Results 6,961-6,980 of 11,299 for speaker:Colm Burke

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services (Safe Access Zones)) Bill 2022: Discussion (19 Oct 2022)

Colm Burke: Will the legislation cover, for example, a scenario whereby someone decides to park a vehicle with all sorts of messages on it but the person responsible is not present in the vehicle?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services (Safe Access Zones)) Bill 2022: Discussion (19 Oct 2022)

Colm Burke: Is the Department satisfied that the legislation would cover that scenario even if the person is not there?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services (Safe Access Zones)) Bill 2022: Discussion (19 Oct 2022)

Colm Burke: One of the groups that made a submission stated that due to its broad scope and the extent to which it infringes the freedom of expression and the freedom of assembly, in its view the Bill is a violation of Bunreacht na hÉireann and the European Convention on Human Rights, which both provide clear protections for those rights. The view of the group is that the Bill will most likely not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services (Safe Access Zones)) Bill 2022: Discussion (19 Oct 2022)

Colm Burke: Yes, it is one I received. I am not sure whether it came in to the committee. This is what people are saying. I am asking if the witnesses are satisfied that all the t's are crossed and the i's are dotted in terms of dealing with this? I am concerned in particular about someone saying that it will be challenged before the Irish courts.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services (Safe Access Zones)) Bill 2022: Discussion (19 Oct 2022)

Colm Burke: I fully support the Bill, because it is extremely important that people are not in any way intimidated or confronted when they are attending any service, no matter what it is. I am fully in support of the Bill and I want to make sure that we are not exposed to any challenge on it. That is the reason I raise this matter.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services (Safe Access Zones)) Bill 2022: Discussion (19 Oct 2022)

Colm Burke: The other issue that I want to raise relates to the homes of medical practitioners and staff working in medical facilities. Are we satisfied that we have done enough? If we bring forward legislation which clearly prevents anyone from protesting or in any way intimidating anyone attending such a facility, the next available option is to go to the homes of medical practitioners but also staff...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services (Safe Access Zones)) Bill 2022: Discussion (19 Oct 2022)

Colm Burke: On this issue, the Irish Medical Organisation made a submission to us in which it referred to the Non-Fatal Offences against the Person Act. It defines harassment in the context of causing alarm, distress or harm. The IMO stated that the current Bill does not incorporate that definition and it is a bit concerned and seeks that the matter would be examined.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services (Safe Access Zones)) Bill 2022: Discussion (19 Oct 2022)

Colm Burke: So the concerns raised by the IMO may be taken on board in dealing with this piece of legislation as well.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services (Safe Access Zones)) Bill 2022: Discussion (19 Oct 2022)

Colm Burke: I suppose the reason the IMO is concerned is that over a seven-year period there were more than 733 recorded assaults on medical practitioners, which is approximately 100 a year. That is extremely serious and it does not take into account the number of nursing staff and care assistants who have been assaulted in hospital services. The IMO is making sure that it is not just what is in the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services (Safe Access Zones)) Bill 2022: Discussion (19 Oct 2022)

Colm Burke: Is Ms Mason satisfied that we will have enough safeguards and protections in place to prevent the intimidation of staff and to make sure that they are safe in doing their job and going to and coming home from work?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services (Safe Access Zones)) Bill 2022: Discussion (19 Oct 2022)

Colm Burke: I have covered all of the issues that I wanted to raise. In terms of the timescale of the Bill, do the witnesses think we can get it through by December? What timescale does the Department envisage?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services (Safe Access Zones)) Bill 2022: Discussion (19 Oct 2022)

Colm Burke: Let us say that we will come back very shortly with our report. What kind of time period will there be before the Department comes to a conclusion on what should be included or excluded? What kind of timeframe is the Department talking about?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services (Safe Access Zones)) Bill 2022: Discussion (19 Oct 2022)

Colm Burke: I thank the witnesses.

Public Accounts Committee: 2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 40 - Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
Chapter 13 - Guardian Ad Litem Follow-up Report (27 Oct 2022)

Colm Burke: I thank the witnesses for attending and for giving the information the committee is looking for. In relation to the refugee issue and the allocation and identification of properties, could much more be done by the Department in its engagement with local authorities so that there would be more co-operation? In my dealings with local authorities on this matter, it seems the view is it is not...

Public Accounts Committee: 2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 40 - Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
Chapter 13 - Guardian Ad Litem Follow-up Report (27 Oct 2022)

Colm Burke: I am talking about the Ukraine response.

Public Accounts Committee: 2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 40 - Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
Chapter 13 - Guardian Ad Litem Follow-up Report (27 Oct 2022)

Colm Burke: In relation to the roll-out my understanding is that the Irish Red Cross received a significant number of submissions as far back as April and May and the local authorities were allocated the role of doing the inspections. My understanding is that a large number of people have still not been contacted, one way or the other, nine months later.

Public Accounts Committee: 2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 40 - Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
Chapter 13 - Guardian Ad Litem Follow-up Report (27 Oct 2022)

Colm Burke: That is not true.

Public Accounts Committee: 2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 40 - Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
Chapter 13 - Guardian Ad Litem Follow-up Report (27 Oct 2022)

Colm Burke: That is not true.

Public Accounts Committee: 2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 40 - Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
Chapter 13 - Guardian Ad Litem Follow-up Report (27 Oct 2022)

Colm Burke: That is not true and I have clear evidence that it is not true. I have plenty of examples where it did not happen. I will give one example of a person who was contacted but was unable to take the call at the time because they were on another call. When the person rang back they reached an Army barracks which stated it knew nothing about the matter. The person then contacted the local...

Public Accounts Committee: 2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 40 - Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
Chapter 13 - Guardian Ad Litem Follow-up Report (27 Oct 2022)

Colm Burke: Can Mr. McCarthy give the number of properties to which people were allocated since the local authorities got involved?