Results 541-560 of 10,669 for speaker:Colm Burke

Seanad: Medical Practitioners (Amendment) Bill 2012: Order for Second Stage (20 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: I move: "That Second Stage be taken now."

Seanad: Medical Practitioners (Amendment) Bill 2012: Second Stage (20 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I, too, welcome the Minister. I am pleased to introduce this Bill in the House and acknowledge the contribution of the Minister who when in opposition in October 2009 introduced the Medical Practitioners (Professional Indemnity)(Amendment) Bill. The then Minister, Mary Harney, acknowledged the need for change in this area and legislation...

Seanad: Medical Practitioners (Amendment) Bill 2012: Second Stage (20 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: I thank all my colleagues who made a contribution to this debate. Let me cover one or two matters that were referred to. To put it bluntly, I am stunned by what has occurred. I was told an hour ago that the Department was to accept the Bill and intended tabling amendments to it. It is not that I did not give the documentation to the Department; I gave it to it over eight weeks ago. I did...

Seanad: Medical Practitioners (Amendment) Bill 2012: Second Stage (20 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: It certainly came as a huge surprise to me. Let me touch on one or two issues that were referred to. The Minister referred to Medical Council expertise. It is referred to in the Bill. At my meeting with representatives of the council Mr. Ciarán Breen of the State Claims Agency was present. A concern was expressed to me that the Medical Council did not have the expertise to decide the...

Seanad: Medical Practitioners (Amendment) Bill 2012: Second Stage (20 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: On Tuesday.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (21 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: Has any detailed research been done on what attracts young people to smoking when the health problems are already identified? The witnesses spoke about figures in the 15 to 24 age group. We also need to look at the ten or 12 to 15 age group. My next concern is the research and how we formulate policy to steer young people away from starting to smoke. I am doing a research project in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Health Insurance Levy: Discussion (21 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: I apologise for leaving the meeting. I had a meeting with the Department of Health about an issue that has been ongoing for the past three and a half years and has not progressed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Health Insurance Levy: Discussion (21 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: I understand the Chairman's frustration. I have a question about hospital costs and costs in general. This matter may have been dealt with earlier. Ireland is now the second most expensive country in the world for health care costs or the cost of health care per head of population. I refer to the costs being paid by insurers to the private hospital sector and the public hospital sector-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Health Insurance Levy: Discussion (21 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: It is a general question. What is the percentage cost difference between the two sectors for private patients in public hospitals? The second issue is the number of bed days. What is the average length of stay in a private hospital compared to a private bed in a public hospital? What is the cost difference? I have consistently raised the issue of whether there is sufficient competition...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Health Insurance Levy: Discussion (21 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: What is the percentage difference with regard to what insurers are obliged to pay in respect of private patients in public hospitals and patients in private hospitals?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Health Insurance Levy: Discussion (21 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: What would be the comparable cost with regard to hip replacement procedures? Has an analysis ever been carried out in respect of, for example, 100 cases dealt with in private hospitals and 100 dealt with in public hospitals in the context of which worked out cheaper and the percentage difference involved?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Health Insurance Levy: Discussion (21 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: My question concerns the presentation by the HIA and the last slide dealing with the increase in claims paid per insured person. It went up by 23% in 2009, 4% in 2010, 5% in 2011 and is now 12%. Have we identified the reason for that significant increase, particularly the figure of 12%? Is it because of additional Government levies? What is the reason for that? Why was there an increase...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Health Insurance Levy: Discussion (21 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: We are focusing very much on the increase in premiums. What about the costs issue I raised? Where are we with that? There has been a 67% rise in five years; 23% in one year alone. How has that arisen and what are we doing about it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Health Insurance Levy: Discussion (21 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: The claims paid out per insured person have increased by 67% in five years. Is it the case that consultants fees and-or hospital charges have gone up? Where has the increase come from?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Health Insurance Levy: Discussion (21 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: Have we identified exactly to what last year's 12% rise is attributable? Is it in relation to elderly care or any other particular category? I am not aware of hospitals or medical professionals increasing charges in the last 12 months. Where is the 12% coming from?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Health Insurance Levy: Discussion (21 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: These increases are not in relation to volume, it is per patient.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Health Insurance Levy: Discussion (21 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: The HIA's analysis is per insured person.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Health Insurance Levy: Discussion (21 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: There has been an increase in the turnover of patients in the hospitals. On that basis the increase should not be per person.

Seanad: Ireland's Presidency of the European Council: Statements (26 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I apologise for my not having been here during her speech but I was listening to it. She touched on the development of EU?US trade. It is important that we continue to develop that. An interesting motion by Mr. William Keating, to come before the US Congress, supports the goals and objectives of Ireland's Presidency. It is a long motion so I...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Feb 2013)

Colm Burke: With regard to the mobility allowance, it is important to emphasise that this year we will spend ¤20 billion on social welfare, and we have spent ¤80 billion in real terms in the area over four years. When something is highlighted as requiring a review, it is important that it is done properly. This is as opposed to what happened a number of years ago, when the nursing homes issue was...