Results 9,221-9,240 of 11,322 for speaker:Colm Burke

Seanad: Hospital Waiting Lists: Motion (15 Feb 2017)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister to the House. I thank the Sinn Féin Senators for bringing forward this motion. It is an important debate. I also thank the Fianna Fáil Senators for bringing forward their amendment because it is by debating and coming to agreement that we can progress the difficulties in the health system. There is a major problem with figures and I do not like the...

Seanad: Hospital Waiting Lists: Motion (15 Feb 2017)

Colm Burke: We need to consider the matter. Again, I thank the Minister for being here and my colleagues for bringing forward this matter.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Medical Card Eligibility (14 Feb 2017)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister for being available to dealt with this matter.Over 1,500 people attend day care services in the Cope Foundation in Cork. One good result of the care being given to people with disabilities is that they are living longer. Many parents using these services drive their children, although some of them are in their mid-50s, to the Cope Foundation's facilities in Cork city...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Medical Card Eligibility (14 Feb 2017)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State. I appreciate that this is a complicated area. It will be a growing problem and I welcome that a group has now been set up within the HSE. I am concerned about it in that in some cases, the parents will end up having to have their son or daughter admitted into full-time care in a community setting. Then one has a huge cost in that as well. I am concerned...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Feb 2017)

Colm Burke: I agree with some of the sentiments expressed. What has occurred regarding Maurice McCabe and his family is atrocious. There are answers that he needs and there are answers that we need. A full public tribunal of inquiry is what is required. The cut-and-paste exercise in putting together a report is also an important element. If that is the standard in how an extremely serious report is...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Feb 2017)

Colm Burke: I am amazed by Senator Máire Devine's sudden interest in the health service in view of the fact that it was Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil which decided to exclude Senators from the committee-----

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Feb 2017)

Colm Burke: Does the Senator not want to hear the truth?

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Feb 2017)

Colm Burke: Does Senator Máire Devine not want to hear the truth?

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Feb 2017)

Colm Burke: The two parties decided to exclude Senators from the Committee on the Future of Healthcare. If we are so interested in planning the future of health care, why did Sinn Féin co-operate with Fianna Fáil in making sure no Senators would be members of the committee?

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Feb 2017)

Colm Burke: An impression is being created that there are 100,000 people working in the health service who are all sitting around all day doing nothing. Let us be a little realistic. Staff across the board in the health service are working very hard, including nurses, doctors, consultants and management. There are defects in the system which we need to rectify, but, please, stop giving the impression...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Feb 2017)

Colm Burke: -----are doing nothing-----

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Feb 2017)

Colm Burke: It is a bit unfair-----

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Feb 2017)

Colm Burke: -----to the healthcare workers who are working in this system. If the Senator does not want to hear the truth, that is fine, but this is the truth.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Feb 2017)

Colm Burke: There were 3.2 million attendances in outpatient clinics last year. Go and check the figures and go and see what has been done-----

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Feb 2017)

Colm Burke: -----and go to the frontline with the people working.

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Feb 2017)

Colm Burke: I am interested and intrigued by the contribution of Senator Conway Walsh on Sinn Féin's position. Sinn Féin's position on our jobs policy was that we were getting it all wrong. We have created 188,000 jobs over the past five and a half years. Unemployment has decreased from 15% to 7.1%. As a result, we now have more money coming in to provide a better health service. An extra...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Feb 2017)

Colm Burke: Sinn Féin proposed that we reduce consultants' salaries to less than €100,000 a year. Its members seem to have forgotten that.

Seanad: Amendments to Councillors' Conditions: Statements (8 Feb 2017)

Colm Burke: I will be brief because what I wanted to say has been said already. I thank the Minister for coming to the House. I thank him for the work he has done to date, however, I think the proposals by LAMA and the AILG must be taken on board. Senator Ned O'Sullivan raised the issues that arise for councillors who are self-employed and trying to take time off work while managing a business. It is...

Seanad: National Children's Hospital: Statements (8 Feb 2017)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House and giving us an explanation. It is important that the project be prioritised. My colleague referred to the fact that it was first mooted in 1993. Quite good times were experienced for 14 years under Fianna Fáil but it was interesting that very little progress was made.In fact, when progress was made the location turned out to be...

Seanad: National Children's Hospital: Statements (8 Feb 2017)

Colm Burke: How can the Senator say that when we have not even received the final-----