Results 381-400 of 10,793 for speaker:Colm Burke

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Health Insurance Sector: Discussion (25 Oct 2012)

Colm Burke: The issue about competition in the health care sector concerns a situation where an insurer decides to limit the number of beds it would cover. This creates a false market in that it prevents competition from arising.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Health Insurance Sector: Discussion (25 Oct 2012)

Colm Burke: They are competing with other insurers but it is a problem if we do not have enough people providing health care.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Health Insurance Sector: Discussion (25 Oct 2012)

Colm Burke: I know there is competition among insurance companies but if there is no competition among the health care providers and if the authority considers it has no role in that, insurance will continue to increase. It is an issue which needs to be dealt with. I saw this in one area where there was one dominant player which did everything possible to ensure no competition was introduced. It was...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Health Insurance Sector: Discussion (25 Oct 2012)

Colm Burke: I will return to a point I raised earlier about competition among health care providers as opposed to health care insurers. If one restricts the number of health care providers, one will automatically keep up the level of costs they can charge. I make no apologies for filing a complaint with the Competition Authority on this matter because I certainly thought the case was anti-competitive....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Health Insurance Sector: Discussion (25 Oct 2012)

Colm Burke: In fairness to the insurance companies and for clarification, in many cases there is no proper structure in the HSE. I will give a simple example. The Chairman spoke about consultants signing off. In some hospitals staff refuse to pull files for people to sign off on them. There are no proper procedures in place. This has not just happened this year and last year. It has been going on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Health Insurance Sector: Discussion (25 Oct 2012)

Colm Burke: This was the first new facility in Cork in 60 years. I do not understand the logic.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Health Insurance Sector: Discussion (25 Oct 2012)

Colm Burke: The occupancy figures we received were different.

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Nov 2012)

Colm Burke: I welcome the decision by the generic drug manufacturer Teva Pharmaceuticals to reduce the cost of drugs on the market by over 23%. By contrast, the branded producers have agreed to a reduction of only 7%. The Minister for Health has held negotiations to reduce the cost of pharmaceuticals. It is the first step but there are several others we need to take in this area to ensure we can bring...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Nov 2012)

Colm Burke: I support the call for people to come out in large numbers on Saturday to vote "Yes" in the referendum. It is responsible to make such a call. I have seen a number of e-mails and Twitter messages calling on people to vote "No" in order to settle scores with the Government on other issues. It is irresponsible of people to look for a "No" vote for reasons which are not in any way connected...

Seanad: Youth Unemployment and Public Policy: Address by Professor Christopher Pissarides (Resumed) (8 Nov 2012)

Colm Burke: I thank Professor Pissarides for taking the time to be with us today. There are two categories of young unemployed person. We have highly qualified young people who feel frustrated because there are no jobs, but there is also a set of young people who have grown up in the tradition of unemployment. I was involved in a project that helped young people who had dropped out of school. We...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion with Community and Voluntary Groups (8 Nov 2012)

Colm Burke: I thank all the organisations for coming before us and giving a very comprehensive submission. I am concerned about the way the adjustments were made to home care packages in the past few months. One of the problems arising is that because people doing home help or care are not permanent and pensionable, it is an easy element to cut. I raise the idea of getting the Department to ring-fence...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion with Community and Voluntary Groups (8 Nov 2012)

Colm Burke: I thank the Chair and apologise for missing the presentations, although I have read them and found them very comprehensive. I know we are facing into very difficult times financially, but I wish to move away slightly from that issue. The Chairman and I attended a meeting with a voluntary organisation recently to discuss the upcoming budget. Approximately 85% of the budget of the...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Nov 2012)

Colm Burke: I welcome the result of the referendum. I thank the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs for introducing it after 20 years of debate and a number of reports, including by the Oireachtas. I also pay tribute to Senator van Turnhout. She has been involved in the area for a long number of years and has made a great contribution to moving the campaign forward. I also thank every Member for...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Nov 2012)

Colm Burke: Let us remember that the High Court approved the Government's decision on the challenge made. The High Court favoured the Government in that decision but the Supreme Court made a different decision.

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Nov 2012)

Colm Burke: If the Senator does not want to hear the truth, then that is fine.

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Nov 2012)

Colm Burke: My question relates to future referenda. Under the Constitution there is a mechanism that when a Bill is passed by the Oireachtas, the President has a right to refer it to the Supreme Court to be tested. The last time that happened was for the nursing homes Bill. I want to make a similar proposal for future referenda. Before a referendum is held I want the Government to refer...

Seanad: National Children's Hospital: Statements (13 Nov 2012)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister to the House and thank him for making a decision on the matter. It is welcome. The McKinsey report dates back to 2006. At present three hospitals in Dublin provide child care. It is important that we make the necessary changes because children require specialist treatment. In 2006 the report accepted that one children's hospital would look after children from the...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (14 Nov 2012)

Colm Burke: With regard to rare diseases, I attended a briefing earlier by the medical research charities on the importance of research. We had a Private Members' debate on rare diseases and a national plan is to be put in place by the end of 2013. This is to be replicated throughout the European Union. It would be great if Ireland led by being the first to publish its national plan and to have an...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Nov 2012)

Colm Burke: I agree with Senator Ó Murchú on both issues. I ask people to be careful when speaking on the tragic issue in Galway. In regard to maternity services, the number of deliveries has increased from 54,000 to 74,000 per annum. Ireland has the lowest perinatal mortality rate and the lowest maternal mortality rate in Europe. In fairness to doctors and nurses, everyone is on tenterhooks with...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Prohibition of Smoking on Leinster House Campus: Motion (15 Nov 2012)

Colm Burke: I agree in principle with what Senator Crown has proposed but, like other speakers, I believe there must be consultation. It might not be a bad idea to set a target date - be it six months or 12 months - whatever happens in the long term, but every possible assistance must be given to those staff and Members who smoke to assist them in moving away from having to smoke every day. That would...