Results 1,961-1,980 of 11,255 for speaker:Colm Burke

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (17 Oct 2023)

Colm Burke: 602. To ask the Minister for Health to confirm if any further progress has been made to date by his Department regarding the inclusion of certified athletic therapists in the CORU regulation process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45205/23]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (17 Oct 2023)

Colm Burke: 603. To ask the Minister for Health if consideration would be given to the inclusion certified athletic therapists in the CORU regulation process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45206/23]

Financial Resolutions 2023 - Financial Resolution No. 4: General (Resumed) (12 Oct 2023)

Colm Burke: I welcome the budget, especially the funding of more than €22.5 billion to be provided in health. An important area in healthcare is the delivery of infrastructure and there is a need to fast-track that area. It is interesting to see that the population has increased by 1.5 million people in the past 23 years. We have gone from 3.8 million people to 5.2 million. That is a 40%...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (12 Oct 2023)

Colm Burke: The second-biggest city in Northern Ireland, Derry, has fewer than 6,000 third level students, whereas 35,000 to 40,000 students have descended on our second-biggest city, Cork, and are attending Munster Technological University or University College Cork. What commitment can we give to try to assist in the development of a major third level institution in the second-biggest city in Northern...

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation and Expenditure of Public Moneys by RTÉ (Resumed): Discussion (12 Oct 2023)

Colm Burke: I thank Mr. Bakhurst, Ms Licken and their staff for coming in this morning. I know the witnesses have gone over the issue of legal privilege repeatedly, but my understanding is that it is normally claimed where there is a risk of creating further claims against the particular authority or board. Is it true there is no risk from releasing these documents? Why is RTÉ being so protective...

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation and Expenditure of Public Moneys by RTÉ (Resumed): Discussion (12 Oct 2023)

Colm Burke: My question is clear. There is no risk of additional legal proceedings occurring as a result of agreeing to release the document; is that correct?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation and Expenditure of Public Moneys by RTÉ (Resumed): Discussion (12 Oct 2023)

Colm Burke: Ms Mullooly is saying that if this document were to be released, it could create a platform for further legal proceedings to be issued.

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation and Expenditure of Public Moneys by RTÉ (Resumed): Discussion (12 Oct 2023)

Colm Burke: How is there a risk if there is no likelihood of any claim being made as a result of the document being released?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation and Expenditure of Public Moneys by RTÉ (Resumed): Discussion (12 Oct 2023)

Colm Burke: The other part of the scenario is that RTÉ is trying to regain the confidence of the general public. If the general public - the people who pay the licence fee - believe that not all the cards are on the table, is that not putting RTÉ more at risk than anything else?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation and Expenditure of Public Moneys by RTÉ (Resumed): Discussion (12 Oct 2023)

Colm Burke: The general public have stopped paying licence fees-----

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation and Expenditure of Public Moneys by RTÉ (Resumed): Discussion (12 Oct 2023)

Colm Burke: -----because they do not have confidence as not all the documents are being released.

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation and Expenditure of Public Moneys by RTÉ (Resumed): Discussion (12 Oct 2023)

Colm Burke: The issue here does not relate to any investigation RTÉ is doing. This relates to the functioning of the board as regards the management. The risk here to RTÉ is far greater. The general public have a lack of confidence in it and that confidence can only be restored where there is full disclosure. It is, therefore, to the benefit of RTÉ to make that disclosure. That is the...

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation and Expenditure of Public Moneys by RTÉ (Resumed): Discussion (12 Oct 2023)

Colm Burke: I will move on to the issue of the barter account and the audit committee. There are a number of aspects to the barter account. There was the issue where advertising was provided as a result of people going through the account. Surely the management team within RTÉ was aware of the use of the barter account and that once a person was contracted through the account, RTÉ could not...

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation and Expenditure of Public Moneys by RTÉ (Resumed): Discussion (12 Oct 2023)

Colm Burke: That is not the question I am asking. I am asking whether the legal department was aware of the existence of the barter account.

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation and Expenditure of Public Moneys by RTÉ (Resumed): Discussion (12 Oct 2023)

Colm Burke: Senior management were aware of it. There was also advertising made available through the barter account at knockdown prices. Surely more than a handful of people knew about it. Far more people knew about this barter account. Surely someone must have gone to the legal department at some stage and said: "We are doing this with a company. What is your advice?"

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation and Expenditure of Public Moneys by RTÉ (Resumed): Discussion (12 Oct 2023)

Colm Burke: Ms Mullooly is saying there was a whole lot of transactions going on within RTÉ but nobody sought legal advice regarding the fairly substantial amounts involved.

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation and Expenditure of Public Moneys by RTÉ (Resumed): Discussion (12 Oct 2023)

Colm Burke: Can I move on----

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation and Expenditure of Public Moneys by RTÉ (Resumed): Discussion (12 Oct 2023)

Colm Burke: I accept that but what I am saying is that quite a number of people knew of its existence; what I am surprised at is that no one within the legal department was aware that if something went through this, it could not be claimed back. Can I just move on----

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation and Expenditure of Public Moneys by RTÉ (Resumed): Discussion (12 Oct 2023)

Colm Burke: Yes, but RTÉ has no right now to claim back any of that money that was paid out through that barter account. It is outside the jurisdiction.

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation and Expenditure of Public Moneys by RTÉ (Resumed): Discussion (12 Oct 2023)

Colm Burke: It is outside the jurisdiction. Even though all the parties were within the jurisdiction involved in the payment, the payment was made by a company outside the jurisdiction.