Results 3,041-3,060 of 11,255 for speaker:Colm Burke

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: School Building Projects Applications (27 Feb 2019)

Colm Burke: I, too, welcome the Minister of State and thank him for taking time out of his busy schedule to deal with this matter. It concerns a school that has over 350 pupils and 75% of the accommodation of which consists of prefabs. I was in it in the last two weeks and in quite a number of the rooms there were clear marks on the ceilings where water was coming in. The process of applying through...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: School Building Projects Applications (27 Feb 2019)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State. I appreciate the detailed reply very much and accept that the Department has worked well to try to progress the matter. It is important to acknowledge that there will be a saving with the new project in the following sense. If the school was to be built on the existing site, quite a number of prefabs would have to be moved to a new site while the building...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: School Building Projects Applications (27 Feb 2019)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Office of Public Works Properties (28 Feb 2019)

Colm Burke: I am raising the issue of vacant property owned by the OPW. This first came to my attention some months ago when I found that in the Blarney area there was a house that had previously been used by the Garda and had been vacant for over 20 years. The house had not been lived or used by anyone over that period. When I did a Land Registry search, I found that the property is in a folio...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Office of Public Works Properties (28 Feb 2019)

Colm Burke: On the property in Blarney, I am not clear where the officials got their information. My information is that the property was vacant for over 20 years. Maybe somebody was put down as occupying it but the reality is that it was vacant. The current Garda sergeant in Blarney, with whom I engaged on this matter, was not even aware that such a property existed; indeed, no garda currently...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Mar 2019)

Colm Burke: I wish to raise a planning matter. Everybody wants houses built but we must be very careful about building infrastructure to provide for families who move into any new houses. I recently had a meeting with residents in an area where six new building projects have either got planning or in the process of getting planning. This will add 400 houses to an area without any overall master plan...

Seanad: The Future of Europe and the Value of European Union Membership to Ireland: Statements (5 Mar 2019)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State for coming here this evening to deal with this extremely important debate. I thank her, as well as the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Coveney, and the Taoiseach, Deputy Varadkar, for the work they have done defending Ireland's position on Brexit in the negotiations. They have put up a really good performance in ensuring we do...

Seanad: The Future of Europe and the Value of European Union Membership to Ireland: Statements (5 Mar 2019)

Colm Burke: Tomorrow morning at 10.30 a.m.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Radio Broadcasting (6 Mar 2019)

Colm Burke: Community and local radio stations play an important role in this country by providing information, giving local news and dealing with issues as they arise in the community. They give opportunities to people to express views and while Members may not agree with them, there is freedom of expression in this country. It is important that there should be a fair and balanced approach to how...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Radio Broadcasting (6 Mar 2019)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State for a comprehensive reply. I hope this matter will be dealt with at an early date and that the issues which local and community radio stations have raised will be dealt with as soon as possible.

Seanad: European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Bill 2019: Second Stage (6 Mar 2019)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State for bringing this legislation forward. It is extremely important that we elect 13 very good people to the European Parliament. The Minister of State has outlined the numbers. The European Parliament has a very large membership. People may not be aware that MEPs have only one minute of speaking time in the Parliament. The main work of the Parliament is in its...

Seanad: European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Bill 2019: Order for Committee Stage (6 Mar 2019)

Colm Burke: Now.

Seanad: European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Bill 2019: Order for Committee Stage (6 Mar 2019)

Colm Burke: I move: "That Committee Stage be taken now".

Seanad: National Children's Hospital: Statements (7 Mar 2019)

Colm Burke: It is being built.

Seanad: National Children's Hospital: Statements (7 Mar 2019)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister. My apologies for being slightly late and for not being here when he arrived. It is important to outline what the children's hospital will contain because some are giving the impression that it will have only 473 beds. As I understand it, there will be 380 inpatient beds and 60 acute beds. This must be considered from the overall context of the young population we...

Seanad: National Children's Hospital: Statements (7 Mar 2019)

Colm Burke: What medical experts are we talking about? The medical institutions came down in favour of St. James's. Go read the reports.

Seanad: National Children's Hospital: Statements (7 Mar 2019)

Colm Burke: It is incorrect information.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Mar 2019)

Colm Burke: I welcome the confirmation from the Minister for Health today that the company that manufactures Spinraza has agreed to make further submissions to the HSE. Spinraza is a very important drug for children with spinal muscular atrophy. I understand this drug could assist the small number of people affected. I know the HSE has previously turned down the submissions made by Biogen that the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (27 Mar 2019)

Colm Burke: I raise the issue of lending, following what Senator Ó Céidigh said. I was speaking at the economics society in UCC last Monday night where a presentation was made by Mr. Seamus Coffey, who is on the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council, IFAC.He produced very detailed graphs on the levels of savings and borrowings in Ireland. It is interesting that we now have more savings than...

Seanad: Land and Conveyancing Law Reform (Amendment) Bill 2019: Second Stage (27 Mar 2019)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I also very much welcome this Bill. As someone who is involved in the political and the legal arenas, I am very familiar with the issues that can arise. One of the concerns I have on occasion is the lack of engagement by the lending institutions with the borrowers, in particular where there are a number of properties involved and where one...