Results 181-200 of 221 for going forward speaker:Colm Burke

Seanad: Child and Family Agency Bill 2013: Second Stage (27 Nov 2013)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister for being with us and for bringing forward this Bill, which is very welcome. I thank her for her announcement this morning of €30 million for nine projects around the country. One of those projects is in my old local electoral area of Knocknaheeny in Cork. I think €1.8 million is going in there and it is very welcome news for the area to give that...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Nov 2013)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister for the comprehensive way in which she has dealt with this matter. It is difficult to try to bring forward reform when dealing with this matter and to try to be fair but I believe the Minister has done a good job in this regard. I welcome the development on the issue of insurance. I do not believe taxpayers should be responsible for paying out wages and salaries in real...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Oct 2013)

Colm Burke: ...is a general lack of knowledge of the real powers these authorities and the councillors who serve on them possess. It would be appropriate for the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Phil Hogan, to come before the House to discuss how we might impart information to the public on the role of councillors, their responsibilities and the contribution they can...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2013)

Colm Burke: I remind those in Fianna Fáil that in the last three years they were in government, there were 7,000 jobs per month lost. We are now creating 3,000 per month. That is positive and is the way forward. This budget plans to increase that number to over 45,000 jobs per annum and that is what we intend doing. I wish to comment on the health budget because it is an important issue. When...

Seanad: Irish Sign Language: Motion (9 Oct 2013)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State for coming here this evening and giving a comprehensive statement on this matter. I thank Senators Conway and Keane for bringing forward this motion. It is welcome. Everything that I wanted to say has already been said and I just want to touch on two points. First, I thank the Minister of State for taking the initiative she is now taking in this matter. It is...

Seanad: SI 325 of 2012 - European Union (Quality and Safety of Human Organs Intended for Transplantation) Regulations 2012: Motion (20 Aug 2013)

Colm Burke: The motion before us here today is that Statutory Instrument No. 325 of 2012 be annulled. No new written alternative to replace this detailed statutory instrument has been put forward by the proposers or by any other third party. In opening my speech in this debate, it would be appropriate to quote Ms Phyllis Cunningham, who for the past 26 years has been deeply involved in all aspects of...

Seanad: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (23 Jul 2013)

Colm Burke: The amendments suggest that we should delete section 9. It is important that we go back to why the Bill is going through. It is the result of the interpretation by the Supreme Court of Article 40.3.3°. Mr. Justice McCarthy stated 20 years ago: I think it reasonable, however, to hold that the people when enacting the amendment [the 1983 amendment] were entitled to believe that...

Seanad: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2013)

Colm Burke: I would like to thank my colleagues for the valuable contributions they have made this morning and for putting forward these amendments. However, I agree with Senator Bacik with regard to the restrictions that exist under Article 40.3.3°. When the Minister came to deal with this issue, it was very much about the decision in the X case and in the A, B and C v. Ireland case. All of the...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Jun 2013)

Colm Burke: ...groups like the INHO, the INMO, those providing home care packages, HIQA, the HSE and the Department of Health. The major complaint among these organisations is that their representatives go into the Department of Health on separate days and are never in there together. The INMO and the Irish Nursing Homes Organisation have both highlighted this matter. If either of them raises an issue...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jun 2013)

Colm Burke: ...made yesterday concerned the need to notify State authorities when someone is under 18. The requirement for three months notice was dispensed with when the application was made for consent to go ahead with marriage. Different cultures are living in the country and we must be mindful of that when dealing with legislation. The Minister for Justice and Equality should now examine the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Update on Health Affairs: Discussion with Minister for Health and HSE (23 May 2013)

Colm Burke: ...is not a criticism of anybody here but I am concerned about the structures that are in place. The delegates referred to the Revenue Commissioners and the issue of termination of contracts. If we can go to Pakistan and South Africa to recruit personnel, surely we can tease out these issues with the training bodies and Revenue in order to offer contracts that are structured so that people...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Heads of Protection of Life during Pregnancy Bill 2013: Public Hearings (Resumed) (21 May 2013)

Colm Burke: I thank each of the panel for coming forward and giving evidence today. Professor Binchy and Dr. Cahill expressed dissatisfaction with the X case judgment and referenced Cosma v. Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. In the X case a psychologist report was produced while in the case of Cosma v. Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform there were two psychiatric reports...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Heads of Protection of Life during Pregnancy Bill 2013: Public Hearings (Resumed) (21 May 2013)

Colm Burke: ...from a legal point of view? In particular, there is a distinction between someone who is under 16 and someone who is over 16. I wonder would they clarify their own views as regards how we should go forward with that issue. Mr. Brady used the quote from Mr. Justice McCarthy from page 82 of the Supreme Court judgment in the X case. It is important that I would quote what Mr. Justice...

Seanad: Order of Business (1 May 2013)

Colm Burke: I welcome the decision by the Government yesterday in regard to proceeding with the publication of the heads of the protection of life during pregnancy Bill. I agree with Senator O'Brien that it is important that there be a reasoned debate on this matter. I know some Senators, such as Senator Labhrás Ó Murchú, have very strong views and I very much respect those views....

Seanad: Financial Stability and Reform Bill 2013: Second Stage [Private Members] (24 Apr 2013)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I also welcome the Bill put forward by Senator Barrett. As someone who has also published a Private Members' Bill, I know the amount of work involved. This area is extremely complex and this is a very well researched and drafted document, on which I compliment him. He raises the very important issue of whether we learnt lessons from what has...

Seanad: Mortgage Arrears: Motion (17 Apr 2013)

Colm Burke: ...the past six months on the issue of financial stability, which will assist many families in dealing with the difficulties they face. Once there is financial stability, it will be possible to move forward on the issue of job creation for unemployed mortgage holders. Much has been done in this regard in the past two years. The third element is how to deal with the issue of mortgage...

Seanad: Restorative Justice Process: Motion (20 Mar 2013)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I thank my colleague, Senator Conway, for bringing forward this motion. I fully support and second the motion. This issue is something we need to address in this country. That is something we have not done in real terms. There has been little if any major reform of the criminal justice system and little has been done to see if there is a...

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Second Stage (13 Mar 2013)

Colm Burke: ...on the street. In that case the child of parents who were not married did not have any rights to the father's estate. We believed it would take us ten years to change the law in that area, but we got it through in seven years. It still took seven years, so the fact that Senator Power and Senator Bacik have got to this Stage and have put the legislation on the books for the Government to...

Seanad: Seanad Electoral Reform Bill 2013: Second Stage (6 Mar 2013)

Colm Burke: ...to implement reforms and are working to implement them. I also set out clearly that this House was ideally placed to look at EU legislation, directives and regulations, as they were brought forward. This could be done not when they are approved by the 27 member states but at the initial stages. The European Commission sets out in November its programme for the following 12 months. What...

Seanad: Confidence in Minister for Justice and Equality and Defence: Motion (27 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: .... We must adjust to responding to that type of society, which is what the Minister is doing. The Fianna Fáil Party was in office for 14 years and the Cork prison issue was constantly being put forward. That party said it was going to something about it, but after 14 years nothing had been done. The current Minister intends to, and will, deliver a brand new prison in Cork which is long...