Results 6,461-6,480 of 11,299 for speaker:Colm Burke

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (30 Jun 2022)

Colm Burke: I am a bit concerned about the 14 July meeting. I am concerned that, because there is an inquiry ongoing, people who come in will start using it as a mechanism not to give us answers on a number of issues. That is one of the problems we will have on 14 July. We need to make sure we can get the information we require, even if there is an inquiry going on. The second issue relates to the...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (30 Jun 2022)

Colm Burke: No, that is not true.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (30 Jun 2022)

Colm Burke: I know of some of those judicial reviews-----

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (30 Jun 2022)

Colm Burke: -----where they were used as a delaying process by competitors of the people who were trying to get planning.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (30 Jun 2022)

Colm Burke: I agree with Deputy Murphy about the lack of an appeal process. I fully accept that judicial review is the only option available for people where the initial application is made to An Bord Pleanála and not a local authority. I am talking about cases that have gone through a local authority and An Bord Pleanála before ending up in a judicial review.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (30 Jun 2022)

Colm Burke: I know the issue of passports is very important and that people have covered it. I want to deal with overseas funding. Our funding for overseas development from 2015 to 2020 went from €475 million to €548 million. I ask about checks and balances in place for that enormous funding. Priority emergency humanitarian assistance was €96 million in 2020. What are the checks...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (30 Jun 2022)

Colm Burke: Regarding that allocation and getting value for money, I have seen projects in a number of countries and there are significant differences. For instance, over 4,000 children were in schools and being provided with a meal every day. I saw a comparable project in the same area where a small number of children were being looked after for the same cost. What mechanism do we have to adjudicate...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (30 Jun 2022)

Colm Burke: We have not actually seen any results. For instance, if Irish Aid decided to provide €10 million in funding for a particular country or area, we do not see how that money was used in real terms or what the end of that project was. Whether it was trying to assist with a food or an educational programme, none of that information is fed back to us. How is the selection of the NGO...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (30 Jun 2022)

Colm Burke: Yes, it was.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (30 Jun 2022)

Colm Burke: Can that annual report be made available to us because I am not sure if we have received that?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (30 Jun 2022)

Colm Burke: Have any specific difficulties arisen with projects in the last five years? Were they identified when the reviews were carried out? A number of years ago we had a problem with a particular organisation. On any occasion in the past five years has Irish Aid had concerns about projects where Irish funding was provided?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (30 Jun 2022)

Colm Burke: It is a huge amount of money.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (30 Jun 2022)

Colm Burke: The international proposal was that we would provide 0.7% of gross national income on development aid. I believe we are at 0.3%.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (30 Jun 2022)

Colm Burke: Do we need to do more work on that issue? Mr. de Búrca seems to be happy with the projects being delivered and getting value. What is the Department's approach to try to get additional funding for projects where it sees major progress being made?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (30 Jun 2022)

Colm Burke: That is being reviewed constantly, I imagine.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (30 Jun 2022)

Colm Burke: Is Mr. de Búrca satisfied we have sufficient structures in place?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Rare Diseases: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2022)

Colm Burke: I thank Dr. De Block for giving her time this morning because I know she is very busy. I was looking at the figures and time periods for the BeNeLuxA agreement and there seems to be much variation in even within BeNeLuxA countries around the availability of drugs. For example, in the Netherlands, its average period is 213 days, whereas the period in Belgium is 440 days and in Ireland it is...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (13 Jul 2022)

Colm Burke: I wish to raise the issue of ChildVision, which is based on Model Farm Road in Cork, in the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind facility. It provides support for more than 60 children. It does not get State funding of any description; it operates on voluntary contributions. It requires approximately €144,000 per annum. It looks after children with complex needs such as impaired vision....

Written Answers — Department of Health: Healthcare Infrastructure Provision (12 Jul 2022)

Colm Burke: 1025. To ask the Minister for Health if a decision has been made as to the preferred location of the new proposed elective hospital for Cork; when an announcement will be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37916/22]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Telecommunications Infrastructure (12 Jul 2022)

Colm Burke: 228. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if consideration will be given to using a portion of the funds to the Exchequer to invest in collaboration with the telecoms industry on a shared rural network, including all three operators to address coverage black spots that have occurred in other jurisdictions in the context of the next spectrum auction for the...