Results 9,281-9,300 of 11,322 for speaker:Colm Burke

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Hospital Consultant Recruitment (15 Dec 2016)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State for her reply. My only problem with it is that it is very much HSE spin. I will give the figures. Between the urgent care centre and the accident and emergency department, 48,000 people attend Mercy University Hospital. A total of 66,000 people attend Cork University Hospital. We have 1.6 consultants in Mercy University Hospital and we are now talking about...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Hospital Consultant Recruitment (15 Dec 2016)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State. If she ever visits Cork, she is very welcome to visit Mercy University Hospital where staff would be delighted to meet the Minister and the Minister of State because it is an excellent hospital. It would be worth a call.

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Dec 2016)

Colm Burke: In response to the criticism of the health service, we need to be careful because over 100,000 very dedicated and committed people work in the health service. We need to keep in mind the fact that they must work over Christmas while the rest of us are at home. Every week 61,500 people attend outpatient departments and a further 23,000 people attend the accident and emergency departments....

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Dec 2016)

Colm Burke: An additional 5,000 people now work in the health service when compared with 2014 and we are making huge progress. It is important to give credit where credit is due in respect of the service that is delivered. Many people have been caught up in the rental market and I am talking about tenants in particular. We need to give security and do everything possible for them. We need to all work...

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2016)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister of State. The only thing we all need to be conscious of in regard to health insurance is that we do everything possible to try to prevent further increases. The risk equalisation arrangement makes sure there is a level playing field for everyone, regardless of age. I welcome the Bill from that point of view but we have to deal with the cost of private health...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health Information and Patient Safety Bill: Discussion (14 Dec 2016)

Colm Burke: I thank the witnesses for their presentation and replies to questions. To return to Deputy O’Connell's first question on information being exchanged on the sale of a practice, due diligence applies nowadays to all commercial transactions. Does a due diligence process apply when a medical practice is being taken over? Does the legislation provide for this? I am not convinced by the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health Information and Patient Safety Bill: Discussion (14 Dec 2016)

Colm Burke: I am not talking about a buyer being given to personal health records----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health Information and Patient Safety Bill: Discussion (14 Dec 2016)

Colm Burke: I am speaking about access to information such as where the population that attends the practice is drawn from. The due diligence could be around review of addresses and so on. A person considering the purchase of a practice will want to try to work out the likely future of a practice based on its information on based on patient age profile and so on, which information will also help in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health Information and Patient Safety Bill: Discussion (14 Dec 2016)

Colm Burke: Yes. Thank you.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health Information and Patient Safety Bill: Discussion (14 Dec 2016)

Colm Burke: I thank the witnesses for their presentation. My apologies for my absence. We had votes in the Seanad. My apologies for not being present for all the presentations. To come back to the comments of my colleague, Deputy O'Connell, on the regulation of home care, I have published a Bill on that and it has been debated in the Seanad. A very comprehensive report on it was produced by the Law...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health Information and Patient Safety Bill: Discussion (14 Dec 2016)

Colm Burke: I will probably revert to Mr. Quinn about the matter. We are on Second Stage of the Bill in the Seanad and I want to progress it, but there seems to be resistance from the Department. If I could be excused, a vote has been called in the Seanad. I express my apologies and thank the witnesses for their presentations.

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Dec 2016)

Colm Burke: Yesterday I raised the cost of nursing homes and my colleagues raised it this morning. I raised it because, at the moment, the cost of public nursing homes is €1,700 per bed per week. The private nursing home sector gets €850 per week, a difference of €850. The private nursing homes have no problem increasing wages and salaries if they get the remuneration to pay for it.

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Dec 2016)

Colm Burke: In the past five years, there has been an increase of 13% in the cost of public nursing homes, despite the fact that it costs €1,700 per week per bed at the moment. The argument is that they look after people with dementia but so does the private sector. The private sector has had a 1.75% increase in those five years. If one takes the logic of my colleague's point this morning, the...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Dec 2016)

Colm Burke: He might also deal with the cost of building a public nursing home. The cost of building a public nursing home in Donegal is €22.75 billion for a 130-bed unit, at €175,000 per bed. If a person in the private sector borrowed money at 5% the cost of each bed in interest payments would be over €8,000 per annum.

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Dec 2016)

Colm Burke: The public sector does not have to carry that cost but the private sector does. Let us have the debate.

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Dec 2016)

Colm Burke: The private sector has responded very responsibly and has delivered very well for a large number of families in this country. That needs to be acknowledged.

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Dec 2016)

Colm Burke: The documentary broadcast last night, "The Crossing", did a very good job on showing how the Naval Service and the Defence Forces work to save lives, as well as their dedication and commitment to their job. They work very much as a team to ensure the maximum number of people can be saved in their rescue missions in the Mediterranean. I also compliment the producers of the programme. It is...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Dec 2016)

Colm Burke: Does Senator Ó Clochartaigh believe in jobs? There are 200,000 more people at work-----

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (8 Dec 2016)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank her for bringing forward this legislation. I agree with my colleague. We are concerned when any levy is increased. That is the challenge we face over the next 15 or 20 years. If one looks at the growth of the population over 66, it will continue to increase. Pensions alone will cost an extra €200 million per annum because of...

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (8 Dec 2016)

Colm Burke: Next Tuesday.