Results 821-840 of 4,810 for speaker:Liam Twomey

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (30 Sep 2014)

Liam Twomey: 387. To ask the Minister for Health the steps being taken to ensure that operations for children requiring spinal correction are carried out in the shortest timeframe possible; if his attention has been drawn to the significant delays at present regarding these type of operations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36812/14]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Provision (30 Sep 2014)

Liam Twomey: 388. To ask the Minister for Health the steps being taken to provide a routine dermatology service in the south east; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36813/14]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: General Scheme of European Stability Mechanism (Amendment) Bill 2014: Discussion (24 Sep 2014)

Liam Twomey: I thank the officials from the Department of Finance for briefing the committee today. It has been a very worthwhile discussion.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: General Scheme of European Stability Mechanism (Amendment) Bill 2014: Discussion (24 Sep 2014)

Liam Twomey: I have another commitment at another meeting and Deputy Kieran O'Donnell will take the Chair.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Business of Joint Committee (24 Sep 2014)

Liam Twomey: Apologies have been received from Deputy Sean Fleming. Are there any matters arising from the last meeting? No. We will suspend for a moment until officials arrive from the Department.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: General Scheme of European Stability Mechanism (Amendment) Bill 2014: Discussion (24 Sep 2014)

Liam Twomey: We are now in public session. I welcome, from the Department of Finance, Mr. Feargal Ó Brolcháin, principal officer, Mr. Pat McColgan, assistant principal officer, Mr. Cathal Sheridan, assistant principal officer in the international and EU division, Mr. Scott Rankin, deputy head of the shareholding management unit, and Mr. Antoine Mac Donncha, head of the legal unit. The format...

Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (24 Sep 2014)

Liam Twomey: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I also welcome this very important legislation which concerns the regulation and registration of all health care professionals. We are not just talking about doctors and nurses but also opticians, optometrists, radiologists, radiographers and all of those working in the health care sector. Such people must be registered properly and engage in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jul 2014)

Liam Twomey: I was interested in what Ms O'Meara said, that by switching to cheaper brands one could continue to consume the same amount of tobacco. That is an issue.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jul 2014)

Liam Twomey: On that issue, I am also a general practitioner and was always given the impression that there had been a significant improvement in the counselling service at primary care level. Admittedly, I have not seen it on the ground, but I thought it was a local issue rather than a national one. Dr. McDaid is saying this has not happened at national level.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jul 2014)

Liam Twomey: I would also deal with people who try to stay at home, as opposed to moving to a residential care setting.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jul 2014)

Liam Twomey: I thank the delegates for attending. Their contributions were very good and useful. It has been an excellent meeting. We will be making our recommendations in private session at the end of all the hearings. A number of groups have appeared before the committee.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jul 2014)

Liam Twomey: The Clerk to the Committee and myself were starting to think that we were in the health committee rather than the finance committee with the issues that were cropping up. Supermarkets like Aldi sell fruit and vegetables very cheap. I have three teenagers and one can buy fruit such as oranges and vegetables at a very reasonable price in Aldi.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jul 2014)

Liam Twomey: If we were to focus on what Ms Loughnane said, we should examine issues such as commercial rents in deprived areas to drive supermarkets into those areas rather than introducing a blanket food subsidy on fruit and vegetable, which again will advantage middle class and better off people according to her theory.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jul 2014)

Liam Twomey: If I were to bring in representatives of Coca-Cola and of some of the retailers before the committee, one side would say we are a nanny state and that it is a matter of parental responsibility while the representatives before us would say that they are manipulating people by marketing, but let us stick to hardcore financial issues. Would Ms Loughnane's organisation promote a blanket ban on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jul 2014)

Liam Twomey: We could just call for it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jul 2014)

Liam Twomey: There is no point in dallying around it; we will do it or not do it. That is the way we should look at it. Some of the information we have is very interesting. One of the points being made is that the issue of getting the VAT back on below cost selling of alcohol is an anomaly.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jul 2014)

Liam Twomey: Sugar is quite an expensive commodity. It is not sugar that is used in most of these soft drinks, but some type of maize by-product.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jul 2014)

Liam Twomey: Should we focus on those?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jul 2014)

Liam Twomey: A number of groups have appeared before the committee, although I have only chaired this meeting, and if I were to say we were making our own recommendations and to ask each group to identify one issue it would like me to raise with the Minister, Deputy Noonan's, what would the issue be for this group? I am talking about just one issue.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jul 2014)

Liam Twomey: Okay.