Results 68,601-68,620 of 74,100 for speaker:Bernard Durkan

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Voluntary Sector (25 Apr 2023)

Bernard Durkan: 64. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which she continues dialogue with voluntary rural and community groups throughout the country, including Northern Ireland, with a view to maximising efforts likely to contribute to the sentiments of the Good Friday Agreement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19270/23]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Voluntary Sector (25 Apr 2023)

Bernard Durkan: The question is about the degree to which the Minister engages with the various community groups along the Border, North and South, with a view to allowing them all to avail of benefit from the schemes run by her Department in a way which would be beneficial and complementary to the Good Friday Agreement.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Voluntary Sector (25 Apr 2023)

Bernard Durkan: This is a very important business, and I strongly urge that every possible opportunity be used in this regard to promote and to develop good and better relations between the communities and, in particular, to be able to identify on each side of the Border those areas that are in need of rejuvenation, restructuring, redevelopment - the helping hand, in other words - on a continuing basis, with...

Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement: Statements (26 Apr 2023)

Bernard Durkan: I am grateful to have an opportunity to speak on this important subject, although I do not know whether the short duration allocated for the interventions is appropriate in light of its importance. We should have a much longer debate to allow us to go into the nuances of the agreement, what it was intended to do, what it has done and what remains to be done. I am not going to get into...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Stability Programme Update: Ministers for Finance, and Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform (26 Apr 2023)

Bernard Durkan: I call Deputy Nash. Is Deputy Boyd Barrett not finished? Sorry about that.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Stability Programme Update: Ministers for Finance, and Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform (26 Apr 2023)

Bernard Durkan: The clock on the wall says zero.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Stability Programme Update: Ministers for Finance, and Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform (26 Apr 2023)

Bernard Durkan: To be fair to other speakers, I will bring you in again.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Stability Programme Update: Ministers for Finance, and Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform (26 Apr 2023)

Bernard Durkan: I thank the Minister and the Deputy. I call Deputy Seán Canney.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Stability Programme Update: Ministers for Finance, and Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform (26 Apr 2023)

Bernard Durkan: Perhaps the Minister will conclude as we will have to suspend and come back.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Stability Programme Update: Ministers for Finance, and Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform (26 Apr 2023)

Bernard Durkan: I thank the Minister. I am sorry for the interruption. We will have to come back to it and hear more from everybody then.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Stability Programme Update: Ministers for Finance, and Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform (26 Apr 2023)

Bernard Durkan: I thank the Deputy. Do we have any further speakers? The voting block will arise, I am told, at approximately 9.10 p.m. Do the members wish to finish or do they wish to return later? Are we gluttons for punishment, flagellation or anything like that? No? I will make a couple of comments. In the past, I have spoken many times about the fact that I strongly support the line taken by the...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Stability Programme Update: Ministers for Finance, and Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform (26 Apr 2023)

Bernard Durkan: That is the way it is.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Challenges in Hospitals: Minister for Health (26 Apr 2023)

Bernard Durkan: I thank the Minister and his colleagues for their attendance. The exchanges we have at these meetings are very important. I will try to be as quick as possible. I have four or five questions to ask. On the annual funding of €495 million being allocated to the enhanced community care programme, of the 96 planned community health networks, 94 have established. In addition, 21 of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Challenges in Hospitals: Minister for Health (26 Apr 2023)

Bernard Durkan: I accept that. What I am trying to get at is what evidence has emerged to show how improved the service is in terms of dealing with all of the issues we have been discussing this morning, such as crowding at accident and emergency departments, the loss and lack of GPs and so on? The net impact is the important thing I am looking for in this particular situation. Can we state emphatically...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Challenges in Hospitals: Minister for Health (26 Apr 2023)

Bernard Durkan: I thank Dr. Henry. I will move on to my next question. At previous meetings, in front of the Minister and every official, I have raised the question of hardship grounds for the granting of full medical cards. I have raised this as a Topical Issue twice or three times. I received very nice and respectful replies, but no action was taken. There was no action whatsoever. In fact, I can...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Challenges in Hospitals: Minister for Health (26 Apr 2023)

Bernard Durkan: I would be glad to do that, but the kernel of the matter is simply that this is not a qualification on income grounds. Each time, those responsible come back and ask the same questions on the income of the patient. It is not about the income of the patient; it is about the emergency nature of the request, which has always been provided for but which is slipping away. I thank the Minister...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Challenges in Hospitals: Minister for Health (26 Apr 2023)

Bernard Durkan: The population of the area is growing rapidly. The five or 12 additional beds or whatever the case may be were on the basis of an assessment done several years ago. That assessment is now outdated. There is a need to review the situation to ensure we can provide adequately for the future, otherwise it will fall by the wayside. It will be like the medical card issues and so on to which I...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Good Friday Agreement (27 Apr 2023)

Bernard Durkan: 10. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which he perceives opportunities to advance the letter and the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement in the aftermath of the visit of President Biden, and to re-energise the Good Friday Agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19860/23]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Good Friday Agreement (27 Apr 2023)

Bernard Durkan: This question seeks to focus on the need for the re-energising of the Good Friday Agreement on the basis that it is a work in progress. The contributions that need to be made by all the contributors need to manifest themselves now.