Results 921-940 of 11,255 for speaker:Colm Burke

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Medical Card Eligibility (23 Oct 2013)

Colm Burke: The Minister of State has said terminally ill patients in palliative care are an exception. In the case concerned, the person was deemed to be terminally ill. It took time to get the medical card and it was only valid for six months. Where it is clearly indicated that the person is terminally ill, I do not understand why a medical card would only be issued for six months because it is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: End-of-Life Care: Discussion (24 Oct 2013)

Colm Burke: I thank everyone who made presentations this morning, as they were highly informative. The Marymount hospice has opened in Cork this year and an additional 20 beds are being provided there. I understand the facility is recruiting an additional 36 staff and hopefully they are about to come on-stream, which would be welcome. I am a little concerned about the three areas in the country...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: End-of-Life Care: Discussion (24 Oct 2013)

Colm Burke: In regard to the whole area of home care and taking into account the problem of limited budgets, certainly for the next 12 months, what would the witnesses prioritise in terms of trying to improve the home care available? Is it a case of upskilling existing staff or are there other measures which could be taken to help to ensure the amount of home care available and the support needed is...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Nov 2013)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister for the comprehensive way in which she has dealt with this matter. It is difficult to try to bring forward reform when dealing with this matter and to try to be fair but I believe the Minister has done a good job in this regard. I welcome the development on the issue of insurance. I do not believe taxpayers should be responsible for paying out wages and salaries in real...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Nov 2013)

Colm Burke: I realise there have been some changes in respect of people aged 62 years, but I find that once people go over 55 years there is a problem. Anyway, I welcome the change for those aged 62 years. Another area I wish to touch on relates to a person who became unemployed and who was then in receipt of illness benefit for a period. The person is now keen to do a community employment scheme. A...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: End-of-Life Care: Discussion (Resumed) (5 Nov 2013)

Colm Burke: I thank each of the speakers for their presentations. I also thank them for the work they and their organisations are doing. Deputy Kelleher spoke about nurses prescribing. Nursing qualification has moved on and the vast majority of nurses now have an academic qualification. We have made some changes by giving them extra duties. What do we need to change to allow them to get into the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: End-of-Life Care: Discussion (Resumed) (5 Nov 2013)

Colm Burke: At our last meeting with Mr. Tony O'Brien we raised the possibility of providing a 12 month rather than six month emergency card.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: End-of-Life Care: Discussion (Resumed) (5 Nov 2013)

Colm Burke: Mr. O'Brien said he would consider it.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Nov 2013)

Colm Burke: I would like to pick up on what Senator MacSharry had to say. I agree with him that there is a need for a major debate on the health sector. Over the last two months, discussions on health issues have been personalised by the focus on the Minister. I think there should be a focus on long-term planning and on the real issues. Even though over €2.5 billion has been cut from the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: End-of-Life Care: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2013)

Colm Burke: An issue I am dealing with is that of rare diseases, in which regard I had to write to 41 organisations. This is slightly different from the area in which the delegates are involved, but I am trying to co-ordinate them in order that they can work towards improving the services required. They have dealt comprehensively with how they co-ordinate their services, which is very welcome. That is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: End-of-Life Care: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2013)

Colm Burke: I want to come back to the area of care assistants, which I accept is a very specialised one. I was involved with a community hospital that wanted to take on people under the JobBridge programme but was told that regulations did not allow it. In fairness, the hospital wrote to the Minister, who changed the regulation. The whole reason the community hospital wanted to take on people under...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Nov 2013)

Colm Burke: I remind Senator Mark Daly when his party left office that 7,000 jobs per month were being lost; at the moment 3,000 jobs per month are being created.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Nov 2013)

Colm Burke: I join my colleagues in commenting on the issue of Newbridge credit union. While there is a need for a debate there is also a need to reassure the general public that credit unions are a good place in which to have investments. They have served local communities well down through the years and will continue to serve them. I do not want a situation to arise where there is scaremongering...

Seanad: Science Week: Statements (12 Nov 2013)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Sherlock, to the House. I attended a conference this morning in the Rotunda Hospital at which he delivered a very good and detailed contribution. The area of medical research is very relevant to our discussion today. This country can have an important part to play in progressing developments in this area and devising new solutions to medical...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Nov 2013)

Colm Burke: One of the major problems in regard to the provision of health care in this country has been the total lack of planning. A simple example of this can be seen in the figures relating to dialysis services. There are more than 1,800 people receiving dialysis at this time, which equates to some 250,000 appointments in real terms, or 20% of day care procedures in the State. In Norway, by...

Seanad: Companies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013: Second Stage (14 Nov 2013)

Colm Burke: I apologise for not being in attendance for the presentation of the Minister of State. Unfortunately, the Joint Committee on Health and Children was meeting to deal with end-of-life issues in the last of a series of such meetings. In this regard, we are dealing to an extent with the end of life of companies. I welcome the Bill. One of the problems we have had with commercial law in this...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Business of Joint Committee (14 Nov 2013)

Colm Burke: I second the proposal.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: End-of-Life Care: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2013)

Colm Burke: There may well also be a vote in the Seanad on the Order of Business.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: End-of-Life Care: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2013)

Colm Burke: I thank all the witnesses for their presentations but also for their dedication and commitment to the work they are doing. It is important that we give recognition to the important part they play in this country's health service. I come from a legal background and many of the issues raised touch on the legal area. I listened to what Dr. King said about not doing resuscitation but an issue...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Nov 2013)

Colm Burke: I want to raise an issue of concern in regard to questions that are put down in the health committee when I am looking for answers in the public interest. In September I put down a question in regard to section 38 and 39 organisations which are receiving funding from the HSE and the Department of Health. Over €3.4 billion of the health budget is paid out to 2,680 organisations and I...