Results 11,621-11,640 of 21,128 for speaker:James Reilly

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Drugs (27 Sep 2012)

James Reilly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 17, 184 and 195 together. In the current financial environment the Health Service Executive (HSE) is facing a challenge to deliver services in a way that will minimise any adverse impact on patients and continue to protect, as far as possible, the most vulnerable citizens. Unfortunately, it has become necessary for the HSE to suspend certain products from...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Staff (27 Sep 2012)

James Reilly: As the Deputy is aware I was examining the introduction of a new entry level consultant post that would provide an opportunity for clinicians to work autonomously with clinical responsibility for all aspects of their patients’ care. This initiative was in response to concerns about the large numbers of qualified Irish doctors travelling abroad, the career structure for doctors and the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE Reports (27 Sep 2012)

James Reilly: The draft HSE performance report for July was received in my Department on the 7th of September. The figure reported therein of 339,441 patients waiting for an outpatient appointment is unacceptably high. However the reported increase is not due to a sudden large increase in the numbers waiting but rather to more accurate data which presents a more accurate picture of the problem. That this...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Consultants Remuneration (27 Sep 2012)

James Reilly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 22, 28, 33, 40, 52 and 63 together. Following a request on 13 September by senior health service management on behalf of the Government, intensive discussions between health service employers and the two consultant representative bodies commenced immediately at the Labour Relations Commission and concluded on 17 September 2012. These dealt with a range of...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (27 Sep 2012)

James Reilly: I am advised by the HSE that the ‘work up’ of patients for the live donor programme involves clinical assessment of both recipients and potential donors. Clinical criteria are defined for all renal patients to be placed on the renal transplant list. Pre-emptive live donor transplantation is a possibility for patients; however, this number is not possible to define as while some...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (27 Sep 2012)

James Reilly: The creation of hospital groups and trusts is at the heart of the Government’s reforms of the acute hospital sector. It is an important stepping stone towards the introduction of universal health insurance which is the ultimate destination of the Government's reform programme. As a first step on that journey, hospitals will be aligned within groups on an administrative basis. Each...

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Practitioner Services (27 Sep 2012)

James Reilly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 30 and 53 together. The Programme for Government committed to reforming the current public health system by introducing universal GP care without fees within the first term of office of this Government. Primary legislation is required to give effect to this commitment. The Government approved the general scheme of a Bill in July which will enable me to...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Mental Health Services Funding (27 Sep 2012)

James Reilly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 34 and 64 together. As my colleague with responsibility for Mental Health Services, Minister Kathleen Lynch has stated previously, no additional cut has been imposed on mental health. Of the 414 posts approved to implement the €35 million package of special measures for mental health introduced in Budget 2012, 353 are with the National Recruitment...

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE Expenditure (27 Sep 2012)

James Reilly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 35 and 200 together. The HSE is overspent by €318m to the end of August and if no action is taken is projected to have a deficit of €500m at the end of the year. The HSE is facing a serious challenge and has to make very significant savings in the current year. There is intensive engagement between my Department and the Health Service...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Staff (27 Sep 2012)

James Reilly: As this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Children's Hospital Status (27 Sep 2012)

James Reilly: As you will be aware, I established an independent Review Group to consider the implications of the decision of An Bórd Pleanála, received on 23 February 2012, to reject the planning application for the proposed construction of a national paediatric hospital on the site of the Mater Misericordiae Hospital. The aim of the Review was to consider all the possible options for the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Universal Health Insurance Provision (27 Sep 2012)

James Reilly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 38 and 67 together. The Government is committed to fundamental reform of healthcare in Ireland that will deliver a single tier health system, supported by universal health insurance (UHI), where access is based on need, not income. Every individual will have a choice of health insurer and will have equal access to a comprehensive range of curative services....

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Practitioner Services (27 Sep 2012)

James Reilly: The Programme for Government provides for significant strengthening of primary care services to deliver Universal GP Care with the removal of cost as a barrier to access for patients. Universal GP Care will be achieved on a phased basis. Primary legislation is required to give effect to this commitment. Legislation to allow the Minister for Health to make regulations to extend access to GP...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Expenditure (27 Sep 2012)

James Reilly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 41 and 49 together. The Government has a significant fiscal deficit which needs to be closed. We are bound by our commitments to our international partners. They are our lenders of last resort. For now, we depend on them to enable us to pay our way. Our country has suffered the greatest economic crisis in living memory leading to a large fall in Exchequer...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Misuse of Drugs (27 Sep 2012)

James Reilly: The problem of the misuse of prescription drugs has been recognised at national, European and international levels. Through the framework of the National Drugs Strategy 2009-2016, the Department of Health is working in collaboration with the relevant statutory agencies to monitor the availability of controlled drugs, including prescription medicines, through illicit channels. The...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Bed Numbers (27 Sep 2012)

James Reilly: As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products Expenditure (27 Sep 2012)

James Reilly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 44, 188 and 189 together. The prices of medicines vary between countries for a number of reasons. These include different prices set by manufacturers, different wholesale and pharmacy mark-ups, different dispensing fees and different rates of VAT. Negotiations are ongoing between officials of the Department/HSE and the two bodies that represent...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (27 Sep 2012)

James Reilly: Beaumont Hospital has a target of three to six months of a waiting time for live-related kidney transplantation. I am advised by the HSE that due to the demands on the service this time has increased to fourteen months. There is a need to expand live-related kidney transplantation programme. Members of the National Renal Transplant Programme as well as members of the Senior Management team...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Primary Care Services (27 Sep 2012)

James Reilly: As this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Expenditure (27 Sep 2012)

James Reilly: The financial situation in the HSE continues to be extremely challenging. In the short term, to address the 2012 position, a range of measures are being undertaken in order to achieve a balanced budget. These include the use of capital to fund revenue on a once-off basis and the transfer of Department funds to the HSE on a once-off basis. The HSE has been required to review all pay and...