Results 881-900 of 11,255 for speaker:Colm Burke

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Rare Diseases Strategy Publication (1 Oct 2013)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Alex White. I seek an update on the progress made by the national steering group established in 2011 to address the issue of rare diseases. I was involved when this issue was raised at the time and it is one that has been debated in the House on a number of occasions since. I understand the report of the national steering...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Rare Diseases Strategy Publication (1 Oct 2013)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State for his detailed response. On the identification of appropriate centres of expertise, will the plan, when published, identify a list of appropriate centres of expertise or will the publication of the plan mark the beginning of such a process?

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Oct 2013)

Colm Burke: I want to pick up on what Senator Eamonn Coghlan said about voting. I was in the top five when our voting records were rated, but that does not put me above any other Senator. I am mindful of the valuable contributions made by Senators Crown, van Turnhout, Gilroy and Henry at meetings of the Joint Committee on Health and Children. It is totally inaccurate and unfair to judge people's...

Seanad: Upward Only Rent (Clauses and Reviews) Bill 2013: Second Stage (2 Oct 2013)

Colm Burke: I thank Senator Quinn for introducing this legislation and it is important that Members debate this issue. On the reduction of rents, I note that two years ago, a colleague of mine was in the High Court in respect of a rent review on Grafton Street. My understanding had been that it concerned a lease that had expired and that the tenants were entitled to a new lease. However, on checking...

Seanad: Upward Only Rent (Clauses and Reviews) Bill 2013: Second Stage (2 Oct 2013)

Colm Burke: This just goes to show the level of reduction on Grafton Street and how the market was affected. This was two years ago and I do not suggest a similar reduction would obtain now, as the position obviously has changed again and rents are moving upwards at present. On the question of introducing legislation and making it retrospective, I have noted a number of times that back in 2004, I was...

Seanad: Upward Only Rent (Clauses and Reviews) Bill 2013: Second Stage (2 Oct 2013)

Colm Burke: It is an issue about proper planning and whether planning was granted in the absence of demand for the retail space provided.

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Oct 2013)

Colm Burke: Following on from yesterday's debate and Senator O'Brien's contribution this morning, I call on the Leader to raise the following matter with the Minister for Finance. Yesterday, I raised the issue of it not being possible to apply legislation retrospectively, which is an issue in the context of the upward only rent reviews legislation which we debated last night. I would like to suggest a...

Seanad: County Enterprise Boards (Dissolution) Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (3 Oct 2013)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister of State and support the legislation. It is important we do not lose sight of the fact that county enterprise boards were established to help get small businesses up and running. Let us not lose sight of that goal. Smaller companies employ a large number of people. The boards arose due to an over-reliance on the IDA which focused greatly on the larger companies....

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Oct 2013)

Colm Burke: The referendum issue has been adequately dealt with and there have been very constructive contributions on it this morning. The junior doctors strike is an extremely important and serious issue. Over two years ago I flagged that we would have difficulties in how we would man hospitals because of the large number of Irish graduates leaving the country. Even if the HSE was to decide in the...

Seanad: Political Reform: Statements (8 Oct 2013)

Colm Burke: I very much welcome this debate and I thank the Leader for his contribution during the debate on the referendum. The number of people who voted to retain the Seanad works out at more than 10,000 votes per Senator, which is equivalent to a quota for a Deputy. It was a substantial vote in favour of keeping the Seanad and we should not forget this. With regard to politics, democracy and the...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Regulation of Health and Social Care Professions (8 Oct 2013)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister for his attendance at this late sitting. I raise the question of an individual who has a university degree from Cork and proceeded to a master's degree in the University of Ulster. It appears the individual had to apply to the Department for recognition of the qualification from the University of Ulster. I am a little concerned about a letter from the Department of...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Regulation of Health and Social Care Professions (8 Oct 2013)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister for a very comprehensive reply. It is unfortunate that the Department has issued a letter to state that a qualification from Northern Ireland is termed as a non-Irish qualification. It is unfair and it is not justified. The clarification that such persons can work in the private sector is not what the individual was advised. It is interesting that this clarification...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Regulation of Health and Social Care Professions (8 Oct 2013)

Colm Burke: I certainly appreciate the comprehensive reply given by the Minister.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Oct 2013)

Colm Burke: I agree with Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill on the medical card issue in some respects in that some incorrect decisions have been taken on renewal applications. I have had quite a number of cases in which I have had to fight tooth and nail for a medical card to be retained. However, the matter needs to be put in context. Since we entered government, over 267,000 additional medical cards...

Seanad: Irish Sign Language: Motion (9 Oct 2013)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State for coming here this evening and giving a comprehensive statement on this matter. I thank Senators Conway and Keane for bringing forward this motion. It is welcome. Everything that I wanted to say has already been said and I just want to touch on two points. First, I thank the Minister of State for taking the initiative she is now taking in this matter. It is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: The Oireachtas and the European Union: Discussion (10 Oct 2013)

Colm Burke: I thank Dr. Barrett for his submission and comprehensive report. I agree with everything he said. As somebody who was in the European Parliament for a short period, what hit me when I returned was the lack of scrutiny in Ireland and the lack of information about what was coming down the track from Europe. The Commission sets out its programme in November each year for the following 12...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Children and Youth Affairs: Discussion (10 Oct 2013)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister for her very comprehensive overview on the work being done and I congratulate her on the work done to date. I wish to touch on an issue which the Minister has not dealt with; I do not expect her to give an answer here but I ask that it be considered. Young people, including children as young as ten, are dropping out of education and going down the wrong road towards...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Oct 2013)

Colm Burke: Following on from the point raised by Senator Marc MacSharry, it is important to bear in mind that budgets are not necessarily about cutbacks or new taxes. They are also about creating efficiencies. Let us examine the medical budget for the ten-year period, 2000 to 2010, where the cost of drugs and pharmaceuticals went unchecked and rose from €570 million to over €1.9 billion...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Oct 2013)

Colm Burke: -----such as making sure that people have access to medical care. That is what we are doing and that is what we will do in this budget as well.

Seanad: Budget 2014: Statements (15 Oct 2013)

Colm Burke: There are five pages of it.