Results 521-540 of 10,793 for speaker:Colm Burke

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: Last night may have been an education for us on how junior doctors in the health service have to work. I suggest we work one late session or one early morning session once a week until we face up to that difficult issue in the health service. I refer to a matter raised by Senator Feargal Quinn, that is, organ donation. Senator John Crown appeared with a number of others before the Joint...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Newborn Screening Cards (7 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State for attending. It has been a long week. The national blood spot screening programme was rolled out to identify six rare diseases; the screening cards are also known as Guthrie cards. Unfortunately the cards retained between 1966 and 1984 were destroyed as a result of water contamination. The Data Protection Commissioner has ruled that the cards for the period...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Newborn Screening Cards (7 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State for the information on this matter. I do not agree with the decision, although I realise it was taken some time ago. With regard to the information programme, perhaps the Minister for Health will communicate to me what format it will take and when it will start. I understand that the deadline for the destruction of these cards is 31 March, so it is a very short...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Lung Health Promotion: Discussion with Irish Lung Health Alliance (7 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: It is the same problem that junior doctors have.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Lung Health Promotion: Discussion with Irish Lung Health Alliance (7 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: Are we agreed on the junior doctors' issue, as I have raised it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Lung Health Promotion: Discussion with Irish Lung Health Alliance (7 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: I thought we had agreed to have it on a Tuesday in particular.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Lung Health Promotion: Discussion with Irish Lung Health Alliance (7 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: I will do that. Thank you, Chairman.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: I agree with Senator MacSharry's comments to a large extent except that the Personal Insolvency Act will make a difference. One of the concerns I have and which I want the Deputy Leader to follow up is that members of the accountancy profession have approached me and advised that they now have difficultly, just like my colleagues in the legal profession, entering into negotiations with the...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: I wish to raise the way the Department of Health has dealt with the medical card issue. Despite the pressures on the health services, more than 165,000 new medical cards were issued in 2012. As we sit here today, the two millionth medical card is about to be issued. The figures for 1 January 2013 indicate 1,984,000 medical cards or GP visit cards have been issued. It is an indication of...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Ms Phil Prendergast, MEP. (13 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: Would we do that?

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Ms Phil Prendergast, MEP. (13 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: Ms Prendergast is most welcome. I have served in the European Parliament and on the Internal Market committee. From her experience of working in Europe, what changes would Ms Prendergast like to be introduced in order to get information across on what is happening in Europe? I have been a strong advocate for the use of the Seanad. I proposed that two days a month would be set aside to...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: I seek leave to introduce a Bill.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Organ Donation (14 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: This matter relates to organ donation and I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to address it. The matter was raised at the Joint Committee on Health and Children last week, with a number of groups before the committee as a result of representations made by Senator John Crown. A matter arising during the discussions was a lack of co-ordination in the promotion of organ...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Organ Donation (14 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: I thank the Deputy for a very comprehensive response. I am delighted the Minister is meeting representatives of the Irish Donor Network next Monday. One group that seems to be left out of the response is the HSE and I wonder if the Department will take on board the important role that it must play in the co-ordination effort. I ask that this point be taken to the Minister.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Tackling Obesity: Discussion with Operation Transformation (14 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: I thank the witnesses for the presentation and I thank the participants for appearing before the committee. I recently spoke to somebody who made a presentation at a meeting of general practitioners, GPs, and practice nurses. The presentation was not about obesity but the person decided to touch on it because of the problems the person was having in their hospital clinics. The person was...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: I too wish to follow Senators Noone and Coughlan who raised the comments of the Chief Justice on the court system. This is a very important issue that needs to be considered. There was a proposal to have a court of civil appeal. We already have a court of Criminal Appeal, which has worked very effectively. The reason it is important to deal with this issue in the Supreme Court relates to...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: I propose that No. 10 on the Order of Business be sent forward for publication subject to the agreement of the House.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: Yes. I am proposing that No. 10 be taken and that the Bill be sent forward for publication. A report in one of today's newspapers related to absenteeism in the public sector. We should have a debate on this issue in the House. Very little real progress has been made over the past two to three years. There are genuine reasons people are absent from work such as health or family...

Seanad: Civil Law (Missing Persons) Bill 2013: First Stage (20 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to provide for the effects in civil law of persons who are missing, including arrangements for interim management of the missing person?s property, and to provide for the civil status of the missing person where the circumstances of their absence leads to a presumption of death; and to provide for related matters.I am seeking...

Seanad: Civil Law (Missing Persons) Bill 2013: First Stage (20 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to provide for the effects in civil law of persons who are missing, including arrangements for interim management of the missing person?s property, and to provide for the civil status of the missing person where the circumstances of their absence leads to a presumption of death; and to provide for related matters.I am seeking...