Results 10,461-10,480 of 11,348 for speaker:Colm Burke

Seanad: County Enterprise Boards (Dissolution) Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (3 Oct 2013)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister of State and support the legislation. It is important we do not lose sight of the fact that county enterprise boards were established to help get small businesses up and running. Let us not lose sight of that goal. Smaller companies employ a large number of people. The boards arose due to an over-reliance on the IDA which focused greatly on the larger companies....

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Oct 2013)

Colm Burke: Following on from yesterday's debate and Senator O'Brien's contribution this morning, I call on the Leader to raise the following matter with the Minister for Finance. Yesterday, I raised the issue of it not being possible to apply legislation retrospectively, which is an issue in the context of the upward only rent reviews legislation which we debated last night. I would like to suggest a...

Seanad: Upward Only Rent (Clauses and Reviews) Bill 2013: Second Stage (2 Oct 2013)

Colm Burke: I thank Senator Quinn for introducing this legislation and it is important that Members debate this issue. On the reduction of rents, I note that two years ago, a colleague of mine was in the High Court in respect of a rent review on Grafton Street. My understanding had been that it concerned a lease that had expired and that the tenants were entitled to a new lease. However, on checking...

Seanad: Upward Only Rent (Clauses and Reviews) Bill 2013: Second Stage (2 Oct 2013)

Colm Burke: This just goes to show the level of reduction on Grafton Street and how the market was affected. This was two years ago and I do not suggest a similar reduction would obtain now, as the position obviously has changed again and rents are moving upwards at present. On the question of introducing legislation and making it retrospective, I have noted a number of times that back in 2004, I was...

Seanad: Upward Only Rent (Clauses and Reviews) Bill 2013: Second Stage (2 Oct 2013)

Colm Burke: It is an issue about proper planning and whether planning was granted in the absence of demand for the retail space provided.

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Oct 2013)

Colm Burke: I want to pick up on what Senator Eamonn Coghlan said about voting. I was in the top five when our voting records were rated, but that does not put me above any other Senator. I am mindful of the valuable contributions made by Senators Crown, van Turnhout, Gilroy and Henry at meetings of the Joint Committee on Health and Children. It is totally inaccurate and unfair to judge people's...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Rare Diseases Strategy Publication (1 Oct 2013)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Alex White. I seek an update on the progress made by the national steering group established in 2011 to address the issue of rare diseases. I was involved when this issue was raised at the time and it is one that has been debated in the House on a number of occasions since. I understand the report of the national steering...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Rare Diseases Strategy Publication (1 Oct 2013)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State for his detailed response. On the identification of appropriate centres of expertise, will the plan, when published, identify a list of appropriate centres of expertise or will the publication of the plan mark the beginning of such a process?

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Oct 2013)

Colm Burke: I join with my colleague, Senator MacSharry, regarding the proposed strike action by junior doctors. It is important that the Irish Medical Organisation, IMO, the Health Service Executive, HSE, and the Department of Health engage to try to do everything possible to avoid this strike going ahead. The entire health service as it exists is facing major challenges and any kind of strike action...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (26 Sep 2013)

Colm Burke: That means 50% of your members will be gone.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (26 Sep 2013)

Colm Burke: I thank the representatives for their presentations. I would point out to Mr. James Doorley that I started off in politics as a direct result of being on a national executive of a youth organisation. I remember being in Leinster House lobbying to try to retain funding for youth organisations many years ago when youth organisations were only beginning to get some degree of recognition. We...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (26 Sep 2013)

Colm Burke: I welcome all the organisations and thank them for the work being done. What is the current position of doctors, not only junior doctors but also general practitioners? I have heard of a number of cases where a GP who is not a partner in a practice is having hours cut, with days employed reducing from five to two or three. As a result these doctors are giving notice and emigrating. Has...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (26 Sep 2013)

Colm Burke: I have a question for Mr. Macey on the obesity issue. I recently spoke to somebody who had addressed a meeting of GP and practice nurses and raised the issue about the importance of GPs giving advice to families on the obesity issue especially regarding young children. The reaction from the audience was not positive. Their attitude was that if GPs raise the issue in their surgeries they...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (26 Sep 2013)

Colm Burke: I thank the witnesses for meeting us this morning and for the contributions they make on a daily basis to the members of their organisations. In regard to the comparison of home care packages with the fair deal scheme, we will face a serious problem in this country over the next 17 years as the number of people aged over 65 years increases from 500,000 to 900,000. We need to start long-term...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Exchange of Views: Discussion with Turkish Parliamentary Delegation (25 Sep 2013)

Colm Burke: I welcome the delegation. My question is about trade relations between Turkey and the European Union overall. The advantage of trade relations is that dealing in goods between countries can be developed into wider relationships between people. What is the current position as regards access to the European Union market? The EU has trade agreements with China from which we are getting a...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Sep 2013)

Colm Burke: It is important to give recognition to the three students from Kinsale, Ciara Judge, Emer Hickey and Sophie Healy-Thow, who won the BT Young Scientist competition in Ireland and went on to win the European Young Scientist Finals. It is important to give recognition to the students and to teachers for their commitment in preparing for the young scientist competition in Ireland and at European...

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Act (Commencement) Order 2013: Statements (24 Sep 2013)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister for his detailed statement on this matter. It is important that we have a proper legislative structure for this inquiry, as provided for in these provisions. I come from a legal background and was active in that profession in the period from 2000 to 2010 when so many changes took place. It is clear that the banking sector was effectively left to run wild as regards to...

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Act (Commencement) Order 2013: Statements (24 Sep 2013)

Colm Burke: So did I, but they certainly took place and, unfortunately, were allowed to continue in the absence of adequate checks and balances. I happened to be in China in 2005 meeting an Irish lawyer based in Hong Kong who talked to me about the collapse of the property market in 1997 in Hong Kong, when property prices decreased by 70%. The interesting point is that the number of legal practices in...

Seanad: EU Directive on Patients Rights in Cross-Border Health Care: Statements (24 Sep 2013)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister, Deputy Reilly. That concludes statements.

Seanad: EU Directive on Patients Rights in Cross-Border Health Care: Statements (24 Sep 2013)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister to the House and thank him for taking the time to deal with this matter and give a very comprehensive overview of the directive. I have a personal interest in the directive. I apologise to Senator MacSharry for remarking to the Minister that Ministers here get off lightly because when this was being dealt with in the European Parliament, more than 400 amendments were...