Results 3,361-3,380 of 11,255 for speaker:Colm Burke

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Hospitality Sector (30 Jun 2020)

Colm Burke: The restaurants located on the street on which my business is located have been seriously affected. Do the witnesses have any idea of the number of restaurants that will not reopen? Is there feedback to indicate the percentage of restaurants that will not do so?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Hospitality Sector (30 Jun 2020)

Colm Burke: And insurance companies.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Arts and Entertainment Sector (30 Jun 2020)

Colm Burke: I thank all of the organisations for their presentations. This is a very challenging time especially for all of the artists and those involved in the events industry. I presume quite a small proportion of the 54,000 artists benefited from the Covid payment of €350 per week. How many artists benefited? Was it less than 25%? Was it a smaller percentage?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Arts and Entertainment Sector (30 Jun 2020)

Colm Burke: Ms Dorgan referred to a broader mechanism. What kind of changes does she consider necessary in order to bring more people in under the system?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Arts and Entertainment Sector (30 Jun 2020)

Colm Burke: On Covid unemployment payments, my understanding is that if someone was not working during the particular week at the end of February or had not been working for four weeks in the period from 1 January to the end of February, an average over nine weeks was taken into account. That too probably would have left those people unqualified for the payment. Am I correct in that regard?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Arts and Entertainment Sector (30 Jun 2020)

Colm Burke: The charity sector has been very hard hit. Many people who normally contribute to fundraising are not now doing so. Ms Howard referred to reform of our tax regime to incentivise and encourage charitable giving and keep arts organisations in business. What kind of reform is she seeking in that regard?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Arts and Entertainment Sector (30 Jun 2020)

Colm Burke: I ask that that documentation be made available to the committee.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Arts and Entertainment Sector (30 Jun 2020)

Colm Burke: There are many international companies in this country, as well as many very big Irish companies. Should we be doing more to try to encourage them to sponsor artists? That practice is not as common in Ireland as it is in certain other jurisdictions. Is it all tied in to tax? Is a change to the tax code needed to bring about change in that area?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Arts and Entertainment Sector (30 Jun 2020)

Colm Burke: I would tell large companies that it should not all be based on tax considerations. If a company sponsors a person or group involved in the arts community, that is of significant benefit to the local community and, as such, is also of benefit to the employees of the company. That approach should also be taken when seeking corporate sponsorship.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Arts and Entertainment Sector (30 Jun 2020)

Colm Burke: I think Ms Howard would agree that Ireland is a bit behind certain other jurisdictions in the context of corporate sponsorship.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Tourism, Arts and Entertainment Sector (2 Jul 2020)

Colm Burke: Yes. I thank the witnesses for their presentations. I also thank them for all of the work that they have done over the past four months in a very challenging time for everyone. In the presentation this morning, Ms Licken referred to Cruinniú na nÓg, which is the free initiative for young people. What was done in that programme aimed at young people? I ask because many young...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (2 Jul 2020)

Colm Burke: I thank all the witnesses for the work they have done with the Department, schools and students over the last number of months, which has been a very difficult time. I wish to raise an issue the witnesses have touched on already, which is remote learning. Do the witnesses feel there will have to be some element of remote learning and that not all schools will be able to return fully? I...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (2 Jul 2020)

Colm Burke: Regarding the actual connections to broadband in the schools themselves, do we still have a problem with some schools and do we know the scale of that problem? Teachers worked from their own homes because the vast majority of them had access. In some cases it was very difficult but they still put in the work and effort to ensure that they were able to communicate with their students....

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (2 Jul 2020)

Colm Burke: Do we know the scale of either secondary schools or primary schools where that is a problem?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (2 Jul 2020)

Colm Burke: Okay, but I presume the witnesses are pressing the Department that any problem areas are resolved between now and 1 September.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (2 Jul 2020)

Colm Burke: I accept that. I want to return briefly to the issue of adequate space in schools. At the moment we have 2 m distancing and some schools will have a huge problem with that. When schools go back on 1 September perhaps that will have been reduced downward. On the issue of not all students coming to school at one time, for instance, where people are coming in the morning and then a different...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (2 Jul 2020)

Colm Burke: Is there engagement with schools on this issue already?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (2 Jul 2020)

Colm Burke: I thank the witness.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (2 Jul 2020)

Colm Burke: No, I am fine.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (2 Jul 2020)

Colm Burke: I thank the speakers and the organisations represented here for the work they have done over recent months in very difficult times. It has been hugely challenging for teachers. They have worked very hard, many of them from home, to keep in contact with their students and continue to provide assistance and guidance to them. I welcome in particular Mary Magner, who is a principal in Blarney...