Results 2,461-2,480 of 11,255 for speaker:Colm Burke

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Flood Relief Schemes Status (24 Jan 2018)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State and appreciate the comprehensive reply he has given. He outlined the historical background and the work which has been done and which needs to be done. My only issue is that the residents want action. The more the Minister of State can do to bring forward the tendering process and the commencement of the works the better, and it would be very much appreciated....

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Jan 2018)

Colm Burke: When my colleague raised the issue of driverless cars I was wondering whether the cars will be geared to avoid the potholes.

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Jan 2018)

Colm Burke: It will be an interesting challenge. I want to raise an issue which the Leader touched on yesterday, namely, apprenticeships and the demand there will be in the building industry over the coming months. I have met with members of the construction industry over recent weeks and they are very concerned about the shortage of trained people in a whole range of areas, from electricians to...

Seanad: Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture: Statements (24 Jan 2018)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister to the House.

Seanad: Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture: Statements (24 Jan 2018)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister to the House and wish her well in her new portfolio. These are challenging times in the area of arts and culture. I am speaking on this matter because I was chairperson in 2003 and 2004 of the board that made the bid for Cork to be the European city of culture in 2005. It is important to learn from that experience and I would urge the Minister to speak to some of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Implications for Health Sector of United Kingdom's Withdrawal from the EU (Resumed): Department of Health (24 Jan 2018)

Colm Burke: I thank Mr. O'Connor for his comprehensive presentation. On the cross-border health care directive, the figures show that something like 86% of those reimbursed were treated in the UK. The UK health system is facing a lot of challenges at the moment. There has been a huge reduction in the number of nurses coming into the system since the vote on Brexit. Is it possible that, should the UK...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Implications for Health Sector of United Kingdom's Withdrawal from the EU (Resumed): Department of Health (24 Jan 2018)

Colm Burke: Has there been any engagement with the various royal institutes? They are very much based in the UK, and I just wonder whether-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Implications for Health Sector of United Kingdom's Withdrawal from the EU (Resumed): Department of Health (24 Jan 2018)

Colm Burke: I refer to cross-border health care and the issue of direct connections with, for example, the Swedish, German, Dutch or Belgian health authorities. Are we progressing this, in particular in respect of Sweden and Germany? There is much more sub-specialisation there in what we could only dream about here. Have we made that connection and are we continuing to grow it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Implications for Health Sector of United Kingdom's Withdrawal from the EU (Resumed): Department of Health (24 Jan 2018)

Colm Burke: As no one else wishes to raise an issue, I will take it that we are concluding. I thank the staff from the Department of Health for a comprehensive review of this important issue. Every committee member appreciates their work in this regard. It is work that is not seen because it is happening behind the scenes, yet it is of fundamental importance to our country. We face major challenges...

Seanad: British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly (Committee D) Report on Childhood Obesity: Statements (25 Jan 2018)

Colm Burke: I will be brief because a lot of the issues that I wanted to deal with have been referred to already. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, to the House. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Catherine Byrne, for being here earlier and I also thank my party colleague, Senator Catherine Noone, the other members of the committee and the those who are involved in the British-Irish...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Jan 2018)

Colm Burke: I want to raise an issue that has come into the public domain in the past few days. I refer to the Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA, being invited to carry out an investigation into an incident that took place in one of the maternity hospitals, which has now ended up in the courts. I want to raise concerns about the way we have dealt with some of the issues that relate to...

Seanad: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Second Stage (Resumed) (30 Jan 2018)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Tánaiste and I thank him for his contribution. I thank Senator Black for bringing forward this Bill. I agree with my colleague, Senator Boyhan, about the importance of engaging in debate. The introduction of this legislation has led to discussion on this issue in Ireland and throughout the international community. My Sinn Féin colleague mentioned the boycott of...

Seanad: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Second Stage (Resumed) (30 Jan 2018)

Colm Burke: Yes. That is right.

Seanad: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Second Stage (Resumed) (30 Jan 2018)

Colm Burke: That is the point I am making. No legislation was put in place to organise that boycott. We can organise a boycott in this country without legislation. While I welcome the Bill, I have concerns about it. I suppose I am looking at it purely from a legal point of view. In particular, I note that section 4 of the Bill, which relates to regulation, provides that "the Minister may make...

Seanad: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Second Stage (Resumed) (30 Jan 2018)

Colm Burke: I accept the point the Senator is making, but I am talking about this aspect of the matter from an EU point of view.

Seanad: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Second Stage (Resumed) (30 Jan 2018)

Colm Burke: Section 7, which relates to the sale of settlement goods, provides that it "shall be an offence for a person to sell or attempt to sell settlement goods". The burden of proof will be on the State. It will be difficult for the State to prove that the goods were produced in a location where settlement had occurred. That will be one of the problems with this legislation. I agree with the...

Seanad: Emergency Department Waiting Times: Statements (31 Jan 2018)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister. I appreciate the work he is doing in the health care sector. It is a huge challenge given the large number of hospitals providing services. It is interesting to look at the figures. A total of 1.3 million people attend accident and emergency departments, which is 25,000 per week or 3,571 per day. Over 6,346 people per week are admitted to Irish hospitals through...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Section 39 Organisations: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Colm Burke: I thank all the organisations which are working in this area. There is a huge commitment by staff. In many cases it is quite a demanding job, and it is important that we recognise that. Many of the issues I want to raise have already been raised. My question concerns the operations of the HSE. Last year it took me six months to establish that the HSE had taken on an additional 2,000...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Section 39 Organisations: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Colm Burke: Is the figure 2,000?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Section 39 Organisations: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Colm Burke: Can I come back on this as I think it is important? There was a sudden increase of 2,000 people who were not front-line staff, whether or not they were agency staff. I have raised with the Minister and the Department the lack of accountability in this regard. It is a pity that the same pro rataincrease was not provided in section 39 staff when it could have been. Probably some 300 or 400...