Results 3,261-3,280 of 11,255 for speaker:Colm Burke

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Colm Burke: I can give Mr. McCoy 25 cases where they are refusing to pay out loans because one of the parties is being paid full time by their company but the company is availing of the Covid support. The jobs are permanent jobs, there is no risk to the jobs, yet in 25 cases I know of the banks are not paying out the loans. Is that helping business?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Colm Burke: Okay. What engagements has ISME had with the banks, especially with small companies? Has Mr. McDonnell found that there is engagement at a local level, or that all the decisions are now made further up the line?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Colm Burke: Between small businesses and the banks.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Colm Burke: On Mr. McDonnell's concerns about the banks, is there going to be a joint approach between say IBEC, ISME, and the Goverment in dealing with the issues that are arising with them that small businesses are finding difficult?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Colm Burke: Does Mr. McDonnell feel that the banks could approach it in a better way than they are doing at the moment?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Colm Burke: On the latter issue, my understanding is that anyone who had a Safe Pass which expired after 1 March has had it extended, but anyone whose Safe Pass expired before 1 March cannot go back into employment. Can Dr. Quinn give me some clarification on that?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Colm Burke: There is a period of time between 1 January and 1 March. Could we not extend it back to 1 January so that anyone who had a valid Safe Pass after 1 January would also get the extension in the same way as the people whose Safe Pass expired after 1 March? I do not understand why the time was put in so strictly. I know of one person whose Safe Pass expired on 18 February. That person cannot...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Colm Burke: I have already raised a query but I have not got a satisfactory answer. There are quite a number of people in that category where their Safe Pass was valid after 1 January but not after 1 March. They are now in a position where they cannot go to work. I presume that because of the level of inspections and everything else, employers will not allow anyone on site unless they have a Safe...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Colm Burke: The second issue I want to touch on relates to young people. We have a large number of young people who are now unemployed. We face a huge challenge over the next 12 months because many people, especially people who finished whatever training they were doing, would normally travel for 12 months or 18 months and then come back to Ireland to work or maybe they would stay away for two or three...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Colm Burke: What I am talking about is an incentive scheme for internships. I am not talking about cheap labour but of internships in order that people get the initial experience so that they can go on and develop in the jobs market. I am concerned that with 45% or 50% of young people out of employment we may lose a huge opportunity by not having something we can give to companies to attract young...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Colm Burke: Personal security clearance is required by several companies tendering for projects in Europe. It appears that this matter is being passed from one Department to another. Can something be done regarding which Department takes responsibility for this? It concerns research and development, but personal security clearance is needed. I raised the issue with the Department of Foreign Affairs...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Colm Burke: Will it be followed up?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Colm Burke: My next issue is exports. The figures for March were extremely high. For example, the figures for the pharmaceutical industry were up by about 60% year on year. Perhaps the representatives from Enterprise Ireland might deal with the issue of exports in the next six to 12 months? There is a suggestion that they will drop by 8%. Is there any specific area where it is expected that this...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Colm Burke: In the context of projects Enterprise Ireland had identified and more or less sanctioned for the next 12 months, is there any evidence of any of these being parked and development delayed? I refer to the expansion of existing companies or new companies coming into Ireland.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Colm Burke: Enterprise Ireland has no evidence that companies have decided to put projects off for two, three or four years. There has been no indication of that to date.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Colm Burke: That is fine. I thank Ms. Sinnamon.

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (11 Jun 2020)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister for the work that he has done over the past three and a half to four months, and I also thank his Department officials and all front-line workers for the volume of work and the way they have provided care in a difficult situation. I wish to ask the Minister about the protocols concerning the swabbing of patients who come into hospitals, with respect to outpatient...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (11 Jun 2020)

Colm Burke: This morning, Dr. David Nabarro of the World Health Organization advised that all patients coming into hospitals should be tested. I ask for this advice to be taken into consideration in the preparation of that final paper.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: World Health Organization: Public Health Advice (11 Jun 2020)

Colm Burke: I thank Dr. Nabarro for his presentation. I want to ask him a question about hospitals in light of his experience and of how they will operate going forward. Many of the normal procedures that are carried out in hospitals are resuming. Should every person who is admitted to hospital be tested for Covid-19 and, in particular, should every person be tested for Covid-19 within the hospital...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: World Health Organization: Public Health Advice (11 Jun 2020)

Colm Burke: Approximately 31% of those who have been infected with Covid-19 in Ireland are healthcare personnel. Where do we stand in comparison with other countries on that? Has any other country identified why the rate of infection among healthcare personnel is higher or lower? Is there something we are not doing here or are we not working hard enough with staff on that issue?