Results 2,921-2,940 of 11,255 for speaker:Colm Burke

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2018: Second Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Colm Burke: On a point of order, the number of nurse managers has increased from 6,600 to 7,700.

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2018: Second Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Colm Burke: That is an increase.

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2018: Second Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Colm Burke: The number for the increase in nursing staff is 2,700.

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2018: Second Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Colm Burke: Yes, it is. The Senator should check the figures.

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2018: Second Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Colm Burke: It is not a fudge. It is an increase of 2,700 in nursing staff in four years.

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2018: Second Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Colm Burke: Next Tuesday.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Evaluating Orphan Drugs: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Nov 2018)

Colm Burke: I thank the witnesses for their presentation. Regarding orphan drugs, Ireland is at a disadvantage because of the size of the country and our population. A country with a large population like Germany is able to make progress at a faster rate. I refer to recommendation 13 in our report. We had done an agreement in the past five months and the witnesses are saying there is no evidence that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Evaluating Orphan Drugs: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Nov 2018)

Colm Burke: I wish to make a final point about the supports that should be made available to patients with rare diseases. they have no-one to turn to in many cases. Could there be a better structure for supporting people who could be provided with care but who do not know how to access it? Does more need to be done to provide information to people who are identified as having rare diseases?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Evaluating Orphan Drugs: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Nov 2018)

Colm Burke: Recommendation No. 13 in the committee's report of February 2018 was to work with other countries on the assessment process. It recommended that the HSE works with other European countries on dealing with assessments to expedite that process. Has anything been done on using the assessment process in other countries to help people arrive at a decision? Has there been co-operation with other...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Evaluating Orphan Drugs: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Nov 2018)

Colm Burke: Can we have a breakdown of the cost of pharmaceuticals on a year-on-year basis by the different areas, whether they are patent, generic or orphan drugs, and if there is variation in different parts of the country? It may not be possible.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Evaluating Orphan Drugs: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Nov 2018)

Colm Burke: Why is Mr. Flanagan saying the hospitals are on a manual system? Surely their information gathering is computerised.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Evaluating Orphan Drugs: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Nov 2018)

Colm Burke: I presume part of each hospital budget is the cost of pharmaceuticals for the year.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Evaluating Orphan Drugs: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Nov 2018)

Colm Burke: I am talking about the overall cost of pharmaceuticals for the entire country for the year, including hospitals. Surely we get a breakdown from the hospitals. They may not have a breakdown of what they are spending it on but they may have an overall cost for pharmaceuticals.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Evaluating Orphan Drugs: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Nov 2018)

Colm Burke: I accept that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Evaluating Orphan Drugs: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Nov 2018)

Colm Burke: The reason I am asking is because it is about getting information out to people. We can all work towards making a savings in one area so another area can benefit. The HSE will not be able to do that unless it can get the information. People are shocked when they hear the figure of €2 billion because it is not information that is known generally. It is important we get that...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Nov 2018)

Colm Burke: I would like to respond to the previous speaker by mentioning a big change in healthcare that has occurred in the past two years. There have been increases in the health budget and in the number of people employed in the health service. The cutbacks we had to endure for the first four years after we took office in 2011 are on longer happening. I will mention some figures. The number of...

Seanad: Commencement Matters (Resumed): Homeless Accommodation Provision (27 Nov 2018)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. Teach Mhuire in Cork is a facility purchased in 2007, at cost of €2.1 million, by the group headed by Sr. Consilio. At the time there were negotiations with Cork City Council and the HSE whereby Sr. Consilio's group would purchase the house and the annual cost of running it would be borne jointly by Cork City Council and the HSE. We are...

Seanad: Commencement Matters (Resumed): Homeless Accommodation Provision (27 Nov 2018)

Colm Burke: This is exactly the same reply as the one I have been getting for the past few years. It is not setting anything new out for me. Cuan Mhuire needs 60% of its funding to come from the HSE. It is a simple matter of the HSE committing that funding so that the facility can open on 1 January 2019. If we accept this answer, we will not get anywhere for at least three to four months. In the...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Nov 2018)

Colm Burke: As the House will be aware, there was a recent case in which the judge would not allow a trial to go to a jury because of comments in the media.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Nov 2018)

Colm Burke: I agree with the Leas-Chathaoirleach. This just shows how we all need to be careful when matters are before a court. Every person who is charged is innocent until the matter has been dealt with fully by a jury and it comes to a decision that the person is guilty.