade union should be taken seriously. I will not comment on the specific question of a specific risk assessment but I would expect there would be engagement with the trade unions on the proposals for Townsend Street. In...

Topical Issue Debate: Ambulance Service Provision (1 May 2013)

Alex White: I thank Deputy Nash for raising the issue. A significant reform programme has been under way in recent years to totally reconfigure the way the HSE manages and delivers pre-hospital care services to ensure a clinically driven, nationally co-ordinated system, supported by improved technology. The national ambulance service, NAS, is not a static service and it deploys its emergency resources...

Leaders' Questions (1 May 2013)

Alex White: The Deputies opposite should read it.

Leaders' Questions (1 May 2013)

Alex White: The Deputy is being selective in her quotes.

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

Alex White: Medical cards are not awarded to any particular group of patients on the basis of a specific medical condition. Under the provisions of the Health Act 1970, eligibility for health services in Ireland is based primarily on residency and means. There are currently two categories of eligibility for all persons ordinarily resident in Ireland i.e. full eligibility (medical card) and limited...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Applications (1 May 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...