Results 10,901-10,920 of 11,348 for speaker:Colm Burke

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Dec 2012)

Colm Burke: I have no difficulty having a debate on any issue relating to the budget but let us be constructive in dealing with it and deal with each issue about which people have concerns. Let us look at the overall budget and what we are trying to do in respect of achieving balance and fairness.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Dec 2012)

Colm Burke: The Senator supported large investors when her party was in power.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Dec 2012)

Colm Burke: There are hard and unpopular decisions in respect of this Budget but in health alone, the number of people benefiting from medical cards has gone from over 1.2 million to over 1.8 million. Between medical cards and GP-only medical cards, the figure will be over 2 million by the end of 2013 and funding must be provided for that. It is about trying to get a balance. In fairness, people have...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Dec 2012)

Colm Burke: The Senator was talking about ¤1 million-----

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Dec 2012)

Colm Burke: I have no difficulty having a debate on any issue relating to the budget but let us be constructive in dealing with it and deal with each issue about which people have concerns. Let us look at the overall budget and what we are trying to do in respect of achieving balance and fairness. The Commission for Energy Regulation states that the number of disconnections more than doubled last year...

Seanad: Health and Social Care Professionals (Amendment) Bill 2012: Second Stage (11 Dec 2012)

Colm Burke: On Tuesday, 18 December.

Seanad: Health and Social Care Professionals (Amendment) Bill 2012: Second Stage (11 Dec 2012)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister and this Bill. It is important to have proper registration for people who are offering such services. When the review was carried out in 2000 there were only five professional groups subject to statutory registration - doctors, dentists, nurses, opticians and pharmacists. The 2005 Act expanded that to 12 other groups, including clinical biochemists, dieticians,...

Seanad: Report of the Expert Group on the Judgment in the A, B and C v. Ireland Case: Statements (6 Dec 2012)

Colm Burke: On a point of order, it is important to clarify that the Supreme Court heard expert evidence when it was deliberating on the X case.

Seanad: Report of the Expert Group on the Judgment in the A, B and C v. Ireland Case: Statements (6 Dec 2012)

Colm Burke: Incorrect information is being furnished.

Seanad: Report of the Expert Group on the Judgment in the A, B and C v. Ireland Case: Statements (6 Dec 2012)

Colm Burke: I thank the Chair for the notification. The Supreme Court decision 20 years ago set out the view that there was a need for legislation. I believe this is the way forward, but it is not legislation which allows abortion on demand. It is a question of establishing legislation to follow through on the amendment passed in 1983. The way forward is through legislation and regulation and there...

Seanad: Report of the Expert Group on the Judgment in the A, B and C v. Ireland Case: Statements (6 Dec 2012)

Colm Burke: I welcome the report published by the expert group under the chairmanship of Mr. Justice Seán Ryan. We must introduce legislation together with regulations. This is one of the options set out in the report. I wish to outline my position as clearly as possible. I might bore some listeners in quoting case law in support of my argument, but this legislation would not introduce abortion on...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2012)

Colm Burke: I thank the Cathaoirleach and apologise to the Leader. In regard to the budget there are one or two issues we need to look at in respect of the health budget. Some ¤150 million extra is being put into the health budget which is a huge amount considering that less money is available. In the health care area there is a need to look at efficiencies. For example, 65 million items of...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2012)

Colm Burke: We are putting an extra ¤150 million into the health budget.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Discussion with Fibromyalgia Sufferers of Ireland and Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Ireland (6 Dec 2012)

Colm Burke: However, six new posts were created. Can an existing paediatrician with experience in this area be assigned to take on some of this workload if there is a difficulty filling the specialised post?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Discussion with Fibromyalgia Sufferers of Ireland and Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Ireland (6 Dec 2012)

Colm Burke: There are 147 paediatric consultants in the State. Surely one of them has experience in this area. Has this been considered if there is a difficult filling the post?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Discussion with Fibromyalgia Sufferers of Ireland and Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Ireland (6 Dec 2012)

Colm Burke: We are in a difficulty.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Discussion with Fibromyalgia Sufferers of Ireland and Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Ireland (6 Dec 2012)

Colm Burke: The cross-border directive approved by the EU in 2011 will lead also lead to problems. The Government has 30 months to implement the directive. If the service is not available here, people will have the right to travel to the UK for treatment. Ideally we should try to resolve the problem now rather than letting it drag on. It has already dragged on for three years.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Discussion with Fibromyalgia Sufferers of Ireland and Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Ireland (6 Dec 2012)

Colm Burke: At a previous committee meeting, I inquired about vacancies in consultant posts. On 1 January 2011, there were 141 paediatric consultants but by 30 September 2012 there were 147, meaning six new appointments were made. How did a consultant in the area of fibromyalgia and spina bifida slip through the appointment process when it was promised back in 2009? Maybe some clarification should be...

Seanad: Statute of Limitations (Amendment) (Home Remediation-Pyrite) Bill 2012: Second Stage (5 Dec 2012)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy McGinley. His colleague, the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy O'Dowd, provided an outline of how it is proposed to deal with this matter. It is important that the resolution committee be put in place at an early date in order that it might begin to deal with the issue. I come from the...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (29 Nov 2012)

Colm Burke: I refer to the comments made earlier by Senator Leyden about the legal profession. I would remind him that it was a member of the legal profession who identified the error that was made-----