Results 161-180 of 221 for going forward speaker:Colm Burke

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: We have brought stability to the country and created jobs. The only way forward is to create jobs. One of the things about young people coming back and seeking jobs, is that we must remember Ireland is a small economy of 4.6 million people. When people go abroad they have a wider choice of jobs and places to go. Ireland now competes on the world market in a whole lot of areas. In terms...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Feb 2015)

Colm Burke: ...all of the taxation we like on land that is lying idle, but until finance is made available to the industry to start the process of building so that we might meet our housing targets each year, we will go nowhere. We should start to examine this issue and hold a debate on determining the best way forward. We will address social housing, but we must also consider how to finance the...

Seanad: Garda Síochána (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2014: Second Stage (11 Feb 2015)

Colm Burke: ...the Minister of State to the House and thank him for a very comprehensive overview of this Bill. I welcome the Bill. The Minister for Justice and Equality and the Minister of State are bringing forward necessary legislation. This Bill deals with the defects in the system. It gives wider powers to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman, which is welcome. I welcome the extension of the...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Jan 2015)

Colm Burke: ...where work is done and a lot of good work is done by all Members of the Oireachtas - of all parties and none. I will address the recent decision by the Irish Medical Organisation to accept the package put forward regarding the recruitment of medical consultants. It is a very important decision, which I welcome, to accept the package available for new consultants joining the health...

Seanad: Intellectual Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Second Stage (9 Dec 2014)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister for bringing forward this legislation, which I very much welcome. Cork is hugely reliant on the pharmaceutical industry. Eight of the top ten pharmaceutical companies in the world are based in the Cork region, within a 50-mile radius of Cork city, which emphasises the importance of the industry to Cork. Anything that can help to copperfasten that industry and grow it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Best Practice Access Guidelines: Irish Wheelchair Association (4 Dec 2014)

Colm Burke: .... What level of engagement has there been with them? I have referred to local authorities, but what is the position with architects, engineers and the Construction Industry Federation in showing forward thinking and planning? While we have gone through a downturn in the building industry, we are moving on. In Cork three or four major projects are under way, involving over €200...

Seanad: Flood Management: Statements (27 Nov 2014)

Colm Burke: ...the OPW's proposals for flood prevention works in Cork city. It is a comprehensive plan which it has opened up to consultation. It is important that people make their views known on what they consider to be the best way forward. They should become involved in the consultation process. I went to the open day held in Cork city hall and the people available were able to deal with...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: General Practitioner Services (19 Nov 2014)

Colm Burke: ...is prepared to carry out the research. A number of GPs would work with CUH and UCC to develop a clear protocol for the management and treatment of hereditary haemochromatosis. The GP practices would rigorously implement the agreed quality protocol. When patients enter the maintenance phase of management, they would be referred to the Irish Blood Transfusion Service to become blood...

Seanad: Health Services: Statements (4 Nov 2014)

Colm Burke: .... This is also reform the Government had promised, on which it is working and which is being delivered. In respect of section 38 and section 39 organisations, I have raised concerns about this area going back to October 2013. More than 2,600 organisations receive funding from the Health Service Executive, HSE, in this manner and in both 2013 and 2014, more than €3.27 billion of...

Seanad: Joint Policing Committees: Motion (15 Oct 2014)

Colm Burke: ...the motion but I was not aware that the time of the debate was changed from a start time of 5 p.m. to 3.50 p.m. That was my mistake. I welcome the Minister. I thank Senator Conway for bringing forward this motion, which I welcome. The prevention of crime is not the sole responsibility of the Garda. We all have a part to play. The joint policing committees have an important role to...

Seanad: Medical Practitioners (Amendment) Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (24 Sep 2014)

Colm Burke: ...insurance but there was no insurance requirement for medical practitioners. The then Minister, Mary Harney, stated that by January 2010 the Department would have examined the matter and it would go forward in implementing legislation in this area in the early part of 2010. Unfortunately, that did not happen. As a result of a consultation I had with Deputy Reilly in 2012, I took on the...

Seanad: Health (General Practitioner Service) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (16 Jul 2014)

Colm Burke: ...to do business. It is important that we emphasise that this was a draft contract. It was being approached in the way I would approach any legal matter I am involved in: one puts one's best foot forward in the hope of gaining the maximum out of it. I think that is exactly what the Department did, but I think it was the wrong way to start off because one of the things that we need if we...

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Financial Matters) Bill 2013: Second Stage (3 Jul 2014)

Colm Burke: ...has outlined. It clearly sets out the manner in which we are bringing the budget back under the control of the Department of Health under the Minister. This is the right decision in moving forward in how we manage our health service. In view of what has occurred in the health service over the past 15 years and how we let many things go unplanned, this has resulted in a huge cost issue....

Seanad: Health (General Practitioner Service) Bill 2014: Second Stage (2 Jul 2014)

Colm Burke: ...House deals with a particular group of individuals, namely, those under six years of age. Many members of the medical profession have stated that they do not understand why people who have very good incomes should receive free GP services for their children. However, there are many individuals who are caught in the middle in this regard. I refer to those who are working, who do not earn...

Seanad: Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill 2014: Second Stage (17 Jun 2014)

Colm Burke: ...to smoking and become addicted at a young age. We must address the issue of the number of young people who are smoking and ensure the information is circulated so that the number falls. Not long ago three out of ten people were smokers but more recent figures show this has fallen to 2.2 out of ten. There is still a long way to go. Much progress has been made with young people and the...

Seanad: Maternity Services: Motion (28 May 2014)

Colm Burke: ...basis; - that no decisions on maternity service provision will be made in advance of the publication of the national maternity strategy; - that there are no proposals to downgrade maternity services at Sligo Regional Hospital, Mayo General Hospital, Portiuncula Hospital and Letterkenny General Hospital or other hospitals throughout the country; - that in 2013/2014, 75 doctors are...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Planning Issues (1 Apr 2014)

Colm Burke: ..., one in Grenagh, one in Donoughmore and another in Blarney. The area is at the end of the land line from each of the three exchanges. I am making no progress on the matter. With a view to going forward, I ask that future development be taken into account when local authorities are considering the granting of planning permission. Communication services should be included as a condition.

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Jan 2014)

Colm Burke: ...are not entitled to be adopted and citizenship is an issue. We are leaving a series of medical and legal issues sitting there. We must deal with this through legislation and examine the best way forward, particularly when one considers that the amount of money the person going through the pregnancy receives is very small compared with what the agencies that organise this charge. We...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (10 Dec 2013)

Colm Burke: ...of breast implants. I introduced a Private Members' Bill that provided for placing an obligation on all people involved in medicine to have adequate insurance. The Department intends to move forward with that proposed legislation over the next six to nine months. On the current structure in place covering medical devices, the people involved in plastic surgery in Ireland, in particular...

Seanad: Mental Health Services: Motion (4 Dec 2013)

Colm Burke: I thank my colleagues in the Labour Party for bringing forward this motion and for their contributions to this debate. I assure Senator Marc MacSharry, as someone from the same constituency as the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, that she is well able to fight her corner. I have no doubt whatsoever that she will secure every possible cent for this area of the health care budget. ...