Results 1,441-1,460 of 2,629 for speaker:Tim O'Malley

Seanad: Irish Medicines Board (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2005: Committee Stage (Resumed). (6 Dec 2005)

Tim O'Malley: I covered that question when I said earlier that this is a complex area. Senator Browne is correct in saying that many of these items would be small and come through the post in ordinary envelopes. The Irish Medicines Board does a great deal of work in collaboration with customs officers and there have been someseizures of drugs.

Seanad: Irish Medicines Board (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2005: Committee Stage (Resumed). (6 Dec 2005)

Tim O'Malley: I agree but it is an extremely difficult matter that has confounded not only Ireland but also causes major problems around the world. We are in discussions with all the stakeholders in this area and are considering the situation in regard to counterfeits. Some of the major pharmaceutical companies are having a problem with counterfeit drugs coming in. In that case the public does not receive...

Seanad: Irish Medicines Board (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2005: Committee Stage (Resumed). (6 Dec 2005)

Tim O'Malley: Amendment No. 63 is an amendment to section 54 of the Health Act 1947 which deals with regulations for the prevention of danger from food and drink. This new section is being inserted to allow for the making of regulations to extend the beef labelling regulations that exist at retail level under EU legislation. This is a requirement for information on the country of origin of beef to be...

Seanad: Irish Medicines Board (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2005: Committee Stage (Resumed). (6 Dec 2005)

Tim O'Malley: When cattle are exported, they retain their tags and are traceable, therefore, there will be no problems. The first fine in the amendment is €5,000 and €500 on each subsequent day after that.

Seanad: Irish Medicines Board (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2005: Committee Stage (Resumed). (6 Dec 2005)

Tim O'Malley: This amendment relates to section 66 of the Health Act 1970. It makes provision for dental, ophthalmic and aural health examinations for children. Under the current section 66 of the Health Act 1970, these examinations are confined to children of five years and under or children who attend national primary schools. There is also provision for primary schools which are not registered with the...

Seanad: Irish Medicines Board (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2005: Committee Stage (Resumed). (6 Dec 2005)

Tim O'Malley: The Bill does not provide such an opportunity. I understand any defects detected in primary school will be treated up to the age of 16 years. I agree with the Senator on the general position of orthodontics, which I understand has been the subject of two reports produced by the Joint Committee on Health and Children. There is a great deal of dissatisfaction with the orthodontic service,...

Seanad: Irish Medicines Board (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2005: Committee Stage (Resumed). (6 Dec 2005)

Tim O'Malley: I have commented sufficiently on the issue.

Seanad: Irish Medicines Board (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2005: Committee Stage (Resumed). (6 Dec 2005)

Tim O'Malley: As part of the ongoing review of eligibility to health services, my officials have identified a possible difficulty with regard to the current section 67 of the Health Act 1970. Section 67 provides for eligibility for dental, ophthalmic and aural services. It appears that one reading of the section would appear to indicate that everyone in the country might be eligible to receive these...

Seanad: Irish Medicines Board (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2005: Committee Stage (Resumed). (6 Dec 2005)

Tim O'Malley: The two cases are not the same. It is better to take this type of approach in modern legislation to ensure complete clarity. This is the case with regard to all new legislation which will supersede existing legislation. The purpose of the amendment is to ensure clarity.

Seanad: Social Welfare Benefits. (6 Dec 2005)

Tim O'Malley: I thank Senator Bannon for raising this matter on the Adjournment. I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Deputy Brennan. The orphan's contributory allowance and orphan's non-contributory pension are paid by the Department of Social and Family Affairs and provide income maintenance in respect of certain dependent children, subject to...

Seanad: Social Welfare Benefits. (6 Dec 2005)

Tim O'Malley: The matter has been adequately dealt with.

Seanad: Irish Medicines Board (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2005: Committee Stage (Resumed). (6 Dec 2005)

Tim O'Malley: I thank Senators Quinn, Henry and Browne for their contributions on this matter. The Department is examining the increased use of generics as part of a wider review of all aspects of the GMS and community drugs schemes. As a first step, negotiations will shortly commence on the renegotiation of the IPHA-APMI agreement which sets the supply terms, conditions and prices of medicines supplied to...

Seanad: Irish Medicines Board (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2005: Committee Stage (Resumed). (6 Dec 2005)

Tim O'Malley: My understanding is that under EU directives being implemented, all decisions of public bodies such as the one the Senator mentioned are taken on a consensus basis. I do not know if it would be the intention of the IMB to publish whether a decision was made on the casting vote of the chairperson. I do not see how that would be useful. It is still a consensus if the majority agree. That is the...

Seanad: Irish Medicines Board (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2005: Committee Stage (Resumed). (6 Dec 2005)

Tim O'Malley: As far as generic drugs are concerned, I may have omitted to discuss the issue regarding items going out of stock. The Senator is correct that such items may be out of stock for quite some time. Frequently, one company is taken over by another and, unfortunately, when a given product comes back into stock, it can cost approximately ten times the original price of the inexpensive product that...

Seanad: Irish Medicines Board (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2005: Committee Stage (Resumed). (6 Dec 2005)

Tim O'Malley: I omitted to answer a question from Senator Browne concerning the small figure "8". It was a reference to the EU's Official Journal, where the directive has been published. The full reference may be found at the bottom of page 12 of the published Bill.

Seanad: Irish Medicines Board (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2005: Committee Stage (Resumed). (6 Dec 2005)

Tim O'Malley: It has always been the case that whenever the Irish Medicines Board proposes to refuse the grant of an authorisation or licence in respect of a medicinal product, either human or veterinary, it must consult with the appropriate independent expert scientific advisory committee. This consultation is only mandatory where the refusal is on grounds relating to safety, quality or efficacy of a...

Seanad: Irish Medicines Board (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2005: Committee Stage (Resumed). (6 Dec 2005)

Tim O'Malley: In amendment No. 33, the substitution of lines three and four on page 15 arises from the need to make it clear that the Minister has power under subsection 2(a) of section 32 of the Irish Medicines Board Act 1995 to make regulations in respect of the administration of medicinal products. For that purpose the word "administration" is being inserted into section 32(2)(a) of the 1995 Act....

Seanad: Irish Medicines Board (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2005: Committee Stage (Resumed). (6 Dec 2005)

Tim O'Malley: We had a fair amount of discussion last week about nurses prescribing. Nurses work as part of a multidisciplinary team and it is anticipated that only a small number of nurses will be involved in independent prescribing. It will be in the context of their work with the multidisciplinary team. Examples are nurse-led services such as minor injury units, chronic disease management, such as...

Seanad: Irish Medicines Board (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2005: Committee Stage (Resumed). (6 Dec 2005)

Tim O'Malley: The parameters regarding which nurses it will apply to have not been set out. That will follow consultation with the nursing profession. It could cover midwives as a specialty but that will be set out in regulation.

Seanad: Irish Medicines Board (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2005: Committee Stage (Resumed). (6 Dec 2005)

Tim O'Malley: This amendment is one of a number made necessary by the judgment of the Supreme Court in the case of Vincent Browne v. the Attorney General and others, where powers are being created which would enable the implementation of Acts of the European Communities, such as directives and regulations, by means of secondary legislation. This amendment, taken with other related amendments which follow...