Results 11,281-11,300 of 11,348 for speaker:Colm Burke

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2011)

Colm Burke: On a more positive note, I compliment RTE on producing a programme called "Secret Millionaire". It is not about people involved in the property market, but about a man from Galway who came to the inner city in Cork and looked at voluntary organisations.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2011)

Colm Burke: My question is about highlighting the role of voluntary organisations and the work they do. I was delighted to see one of the people I had given an award to when I was Lord Mayor of Cork, Bob Seward, was the recipient of €30,000 from the millionaire last night. The programme showed how people can make a contribution. It also highlighted the importance of continuing to give such support...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Sep 2011)

Colm Burke: I recognise that people are growing bored at the issue of our health services but I raise it none the less because it is important. It is embarrassing for the country that the Pakistani Embassy had to contact the HSE to find out how we intend to deal with junior doctors whom we invited to take up jobs in our health service and who are twiddling their thumbs in guesthouses. The Department of...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Sep 2011)

Colm Burke: Allow me to make my point. When I was interviewed on radio last week, the HSE issued a statement asserting I did not know what I was talking about and denying that junior doctors in a particular part of the country were waiting to sit exams. This morning I intend to issue an invitation to the press office in the HSE to meet these junior doctors and see that they are living in guesthouses in...

Seanad: Company Closures: Motion (Resumed) (28 Sep 2011)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I also welcome the debate on this motion. When job losses such as those in Waterford are suffered in any area, it hits the area hard. With the loss of these jobs following the major job losses at Waterford Crystal the blow is that much harder and it is more difficult for people in the area to cope with the loss. It is important that we...

Seanad: Company Closures: Motion (Resumed) (28 Sep 2011)

Colm Burke: If it was released at 4 p.m., I just missed it. However, it is important for the area that we secure that type of upgrade in our access to international connectivity to bring it up to tier 1 and to make it more cost effective for companies located in Cork, Waterford, Limerick and Galway. There would be a huge benefit not just for the Cork region but for the entire west coast. I presume it...

Seanad: Address by President of the Irish Human Rights Commission (28 Sep 2011)

Colm Burke: I welcome Dr. Manning and thank him for his contribution. Moreover, I welcome all the organisations represented today. They have made a very valuable contribution during the years and long may this continue. In my previous role in the European Parliament I had the privilege of serving on the Foreign Affairs Committee, as well as its Subcommittee on Human Rights for two years. It was a...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Sep 2011)

Colm Burke: I wish to raise an issue first raised by my colleague from the Cork North-Central constituency, Deputy Dara Murphy, which concerns the Hibernian Express cable that is being laid between the UK and the US. There is an opportunity for a connection to be made into Cork which could service not only that county but Kerry, Limerick, Galway and all of the west coast. It is a great opportunity to...

Seanad: Road Traffic (No. 2) Bill 2011: Second Stage (27 Sep 2011)

Colm Burke: I will be brief as all the issues I had hoped to raise were raised by the Acting Chairman, Senator Catherine Noone, and my colleagues, Senators Pat O'Neill and Imelda Henry. I am concerned about a technical aspect of the Bill, that is, the taking of a blood sample in the hospital. I understand that if a sample is taken in a Garda station, a sample is also given to the accused party. The...

Seanad: Twenty-Ninth Amendment of the Constitution (Judges' Remuneration) Bill 2011: Second Stage (21 Sep 2011)

Colm Burke: I again welcome the Minister to the House. I also welcome this legislation. Previous speakers have already covered many of the issues I wanted to raise. Earlier today, I referred to the independence of the Judiciary. In my experience over the years, I have found that at all times judges have ensured a clear line is drawn as regards their independence and how they arrive at their...

Seanad: Reporting of Lobbying in Criminal Legal Cases Bill 2011: Second Stage (21 Sep 2011)

Colm Burke: I welcome Senator Crown's initiative in drafting this Bill. It was not drafted overnight and much effort was put into it. I thank him for doing that. I pay tribute to any Member of the House who makes the effort to bring forward a draft Bill. Unfortunately, however, I cannot agree with the proposal for a number of reasons. One reason is that section 6 of the Prosecution of Offences Act...

Seanad: Order of Business. (21 Sep 2011)

Colm Burke: I wish to raise an issue with regard to health. I remind Senators that we inherited a dysfunctional health service from the previous Government.

Seanad: Order of Business. (21 Sep 2011)

Colm Burke: We should not forget-----

Seanad: Order of Business. (21 Sep 2011)

Colm Burke: I will give an example-----

Seanad: Order of Business. (21 Sep 2011)

Colm Burke: I do indeed. I will give an example of the lack of organisation in the service. The centralised recruitment system was established by the HSE as far back as last December. It took until 29 June before agreement was reached with the Irish Medical Council on how the recruitment of new doctors would be managed.

Seanad: Order of Business. (21 Sep 2011)

Colm Burke: We have a medical council which sets the standards.

Seanad: Order of Business. (21 Sep 2011)

Colm Burke: The issue I want to raise is the fact that the junior doctors who came here in August gave a month's notice from the jobs they had held. They are professionals who resigned. As of today's date, they have not been given a date to sit the exams to enable them to practise here. Some of them have been here for more than ten weeks and they cannot sit the exams. They have been told they may not...

Seanad: Order of Business. (21 Sep 2011)

Colm Burke: This a Medical Council issue. I want the Minister, the Medical Council and the HSE to deal with it immediately. It should not be left until October for those people to sit the exams. They are professional people who gave up good jobs. They came to this country to get us out of a bind in terms of a shortage of junior doctors that we inherited from the previous Government.

Seanad: Order of Business. (21 Sep 2011)

Colm Burke: The Minister must deal with the issue with the Medical Council and the HSE.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Sep 2011)

Colm Burke: The Government has established the JobBridge programme, which is a welcome development. Recently, I was contacted by someone who is running a community hospital. They are prepared to provide training to people who want to work as carers in the community. They have set up a training scheme within the community hospital, which is not taking jobs away from anyone. They have more than...