Results 9,121-9,140 of 11,348 for speaker:Colm Burke

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disease Management (26 Sep 2023)

Colm Burke: 495. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if consideration would be given to classifying long-Covid as a disability, in view that long-Covid is characterised by extreme exhaustion after minimal exertion, cardiovascular issues including MI, myocarditis/pericarditis, clots, arrhythmias, and neurological issues such as cognitive impairment, stroke, and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (26 Sep 2023)

Colm Burke: 583. To ask the Minister for Health when the commitment to increase the fees payable to contractors for a standard eye examination under the community ophthalmic services scheme will occur; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41480/23]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (27 Sep 2023)

Colm Burke: I thank the witnesses from the HSE and the Department of Health for their attendance and for the progress that has been made. There has been a huge increase in staff. It is a question of retaining those staff right across the board. People here may not be aware of a really difficult issue, which is to do with radiation therapists. My understanding is that there are a number of units...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (27 Sep 2023)

Colm Burke: There is an issue in regard to long-term planning. My understanding is that the number of training places for the entire country is very small. Has there been engagement with the Minister, the Department and the higher education sector to discuss increasing the number of training places for radiation therapists? Even if we start increasing the numbers now, it will take four years to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (27 Sep 2023)

Colm Burke: I have a question on long-term planning in respect of staff, particularly consultants, retiring from the HSE. My understanding is that much of the effort to recruit someone to replace a consultant starts only after that consultant has sent in notice that he or she is leaving three months or six months from that date. I have raised this issue on numerous occasions. If we look back to the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (27 Sep 2023)

Colm Burke: My question is quite specific. Where there is an awareness that someone is coming up to the retirement age of 65 or 66, whichever it is, is the HSE putting in place a plan 12 months in advance to ensure that consultant is immediately replaced? Around the country at this time, there is a significant number of locum consultants right across the board, and likewise with nursing staff. My...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (27 Sep 2023)

Colm Burke: I have not seen any evidence of that at any stage.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (27 Sep 2023)

Colm Burke: May I have the figure for locums currently working in HSE hospitals right across the board?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (27 Sep 2023)

Colm Burke: Locums are in place temporarily. They will move on to another job once it becomes available. It is hit and miss. There is no guarantee of how long they will stay and then we are trying to get a replacement. It is consuming considerable time of administrative staff as well. Is sufficient forward planning being done? I fully accept that there has been a significant number of staff...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (27 Sep 2023)

Colm Burke: That is out of 2,500 consultants.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (27 Sep 2023)

Colm Burke: It is still a very high number of locums in real terms. If long-term planning is done, this issue can be dealt with. I will move on to the issue of planning for the winter months and the demand for beds. We have already heard from the private hospitals about engagement being too late. They are now talking about a three-year plan. What is the status of that and the issue with nursing...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (27 Sep 2023)

Colm Burke: On the step-down facility with the nursing homes, for instance, last year we found that some of the nursing homes had contracted beds and in the first two weeks of January, those contracted beds were empty. I refer to the co-ordination about getting people out. People could not get into hospital because there were not beds available. It is about getting people out. Is a better plan in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (27 Sep 2023)

Colm Burke: The problem we now have is that-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (27 Sep 2023)

Colm Burke: Can I just outline the problem? We have lost 1,200 beds. According to the CSO figures yesterday, more than 800,000 people are over 66 which means we will have a growing demand for either home care or nursing home care.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (27 Sep 2023)

Colm Burke: I am only saying we are not planning for it.

Public Accounts Committee: NAMA Financial Statements 2022 and Special Report 116 of the Comptroller and Auditor General (28 Sep 2023)

Colm Burke: I thank the representatives for giving us their time here this morning, as well as for the work they have done. My question may have already come up because I was out for a short period of time. In 2021, NAMA identified a potential for 7,283 units. In fact, I think the figure that has now been reached is 2,621. Why is there such a difference between the potential that was identified and...

Public Accounts Committee: NAMA Financial Statements 2022 and Special Report 116 of the Comptroller and Auditor General (28 Sep 2023)

Colm Burke: Where are they now?

Public Accounts Committee: NAMA Financial Statements 2022 and Special Report 116 of the Comptroller and Auditor General (28 Sep 2023)

Colm Burke: They were-----

Public Accounts Committee: NAMA Financial Statements 2022 and Special Report 116 of the Comptroller and Auditor General (28 Sep 2023)

Colm Burke: Yes, but the impression may have been given that only 2,600 have been put into use-----

Public Accounts Committee: NAMA Financial Statements 2022 and Special Report 116 of the Comptroller and Auditor General (28 Sep 2023)

Colm Burke: -----but Mr. McDonagh is now saying that more than 7,000 have been put into use.