Results 2,681-2,700 of 11,255 for speaker:Colm Burke

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (13 Jun 2023)

Colm Burke: 1397. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the current status of an appeal by an organisation (detail supplied) to the community services programme; when a decision is likely to be reached; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28011/23]

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (13 Jun 2023)

Colm Burke: 1405. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development when the 2023 town and village renewal scheme will open for applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28567/23]

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Health Strategies (1 Jun 2023)

Colm Burke: My concern is that the Irish Haemochromatosis Association's figures indicate that at any one time up to 20,000 people have not been diagnosed. That is why we have the ongoing problem of people developing health problems and suffering organ damage, as the Minister and I have mentioned. Accordingly, why not have a national strategy and a screening programme that would identify people where an...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Health Strategies (1 Jun 2023)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Harris, for coming to the House to deal with this matter. This is about having a national strategy for dealing with haemochromatosis. It is about having equal access to testing, diagnosis, and treatment. I understand that there is a proposal to the National Screening Advisory Committee as...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Education (1 Jun 2023)

Colm Burke: In regard to the issue I raised about grants, there is a disincentive in that the grant is available for taking some postgraduate courses, whereas it is not available for studying radiation therapy. Will the Minister look at that? It is one of the key issues as regards why people are not attracted to the course. Furthermore, can we expand the number of postgraduate courses in September?...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Education (1 Jun 2023)

Colm Burke: 93. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department and third-level colleges have engaged with the HSE and the Department of Health with a view to increasing the number of radiation therapy training places, taking into account that there are only 42 places at present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26602/23]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Education (1 Jun 2023)

Colm Burke: I want to raise the issue of radiation therapist training. I am wondering if the Department has engaged with third-level colleges, the HSE and the Department of Health with a view to increasing the number of places. Currently, there are only 30 places per annum available in Trinity and 12 places in Cork. There are 42 in total. It is not adequate. I am wondering what level of engagement...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Education (1 Jun 2023)

Colm Burke: I understand there are four treatment machines currently idle because there is a shortfall of 34% in the number of radiation therapist. There was also a survey done which indicates that over 60% of the current radiation therapists intend leaving within the next five years. As regards funding for postgraduates, those who have already got a primary degree and want to go on to do radiation...

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2021
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Local Government Fund Account 2021
2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 6: Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (1 Jun 2023)

Colm Burke: I thank the witnesses for their presentation. I wish to raise several issues. Can we get a breakdown in real terms of the number of units AHBs have delivered in the past 12 months? The number delivered by local authorities has already been discussed. Regarding the cost-benefit analysis, local authorities are subject to strict spending rules and are under considerable scrutiny. Have we a...

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2021
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Local Government Fund Account 2021
2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 6: Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (1 Jun 2023)

Colm Burke: Looking at what the approved housing bodies have delivered and what local authorities have delivered, are there lessons to be learned as regards why it is so slow for a local authority to deliver? If one looks at the timescale from the time an approved housing body identifies a project to finishing delivery and the time a local authority identifies a project and delivers, are there lessons...

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2021
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Local Government Fund Account 2021
2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 6: Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (1 Jun 2023)

Colm Burke: Is that not the problem? At one stage, there were about eight different steps for a local authority to get a project from start to finish. I understand that the number of steps was reduced, with the same level of scrutiny remaining. I hear from officials about their frustration. They want to get on with a project but they have to jump a lot of hurdles. They are also frustrated by it.

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2021
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Local Government Fund Account 2021
2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 6: Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (1 Jun 2023)

Colm Burke: Why has it taken that long? We started this project in 2016 and we are now talking about ratcheting it up. Why was that not done three, four or five years ago? Why is there such a reluctance to speed up the process? That is how it comes across.

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2021
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Local Government Fund Account 2021
2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 6: Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (1 Jun 2023)

Colm Burke: For instance, in 2022, a target was set. How many local authorities reached their targets?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2021
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Local Government Fund Account 2021
2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 6: Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (1 Jun 2023)

Colm Burke: It is important that we have that figure because if one is setting targets, we are the Committee of Public Accounts and we want to deliver housing. Everyone in the House wants to make sure adequate housing is delivered. Should the Department not have figures on what local authorities reached their targets immediately available for the committee?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2021
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Local Government Fund Account 2021
2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 6: Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (1 Jun 2023)

Colm Burke: I am still asking how many local authorities reached their targets and how many did not.

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2021
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Local Government Fund Account 2021
2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 6: Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (1 Jun 2023)

Colm Burke: How is engagement with authorities that did not meet their targets progressing? We must deliver. There is a demand. It is the case that someone has to oversee it. We rely on the Department to oversee local authorities. In fairness, councillors are frustrated as well because they might see their local authority not delivering. What can we do to make sure every local authority reaches its...

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2021
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Local Government Fund Account 2021
2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 6: Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (1 Jun 2023)

Colm Burke: Another issue is the land bank that local authorities have. If Ms Stapleton had an assessment in the morning of the land bank each local authority has, what numbers of housing or residential units would those deliver in each local authority? Do we know what land bank each local authority has? What is their plan over three to four years in relation to those land banks? How many local...

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2021
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Local Government Fund Account 2021
2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 6: Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (1 Jun 2023)

Colm Burke: On the cost analysis of housing being built by local authorities and housing agencies, is there an overall figure? Is there an average figure per local authority comparable to, for example, what is available on the private market? How does that compare, percentage-wise, for example, when a local authority gets 50 houses built and houses are being sold privately in estates quite close to it?...

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2021
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Local Government Fund Account 2021
2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 6: Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (1 Jun 2023)

Colm Burke: Can I ask a final brief question? With regard to approved housing bodies, I came across a few cases where private estates were being built. When private estates are being built, a certain level have to go to local authority housing. The same rule does not apply where an approved housing body buys an entire estate, where a certain percentage has to be for private ownership. I have one in...

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2021
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Local Government Fund Account 2021
2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 6: Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (1 Jun 2023)

Colm Burke: For our example, 85 houses were being built privately. There were many young people. Many had even paid deposits and suddenly the developer was approached by one approved housing body to buy the whole lot of the 85 houses. This was the only opportunity for people to get back into the area. Suddenly, they found it was taken from under them.