Results 261-280 of 1,371 for speaker:Máire Hoctor

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Máire Hoctor: It is not appropriate that HIQA be involved in the administration of the medical card scheme. I will repeat what the Minister, Deputy Harney, said on this issue. She said she wanted to make the position in relation to discretionary medical cards to the terminally ill very clear. She said that terminally ill patients will not be affected by any cap on the issue of discretionary medical...

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Máire Hoctor: I am sure Senator Twomey is aware, as am I, of many cases where once it was made known to the HSE that a patient was terminally ill, it immediately fast-tracked the issuing of a medical card for that person. I must be fair to the HSE in that respect. The Minister, Deputy Harney said that 70,000 people currently avail of discretionary medical cards. She also said that terminally ill...

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Máire Hoctor: I do not propose to accept this amendment. The matter referred to is of an administrative nature and does not warrant imposing an obligation on the Minister to make monthly reports to the Dáil.

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Máire Hoctor: The figures are €700 and €1,400.

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Máire Hoctor: My statement remains the same; I do not propose to accept the amendment.

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Máire Hoctor: I do not propose to accept the amendment. The matter being referred to is of an administrative nature and does not warrant a report to the Oireachtas. I will not be accepting the amendment.

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Máire Hoctor: We have no means of calculating the amount people who do not pay. Therefore, the amendment does not stand up.

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Máire Hoctor: The Senator's proposal would impose an unnecessary administrative burden. I do not accept the amendment.

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Máire Hoctor: I still see no sense to the proposal.

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Máire Hoctor: I have no more to say on it. I already stated that I will not be accepting——

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (12 Dec 2008)

Máire Hoctor: I have listened with interest to the contributions of Senators and I thank them for their participation in the debate. As I indicated at the outset, with the enactment of the Bill, persons aged 70 and over will have three gateways to a medical card. First, under the new gross income limits, we expect 95% of persons aged over 70 will qualify because their income will be below the new, high...

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (12 Dec 2008)

Máire Hoctor: I am reminding the Senator because there seems to be a case of amnesia in his party.

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (12 Dec 2008)

Máire Hoctor: It is no harm to remind the Senator. Senator O'Toole asked whether it would be fairer to give the free medical card to people over 80. I would respond by asking whether it is not fairer to allow 95% of people over 70 to retain their medical cards. The Senator suggested the automatic entitlement of persons over 70 to the medical card should be replaced by an automatic entitlement for persons...

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (12 Dec 2008)

Máire Hoctor: Perhaps the Senator will provide us with the source of that information. It is in the interests of everyone that such information is made known and I would be delighted if she would do that. I will address the question of the availability of health services for non-medical card holders. Senator Donohoe expressed the concern that persons aged 70 and over who lose a medical card may not then...

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (12 Dec 2008)

Máire Hoctor: It was a marvellous work of art to get the best possible figures and to provide——-

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (12 Dec 2008)

Máire Hoctor: ——- for capital spending and developments in the Department of Health and Children and the Department of Education and Science for next year.

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (12 Dec 2008)

Máire Hoctor: I support the accurate information as delivered by my party colleague, Senator Geraldine Feeney, today. The wording was absolutely correct, where she said she had met one person from Sligo who said that she was up for the craic on the day of the protest. I reiterate what she said and make clear——

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (12 Dec 2008)

Máire Hoctor: I am only talking about one person and the Senator stated clearly what she had to say. She was quite happy——-

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (12 Dec 2008)

Máire Hoctor: I have one final comment. Figures were given for the number of people who attended on the day of the protest.

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (12 Dec 2008)

Máire Hoctor: We were led to believe by the media that 15,000, 10,000 or 5,000 attended, but to be honest, I do not know how many attended. I was happy to represent the Government——