Results 3,761-3,780 of 11,255 for speaker:Colm Burke

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (19 Jan 2023)

Colm Burke: What other voluntary hospitals come under Mr. McCarthy's remit? Do St. James's Hospital and St. Vincent's Hospital come under it?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (19 Jan 2023)

Colm Burke: The three main maternity hospitals in Dublin, for instance, are not under Mr. McCarthy's remit.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (19 Jan 2023)

Colm Burke: The issue is that if a bill of quantity is submitted and the item is not in the bill of quantity on day one when the tender documents were put out there, then it is an additional cost and it is always a nightmare. The problem with this project is that because it is so complex - we are talking about 6,000 rooms and all sorts of different complexities - then we are more likely to have such a...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (19 Jan 2023)

Colm Burke: Yes, there is.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (19 Jan 2023)

Colm Burke: There is probably sufficient money there for 2023. The problem will arise when all of the additional claims are put in. That is when the source of the additional money that is required will be clarified. That is where the difficulty will arise. I do not think the problem will arise in 2023 but it could arise in 2024.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (19 Jan 2023)

Colm Burke: Normally, there would not be a difficulty in the handover because the claims are still not finally settled. There is a process for dealing with claims. Following the initial process, there is a right of appeal and taking it further. I do not think that would in any way affect the handover.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (19 Jan 2023)

Colm Burke: My understanding is that it would not.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (19 Jan 2023)

Colm Burke: In fairness, most of the public contracts are done like that.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (19 Jan 2023)

Colm Burke: There is a mechanism in place for the building to be handed over without any undue delay by the contractor because of the processes that are in existence.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (19 Jan 2023)

Colm Burke: One other advantage - whether we criticise the cost and everything else – is that we are very lucky that a significant amount of the work was done prior to the real inflation period hitting it last year. If we were only starting the project last year, the price would have gone completely through the roof. That is important as well.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (19 Jan 2023)

Colm Burke: In fairness, we had Covid in between.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (19 Jan 2023)

Colm Burke: Yes, and given the amount of steel gone into it, as the price of steel has gone very high. All of that work was done before the increase.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (19 Jan 2023)

Colm Burke: In some areas, they are having difficulties getting GPs to work nights and weekends. In fairness, these are all people who are working from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. Then, they would have to face another 12 hours of being on call. That is one of the difficulties we are having in many areas. There is another problem that was raised by the Irish College of General Practitioners, which...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (19 Jan 2023)

Colm Burke: Following up on what Deputy Catherine Murphy said about young people not being able to get access to GPs, I know of one company that, because its employees were having difficulty in getting GPs, decided to employ its own GP on a full-time basis. This is going to happen more, where a company that has young employees who cannot get access to GPs will have a full contract with a GP who will be...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Car Test (19 Jan 2023)

Colm Burke: 32. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the action his Department is taking to reduce the NCT test wait time backlog, given the average wait time for an NCT test has now passed five months in 31 centres across the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1951/23]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (19 Jan 2023)

Colm Burke: 105. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide details in respect of the newly launched local hackney pilot programme; the number of rural areas this programme will operate in; if consideration will be given to extending the programme to other rural areas going forward; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1952/23]

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Risk Management (19 Jan 2023)

Colm Burke: 159. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the current position of the Blackpool flood relief scheme; when work will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1916/23]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (19 Jan 2023)

Colm Burke: 282. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if serious consideration will be given to a proposal (details supplied) in relation to the €1,000 fee reduction for undergraduate students in view of the huge additional cost incurred in repeating or changing courses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2504/23]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry (19 Jan 2023)

Colm Burke: 390. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide an update as to the agreements that have now been reached following his recent meetings with the fishing industry in respect of the EU-Norway negotiations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2498/23]