Results 6,861-6,880 of 21,128 for speaker:James Reilly

Written Answers — Department of Health: Accident and Emergency Departments Waiting Times (9 Oct 2013)

James Reilly: In relation to the particular patient query raised by the Deputy, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (9 Oct 2013)

James Reilly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 197 to 199, inclusive, together. As these are service matters, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Staff Retirements (9 Oct 2013)

James Reilly: There are currently no targeted redundancy or early retirement packages in place in the Department of Health. To date in 2013 all staff who retired have been over 60 years of age or have retired due to ill health. There is no mechanism to predict how many early retirements there may be in 2014 as a result of the grace period for pension purposes under the Haddington Road Agreement.

Discretionary Medical Cards: Motion [Private Members] (8 Oct 2013)

James Reilly: Not discretionary medical cards.

Discretionary Medical Cards: Motion [Private Members] (8 Oct 2013)

James Reilly: Some 100,000 new medical cards will issue this year.

Discretionary Medical Cards: Motion [Private Members] (8 Oct 2013)

James Reilly: Not 23,000.

Discretionary Medical Cards: Motion [Private Members] (8 Oct 2013)

James Reilly: The scheme continues to operate in such a way that those who suffer genuine financial hardship as a result of a medical condition receive the benefit of a medical card. As I have said, there are now more people covered by the medical card scheme - both for medical cards and GP visit cards - than at any other time in the history of the State. Deputy Kelleher may not have said so, but his...

Discretionary Medical Cards: Motion [Private Members] (8 Oct 2013)

James Reilly: To pick up where the Minister of State left off, it is worth repeating that the number of people with access to free general practitioner, GP, care is the highest in the history of the State. Some 43% of the population has access to free GP care. Compared with when the Government took office, more than 250,000 additional people are eligible for free GP care. At the end of August, almost 2...

Topical Issue Debate: Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors Working Conditions (8 Oct 2013)

James Reilly: Those figures are incorrect but I will clarify that.

Topical Issue Debate: Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors Working Conditions (8 Oct 2013)

James Reilly: The Deputy talks about a historical lecture because he does not want to be reminded of the true history-----

Topical Issue Debate: Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors Working Conditions (8 Oct 2013)

James Reilly: I will not focus on that but I will come to it later because it is important. What is really important is for me to say that I share people's concerns about this action, the disruption to the delivery of acute care and the unnecessary worry and anxiety caused to patients. I will correct the figures out there. I do not have absolute accuracy but no more than 7,400 patients have been...

Topical Issue Debate: Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors Working Conditions (8 Oct 2013)

James Reilly: The Deputy has posed many questions. One of them is why there is no trust. The reason there is no trust is because too many dawns have passed and the issue has not been addressed. In the past, money was thrown at it instead of the system being reformed. We do not have money to throw at it, as Deputy Kelleher knows for reasons well known to everyone in this country, but we are reforming...

Topical Issue Debate: Ambulance Service Provision (8 Oct 2013)

James Reilly: I emphasise that the new rostering arrangements have resulted in increased hours of 188 hours each work, which is 9,800 hours a year. There are - as there always have been - problems in the ambulance service. According to my briefing note, the relatively high absenteeism rate rather than a lack of vehicle resources is an issue. Although the absenteeism is being addressed by the National...

Topical Issue Debate: Ambulance Service Provision (8 Oct 2013)

James Reilly: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. A significant reform programme has been under way in pre-hospital emergency services in recent years. This is to ensure the best clinical care is provided for the people in each region served by the National Ambulance Service, through the provision of a clinically driven and nationally co-ordinated system that is supported by improved technology....

Written Answers — Department of Health: Tobacco Control Measures (8 Oct 2013)

James Reilly: Work is progressing on draft heads of a bill to regulate the retail packaging of tobacco products. It is not the Government's intention to develop legislation which would be in contravention of the Irish Constitution or the European Convention of Human Rights. I cannot comment on any future possible legal challenges in this regard.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Nursing Education (8 Oct 2013)

James Reilly: A major objective of the Nurse Graduate scheme is to put in place more cost-effective service delivery arrangements, having regard to the high rates of expenditure on agency staffing and overtime. The scheme will enable the health services to offer 1,000 graduate nurses positions for two years, at a time when job opportunities in the public service are very limited. Under the Haddington Road...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Prescription Charges (8 Oct 2013)

James Reilly: Medical card holders are required to pay a €1.50 charge per item for medicines and other prescription items supplied to them by community pharmacists, subject to a cap of €19.50 per month for each person or family. Prescription charges do not apply to children in the care of the HSE or to methadone supplied to patients participating in the Methadone Treatment Scheme. There...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Local Drugs Task Forces Funding (8 Oct 2013)

James Reilly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 518 and 519 together. In line with the National Drugs Strategy, the Government is committed to continuing support for initiatives to tackle the drug problem. Funding in 2014 for community drugs initiatives will be determined in the context of the Estimates process, taking into account the need to protect front line service provision as far as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Procedures (8 Oct 2013)

James Reilly: As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Staff Issues (8 Oct 2013)

James Reilly: The National Clinical Care Programme provides for the commissioning of a Regional Epilepsy Monitoring Unit to be based in Cork University Hospital. Critical to the opening of the Regional Epilepsy Monitoring Unit in Cork University Hospital is the requirement to recruit five staff nurses and one Senior and one Basic Grade Neurophysiological Technician. I am advised that the recruitment of...