Results 321-340 of 10,663 for speaker:Colm Burke

Seanad: Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution (Children) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (3 Oct 2012)

Colm Burke: I am not in agreement with the proposed amendment.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2012)

Colm Burke: It is interesting when Members criticise management of the health service. If one looks at where we have come from, we allowed the drugs bill to increase from ¤576 million to ¤1.9 billion a year without any check being made and a health system to develop in which fewer than 10% of the people in charge of managing finance within the HSE had a financial management qualification. That...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2012)

Colm Burke: In the last 18 months the health budget has been reduced by ¤1.75 billion because we have to respond to what the taxpayer can afford to pay. In Galway we have reduced the waiting list from 9,000 people waiting longer than 12 months to 900. These are the facts.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2012)

Colm Burke: The number of people with medical cards has increased from 1,146,000 to 1,800,000. That is what we are dealing with in the health service. That is the reality.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2012)

Colm Burke: I would have no difficulty in having a debate to express confidence in the Minister because he is dealing with the real issues. He has set up the special delivery unit which is dealing with issues in hospitals to make them more efficient and get better value for taxpayers. Let us have a debate about the facts.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2012)

Colm Burke: We will do what Members opposite did not do for ten years.

Seanad: Common Agricultural Policy: Motion (4 Oct 2012)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister for giving us a comprehensive overview of the CAP reforms. Having worked in Europe for two years, I am very much aware of how the system works in reaching compromise and achieving progress together. Recent briefings from Teagasc and Macra na Feirme touched on the fragmentation of farms. If one goes back over 100 years when the Land Commission was established, there was...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Childhood Obesity: Discussion (Resumed) (4 Oct 2012)

Colm Burke: Recently a medical consultant told me about a parent who had presented with a child who was overweight. They examined the lifestyle of the family and discovered that the child who was aged 16 years and very overweight did not get up until 2 p.m. When the doctor advised what the family needed to do, they simply did not want to hear it. There seems to be a problem where some parents insist...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Oct 2012)

Colm Burke: I wish to raise the issue of private schools. I do not agree with my colleague. I believe any decision to pay less to one area of education over another would give rise to constitutional issues.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Oct 2012)

Colm Burke: It is an issue that needs to be carefully debated. All children are entitled to equal access in terms of funding of education. We need to be careful on that issue. Another issue of concern is that of illegal drugs and the problems we face in this regard, in particular in the Cork area. I understand - I am open to correction on this - that as many as nine people have died over the past few...

Seanad: Radical Seanad Reform Through Legislative Change: Statements (Resumed) (9 Oct 2012)

Colm Burke: I congratulate the people who drafted the document, who came forward with some very positive proposals. I have already made my views known on the issue and the need for us in the Seanad to be proactive in monitoring what is coming through from Europe. I previously proposed that two days a month should be set aside to deal with European regulations and directives. It is great that we have...

Seanad: Business of Seanad (9 Oct 2012)

Colm Burke: As Senator Zappone's group brought forward this debate, I propose an amendment to give them the right to reply and to allow them five minutes in which to do so.

Seanad: Radical Seanad Reform Through Legislative Change: Statements (Resumed) (9 Oct 2012)

Colm Burke: I have no objection.

Seanad: Radical Seanad Reform Through Legislative Change: Statements (Resumed) (9 Oct 2012)

Colm Burke: Ar 10.30 maidin amarách.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Health Service Staff (9 Oct 2012)

Colm Burke: I understand the Minister is also taking the matter I have raised, which relates to the recruitment of junior doctors. According to figures for 2011, there are 4,751 junior doctors employed in the Irish health system. Of these, 1,703 are senior house officers, 546 are interns, 1,568 are registrars and 934 are senior registrar specialists. We do not have a problem with senior registrar...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Health Service Staff (9 Oct 2012)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister for that response. I welcome the change he outlined but I am not convinced that all of the posts will have two or three year contracts, and we should move towards that. Certainty and security are important. Administration could be cut by more than 50% if we had two year contracts. That is how we should be moving. I will continue to raise the matter with the Minister...

Seanad: Business of Seanad (10 Oct 2012)

Colm Burke: I propose an amendment to the Order of Business, "That we adjourn Committee Stage of the Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012 at 4.30 p.m. as opposed to 5 p.m. as the Minister for Health is also taking Private Members' business."

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (10 Oct 2012)

Colm Burke: Unfortunately, I do not agree with the amendment. The discretion has to be left with the Minister in this matter because we are talking about a major change in abolishing the HSE and setting up the new structure. The discretion has to be left with the Minister in regard to putting it in place. I refer to the negativity about the health care sector. It is interesting to look at the key...

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (10 Oct 2012)

Colm Burke: I agree that this matter should be looked at again. Senator Power has put forward a strong case on the issue. This relates to an issue previously highlighted by me, namely, financial management of the HSE. When we looked at this area we found that many people involved in financial management of the HSE did not have the financial management qualifications required. I am not suggesting that...

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (10 Oct 2012)

Colm Burke: This is only Wednesday.