In the last few weeks, I’ve been learning a lot about the challenges faced by parents with special needs children across the spectrum from behavioural conditions like ADHD and autism through to profound physical and mental disabilities. They have enormous and consuming issues to deal with, and it seems that the State is profoundly underequipped to [...]
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Kildare patients may see a drop in prescription drug prices from this week, according to local Fine Gael councillor Tony O’Donnell. Thanks to an initiative from the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA), many medicines will see a drop of up to 40% from 1st February 2010. A full list of the medicines concerned can be found online [...] I recently asked Fine Gael’s health spokesperson, Dr James Reilly TD, to put a question down in the Dáil requesting that Crohn’s disease be added to the Long Term Illness Scheme. Crohn’s disease is chronic inflammatory bowel condition that has no known cure. Sufferers are typically diagnosed in their 20′s and 30′s and face a lifetime of medication, [...] The HSE’s inability to come to terms with the Irish Pharmaceutical Union will hit Kildare hard, according to local councillor Tony O’Donnell. The HSE is seeking €133 million in cuts in the amount paid to pharmacists under the General Medical Card Scheme. These cuts came into force on July 1, however, many small independent pharmacies are now threatening to refuse to fill [...] Government TDs last night voted against a Fine Gael motion on funding for Our Lady’s Hospital, Crumlin. The motion called for the Government to reverse a €9.1 million cut in funding. This cut has resulted in hundreds of sick children being denied treatment this summer, as wards and units have been closed to meet budget requirements. It is a medical fact that early intervention can save lives, reduce costs, accelerate recovery and deliver improved quality of life. This is doubly true when it comes to treating children. All of this makes Crumlin’s decision to shutdown many services for the summer as inexplicable as it is inexcusable. In fairness to the hospital, and in [...] Health Session – Motion 5 That this Ard Fheis condemns the Government for targeting the vulnerable and cutting frontline services, rather than achieving savings through other means, such as addressing the burgeoning bureaucracy within the HSE, through the prescribing of generic medicines and the elimination of costly inefficiencies. Full text of final speech: “A chairde, there are few things this Government likes more [...] Addressing this weekend’s Fine Gael National Conference, local election candidate Tony O’Donnell stated that the Government’s attempts to withdraw the medical card for those over 70 amounted to a cruel act of social vandalism. He went on to state that the lack of any commitment to index-linking for the revised scheme means that more people will [...] The Government’s announcement that they will increase the income limits for over-70 medical cards is an improvement, but will still lead to confusion according to Fine Gael’s Tony O’Donnell. The Department of Health & Children have published a set of questions and answers to accompany the revised scheme. This Q&A clearly states that universal access will [...] Last week’s Supreme Court decision on risk equalisation shouldn’t come as any great surprise. However, the issue seems to be with the mechanics of the system Mary Harney introduced rather than against the principal. Risk equalisation is a legitimate and reasonable proposition within health insurance: the young pay slightly more than they would really need to on [...] |
Tony O'Donnell is a Fine Gael member of Kildare County Council in the Kildare LEA. He is a 30 year old engineer living in Kildare Town. You can read more by clicking About Tony O'Donnell. |
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