Results 15,201-15,220 of 16,537 for speaker:Brian Lenihan Jnr

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (14 Dec 2005)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.

Seanad: Irish Medicines Board (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2005: Report and Final Stages. (8 Dec 2005)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The provision relates to the selling of medicinal products by mail order, in particular via the Internet, as outlined by Senators Browne and Henry. I welcome the amendment because the thinking behind it is correct. Nevertheless, provisions are already in force under the Medicinal Products (Prescription and Control of Supply) Regulations 2004, which define the term "supply by mail order" as...

Seanad: Irish Medicines Board (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2005: Report and Final Stages. (8 Dec 2005)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: This is an interesting amendment which I will have to address. Senators Browne and Bradford are seeking to amend section 66(2) of the Health Act 1970. That section is the provision which covers making available without charge a health examination and treatment service for pupils attending a national school. It is being amended within this Bill to cover all primary schools, hence Senator...

Seanad: Irish Medicines Board (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2005: Report and Final Stages. (8 Dec 2005)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I thank Senators Glynn, Minihan, Henry and Browne for their assistance with this legislation. I very much agree with what Senator Henry said about the dangers of prescribing and the public's assumption that a visit to a doctor necessarily entails the acquisition of a controlled drug or any other strong substance. That need not necessarily be the case. A doctor's first function is to diagnose,...

Seanad: Irish Medicines Board (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2005: Report and Final Stages. (8 Dec 2005)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Then I will return like General MacArthur.

Seanad: School Accommodation. (8 Dec 2005)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I thank Senator Browne for raising this matter on the Adjournment. It provides me with an opportunity to outline to the House the action planned to progress the application for capital funding from Nurney national school, County Carlow. At the outset I want to point out that modernising facilities in our 3,200 primary and 750 post-primary schools is not an easy task given the legacy of...

Seanad: Irish Medicines Board (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2005: Report and Final Stages. (8 Dec 2005)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children agrees in principle with the purpose of the amendment that fines must be kept up to date. However, this is a complex area with substantial legal implications. The Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children does not wish to amend legislation in this area on a piecemeal basis. The Government is considering introducing a fines Bill, which...

Seanad: Irish Medicines Board (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2005: Report and Final Stages. (8 Dec 2005)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Amendment No. 2 relates to the prescription of controlled drugs by registered pharmacists, while amendment No. 3 relates to prescription by paramedical staff. The Department has examined the issue of prescribing by other health care professionals. However, it is considered that apart from nurses and existing prescribers, the necessary regime of regulation with adequate fitness to practise is...

Financial Resolution No. 5: General (Resumed). (8 Dec 2005)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Saint Augustine was talking about purity, not profligacy.

Written Answers — Ombudsman for Children: Ombudsman for Children (7 Dec 2005)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The Office of the Ombudsman for Children was established under the Ombudsman for Children Act 2002 and is a statutory independent body with two main functions, to promote the rights and welfare of children and to examine and investigate complaints against schools and voluntary hospitals were an action may have adversely affected a child. Any specific queries concerning the role of the...

Good Samaritan Bill 2005: Second Stage (Resumed). (7 Dec 2005)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I congratulate Deputy Timmins for introducing this Bill. It raises important issues of principle. My colleague, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell, explained last night that the Government is not in a position to support this Bill. The introduction of the Bill has given an opportunity to examine the issue of what is known in legal and popular discourse as "the...

Written Answers — Foreign Adoptions: Foreign Adoptions (6 Dec 2005)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I propose to take Questions Nos. 159 to 162, inclusive, together. The most recent statistics available on intercountry adoption are contained in the Adoption Board annual report of 2004. The number of adoptions entered in the register of foreign adoptions and in respect of which applications for an adoption order were made under the Adoption Acts, 1952 and 1988 are as follows: Country...

Written Answers — Adoption Services: Adoption Services (30 Nov 2005)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The Heads of Bill on the Adoption (Hague Convention, Adoption Authority and Miscellaneous) Bill, which when enacted will ratify the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, 1993, are currently being drafted into a Bill in the Parliamentary Counsel's office. I hope that the Bill will be published in the earlier part of 2006. The Bill...

Written Answers — Foster Care: Foster Care (30 Nov 2005)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The 1995 child care regulations provide that "A Health Board shall pay foster parents in respect of any child placed with them in accordance with these Regulation an allowance of not less than such amount as may from time to time be specified by the Minister". Sections 109(2) and 151(2) of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 1993 provide that the orphan's contributory allowance and the...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (30 Nov 2005)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, the Department of Health and Children has asked the parliamentary affairs division of the HSE to arrange to have the matter investigated and for a reply to issue directly to the Deputy.

Seanad: Water and Sewerage Schemes. (30 Nov 2005)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I listened to Senator Bannon with great interest. I do not represent Deputy Cassidy or Senator O'Rourke on this matter but the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Roche. I assure the Senator that if this was a matter of signing a cheque next week, he would have the cheque. The provision of modern water and sewerage infrastructure to support environmental,...

Seanad: Water and Sewerage Schemes. (30 Nov 2005)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I am happy to confirm on behalf of the Minister that the necessary funds are available for draw down as soon as the works commence. There is no funding obstacle in the Department with regard to this matter. It is a matter for the council to furnish the information on the water pricing report. That is essential. Approval of the preliminary report allowed the council to prepare contract...

Seanad: Hospitals Building Programme. (30 Nov 2005)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I thank the Senator for raising this matter on the Adjournment. I listened carefully to her comments and I reassure her that the Taoiseach is a man of his word. In regard to the matter raised, I shall explain the reasons and the circumstances in the course of my reply. I take this Adjournment matter on behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney. I want to...

Seanad: Hospitals Building Programme. (30 Nov 2005)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I can indicate to the Senator only what is on the record, which is that the HSE has informed the Department that approval has been given to the HSE mid-west area to proceed with the accident and emergency and laboratory aspects of the project. I can assist the Senator in indicating that it appears from the reply that the radiology-CT aspects of the project were part of the original project....

Seanad: Hospitals Building Programme. (30 Nov 2005)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The Senator will appreciate that I have to go by the reply with which I have been furnished.