Results 5,261-5,280 of 11,285 for speaker:Colm Burke

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Ambulance Services: Discussion (15 Dec 2021)

Colm Burke: I thank Mr. Kenny.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Ambulance Services: Discussion (15 Dec 2021)

Colm Burke: Fair point. I thank the witnesses.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Ambulance Services: Discussion (15 Dec 2021)

Colm Burke: I thank the witnesses for their presentations and the work they are doing in this area. I want to touch on an issue I raised at the previous session on co-ordination between the National Ambulance Service and hospitals. The reply I received was that while the front-line ambulance personnel and their representatives communicate with hospital management it does not appear to be a three-way...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Ambulance Services: Discussion (15 Dec 2021)

Colm Burke: That is not the question I am asking. My point is what happens after a problem with delays is identified where ambulances are held up in hospitals seems to be a two-way process between the ambulance and the hospital management. The front-line medical people do not appear to be involved in the discussion to resolve the problem.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Ambulance Services: Discussion (15 Dec 2021)

Colm Burke: That is the evidence that was given to us this morning. The person who gave us this evidence is a front-line worker in the ambulance service.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Ambulance Services: Discussion (15 Dec 2021)

Colm Burke: I apologise for interrupting but the evidence from the ambulance people this morning was that when a problem is identified, they deal with management only and there is not a three-way process. Perhaps this may be in only one part of the country; I am not sure. Is there a monthly meeting between people on the front line on the medical side, people on the front line on the ambulance side and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Ambulance Services: Discussion (15 Dec 2021)

Colm Burke: Does Dr. O'Donnell think more could be done in this area? From the evidence this morning, the indication that was given was that more could be done in this area.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Ambulance Services: Discussion (15 Dec 2021)

Colm Burke: I want to raise an issue that I also raised earlier. It is with regard to demand for the ambulance service and a report from Dublin Fire Brigade. The number of call outs in November 2020 was 8,532 and in November 2021, the number was 12,657 call outs. This is an increase of more than 4,000. Is there any reason for such a change in the same month of the year? There is such a change for the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Ambulance Services: Discussion (15 Dec 2021)

Colm Burke: I have one last question related to the availability of GPs at night. This is a problem in some areas with the number of GPs available at night, whether through SouthDoc or other out-of-hours services in other parts of the country. Could we be doing more to make sure that GPs are available at night? Should we be employing GPs specifically to do night work because the current system...

Ceisteanna Eile – Other Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (20 Jan 2022)

Colm Burke: 7. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the detail of the latest Exchequer figures which showed a record €9.9 billion in gross capital expenditure in 2021; the way the 2021 figure for spending under the national development plan will compare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2376/22]

Ceisteanna Eile – Other Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (20 Jan 2022)

Colm Burke: Can the Minister set out the detail of the latest Exchequer figures, which show a record €9.9 billion in gross capital expenditure in 2021, and the way the 2021 figure for spending on our national development plan will compare, and will he make a statement on the matter?

Ceisteanna Eile – Other Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (20 Jan 2022)

Colm Burke: I will refer back to the €580 million underspend. Is any review being carried out of the way public service contracts are processed? I refer particularly to the tendering process and the delay in the acceptance of the contract. In the last six or seven months we have had inflation in the building sector, which has caused its own problem about acceptance of tenders. Is any review...

Ceisteanna Eile – Other Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (20 Jan 2022)

Colm Burke: I wish to ask about the carryover of projects. Does the Minister believe we can get many of the projects that were delayed completed by the end of 2022? What process is being put in place to ensure we can meet the targets that have been set out?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Arts Policy (20 Jan 2022)

Colm Burke: 127. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if consideration will be given to increasing the resources of her Department for the basic income for the arts pilot scheme in the event of significant demand for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2378/22]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Arts Policy (20 Jan 2022)

Colm Burke: 152. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the way that her Department plans to award payments to all successful applicants to the proposed basic income for the arts pilot scheme; if the number of applications far exceeds the allocated funding of €25 million; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2379/22]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Code (19 Jan 2022)

Colm Burke: 319. To ask the Minister for Finance if his Department will consider increasing the threshold for relief on importation of gifts from non-EU countries from customs duty of €45 in order to support families receiving gifts outside of the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1150/22]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (19 Jan 2022)

Colm Burke: 750. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department will consider launching a campaign in schools advising of the health dangers of obesity and measures of prevention; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63614/21]

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33: Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Programme E - Broadcasting (20 Jan 2022)

Colm Burke: I apologise that I was not able to join the meeting at the start because I was making a contribution in the Dáil. I thank the director general and the other representatives of RTÉ for coming before us and dealing with our questions. I might start with the appointment of Willis Towers Watson review and the fact there are more than 164 different pay grades within RTÉ. The...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33: Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Programme E - Broadcasting (20 Jan 2022)

Colm Burke: Have the board and Ms Forbes as director general set targets? I was involved in a company a number of years ago in which it took us 11 years to make progress on an issue like this. I am bit concerned, given there are 167 different grades, as to how RTÉ can put in place a simpler process.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33: Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Programme E - Broadcasting (20 Jan 2022)

Colm Burke: I think there are 1,866 employees within RTÉ and the 2020 figure was 1,758 full-time equivalents. Of that 1,866, how many earn under €100,000 and how many earn more than that? There seems to be a significant variation, given there are 167 different grades.