Results 2,001-2,020 of 3,623 for speaker:Ulick Burke

Seanad: Institutes of Technology Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Report Stage. (6 Jul 2006)

Ulick Burke: I move amendment No. 6: In page 20, to delete lines 26 to 30. It is difficult to understand why a particular official, director, president or so on with a view on a particular policy area would be restricted from expressing it, particularly at a committee as outlined. That opinion cannot or may not always be interpreted as a criticism of a Minister or Government, but if the person has a valid...

Seanad: Institutes of Technology Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Report Stage. (6 Jul 2006)

Ulick Burke: The Minister said directors cannot make excuses for not spending certain moneys, if it could be taken as a criticism of policy. If, however, a director had a valid opinion it may not amount to an excuse and it may, in certain contexts, be appropriate to express it. The Committee of Public Accounts has, at times, been critical of Ministers and Government policy but where a director has a valid...

Seanad: Institutes of Technology Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Report Stage. (6 Jul 2006)

Ulick Burke: I move amendment No. 7: In page 30, line 30, after "Institute" to insert ", including a time scale for implementation,". This amendment is similar to amendment No. 5 in that it recognises the importance of an implementation date for policies.

Seanad: Institutes of Technology Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Report Stage. (6 Jul 2006)

Ulick Burke: I move amendment No. 8: In page 33, to delete lines 24 to 28. These amendments are similar to amendment No. 6. I still believe that there are instances when a valid opinion should be heard.

Seanad: Institutes of Technology Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Report Stage. (6 Jul 2006)

Ulick Burke: I move amendment No. 10: In page 37, to delete lines 46 to 50. I hope this provision does not come back to haunt us in the future and that directors of institutes will not feel inhibited from expressing a view on what they feel may represent better policy going forward. If they are prevented from expressing opinions at meetings of the Committee of Public Accounts it would be regrettable.

Seanad: Institutes of Technology Bill 2006: Fifth Stage. (6 Jul 2006)

Ulick Burke: I thank the Minister and her officials for presenting the Bill to the House. It is probably the most important recent Bill concerning third level education as it gives autonomy to the institutes which they have sought for a long time. It takes responsibility from the Minister's jurisdiction and puts it under the Higher Education Authority. It also provides a level pitch for the institutes...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Sep 2006)

Ulick Burke: In its programme for Government set out in 2002, this Government of Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats gave an undertaking that no child under the age of nine would be in a class of more than 20 pupils by the end of this Government's lifetime. There are only eight or nine months left in the lifetime of the Government, and it is unfortunate that the Minister for Education and Science,...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Sep 2006)

Ulick Burke: Some 33% of the student intake this year is to class sizes of over 25. It is a scandal and something must be done. I ask the Leader to arrange an early debate so the Minister might come before the Seanad and reassess her stance on the issue.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Sep 2006)

Ulick Burke: Is there some doubt in the Senator's mind?

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Sep 2006)

Ulick Burke: I am acquainted with a woman who has waited ten months for her pension.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Sep 2006)

Ulick Burke: Has the Cathaoirleach received notice of a vow of silence taken by the Progressive Democrats?

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Oct 2006)

Ulick Burke: During the past two weeks, I have been contacted by three people whose operations at University College Hospital, Galway were cancelled on more than one occasion. Last year 3,334 people had their operations cancelled. This year, it seems that number will be matched. It is one of the worst rates of cancellations, second only to that at St. James's Hospital in Dublin. We are informed it is...

Seanad: Services for People with Disabilities (3 Oct 2006)

Ulick Burke: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Lenihan, to the House. This matter concerns the need for the Minster for Health and Children and the Health Service Executive, HSE, to provide adequate funding to the service providers, the Brothers of Charity, in Ballinasloe for the delivery of a properly resourced service to persons with disabilities, both adults and children, who are...

Seanad: Services for People with Disabilities (3 Oct 2006)

Ulick Burke: I will finish on this important point and beg the Leas-Chathaoirleach's indulgence. A lady of 74 years, who is mother of a child named Patrick with special needs wrote that while she cared for him full-time, she had been staying in Portiuncula Hospital since last June and did not know how much longer she would be there. She depends on her daughters to look after him, one of whom lives in...

Seanad: Services for People with Disabilities (3 Oct 2006)

Ulick Burke: An officer of the Health Service Executive, who attended the same group meeting as we had held earlier, stated that he was quite shocked by the shortfall in the services which he had seen. He stated that there were shortfalls at all times due to the lack of proper funding for the services in the past. He was also concerned at the manner in which moneys were distributed in the west using a...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2006)

Ulick Burke: Take note.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2006)

Ulick Burke: Are we taking the report now?

Seanad: Local Government (Business Improvement Districts) Bill 2006: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2006)

Ulick Burke: Amendments Nos. 2 and 3 in the name of Senator McCarthy are related and may be discussed together.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (11 Oct 2006)

Ulick Burke: Will Senator Leyden resume his old campaign?

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (11 Oct 2006)

Ulick Burke: Senator Leyden has lost there too.