Results 10,121-10,140 of 11,348 for speaker:Colm Burke

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Medicinal Products Availability (19 Jun 2014)

Colm Burke: Is a prescription required in both cases?

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Medicinal Products Availability (19 Jun 2014)

Colm Burke: Is a person entitled to get the product over the counter if they have a medical card?

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Medicinal Products Availability (19 Jun 2014)

Colm Burke: Is it not covered by the medical card?

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Medicinal Products Availability (19 Jun 2014)

Colm Burke: But they must have a prescription.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Medicinal Products Availability (19 Jun 2014)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Medicinal Products Availability (19 Jun 2014)

Colm Burke: I am raising this issue because the figures relating to it were brought to my attention yesterday by the Union of Students in Ireland. As Fine Gael's spokesperson on health in the Seanad, I thought it would be appropriate to seek a response in respect of it from the relevant Department. The Union of Students in Ireland argues that the cost of the relevant medication can vary quite...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Ms Catherine McGuinness (19 Jun 2014)

Colm Burke: As a fellow legal practitioner, I welcome Ms McGuinness. My question returns to what Senator Leyden said about the abolition of the status of illegitimacy. I started that campaign in 1980 as head of a youth organisation. We held public meetings and collected signatures, and although we envisaged that it would take us ten years to change the law, it took seven years.

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Ms Catherine McGuinness (19 Jun 2014)

Colm Burke: As someone who organised public meetings around the country and collected more than 50,000 signatures on the street, I am well aware of it.

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Ms Catherine McGuinness (19 Jun 2014)

Colm Burke: My question is about how slow we are to respond to the need for legislative change. As somebody who has been in the Houses of the Oireachtas and on the Bench, what would Ms McGuinness change to make the Oireachtas and the structures in place respond faster to the need for change? It was stated that it would take ten years to change a law in this particular area but it took seven. There are...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Legal Costs (18 Jun 2014)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister for his response. I have got the figures on the stamp duty collected for 2012. In order to take up one's certificate of taxation, one must pay stamp duty. The total stamp duty paid in 2012 for 367 certificates was €805,000. As I said earlier, the number of certificates issued in 2011 reduced from 796, therefore, all we needed to do to pay for a third Taxing...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Legal Costs (18 Jun 2014)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister. This is my second time in 18 months to raise this matter on the Adjournment. I stand over what I said previously and nothing has occurred since. This is about the appointment of a third Taxing Master. The current position is that if someone wins their High Court action their solicitor will want to get the costs taxed. If an agreement has been reached the matter...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jun 2014)

Colm Burke: I concur with Senator Ó Murchú on the need to have the remains of Thomas Ceannt moved to a more fitting location. It is a matter that should be attended to within a short timeframe. On the cost of professional indemnity insurance for medical practitioners, the announcement in the past few days that in some cases the cost of this insurance has increased by 60% underlines the call I...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Drugs Payment Scheme Coverage (17 Jun 2014)

Colm Burke: This Adjournment matter concerns the drug Fampyra which is used by multiple sclerosis patients. It has been brought to my attention by a patient using the drug on a trial basis with positive effects that it is not covered by the GMS or drugs payment scheme. The patient's consultant, Dr. Brian Sweeney in Cork, has recommended that she continue using the drug, but it is costing her...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Drugs Payment Scheme Coverage (17 Jun 2014)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister for his comprehensive reply. I fully understand the position of the HSE and the Department on this issue and accept that pricing is important in the context of drugs being accepted for inclusion in the community drug schemes. In this case the drug has already received approval in a number of other European countries and evidence to support its effectiveness is...

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

Colm Burke: At 2.15 p.m. on Thursday.

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

Colm Burke: The introduction of this Bill is welcome and long overdue. The Minister has already outlined the difficulties faced in this country and, along with my colleague, Senator Daly, pointed out that tobacco kills some 5,200 Irish citizens and 700,000 European citizens every year. It is amazing that these figures neither deter people from starting smoking nor encourage them to stop. The death of...

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

Colm Burke: I move: "That Second Stage be taken today."

Seanad: Public Health (Sunbeds) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (17 Jun 2014)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister for Health for bringing forward this Bill. I thank the departmental officials and all who were involved in pushing forward this legislation. I join the Minister in thanking the Irish Cancer Society and all the organisations involved in promoting the need to be careful about our health. What has happened in the past 25 years is that conditions are being diagnosed much...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Jun 2014)

Colm Burke: I welcome the decision to reverse the decision on the removal of discretionary medical cards. It is important to understand that since January 2011 the number of people with medical cards has increased from 1.733 million to over 1.95 million. In fact, once the discretionary cards are restored we will probably exceed 2 million medical cards, which means that more than 43% of the population...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Jun 2014)

Colm Burke: Then the Senator came into this debate and started alleging-----