Results 9,781-9,800 of 11,348 for speaker:Colm Burke

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (Resumed) (6 Dec 2023)

Colm Burke: That seems to be what is happening.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (Resumed) (6 Dec 2023)

Colm Burke: We were definitely led to believe that planning for elective hospitals would go in by October 2023. Now, the way we are talking, they will not even be in for planning by October 2024.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (Resumed) (6 Dec 2023)

Colm Burke: Does Mr. McCallion not agree that there is now a need to see how we can expedite these projects for delivery? The old system of doing it is not working. It is just not working. We are not dealing with the growth in population, the demand for services, and the changing demography of the population.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (Resumed) (6 Dec 2023)

Colm Burke: Have public private partnerships been considered for any of the projects we are talking about?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (Resumed) (6 Dec 2023)

Colm Burke: I want to go back to the issue of the roll-out of support during the Christmas period. One of the issues that arose last year was that while the HSE had contracted beds, a lot of them were not used during the first two weeks of January because there was no effective mechanism in place for getting patients out of hospital. Will we have the necessary staff available over the coming Christmas...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (Resumed) (6 Dec 2023)

Colm Burke: Are we satisfied that we have a sufficient number of contracted beds in place from 15 December on? Obviously the same number of operations will not be done from 20 or 21 December until the start of January. Some people may be in hospital for longer but there is an urgent need to get people out at the same time. Are we satisfied that the mechanisms are in place to deal with this?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (Resumed) (6 Dec 2023)

Colm Burke: I want to move on from the issue of getting people out of hospital and into step-down care facilities to the issue of providing home care when patients no longer need to be in such facilities or in hospital. In the Cork and Kerry region at the moment we have the longest waiting list for home care hours in the country. Why is that the case? What mechanisms are being put in place to make...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (Resumed) (6 Dec 2023)

Colm Burke: It is also about travel expenses. I was speaking to people in the private sector who are providing home care. There are approximately 28 private companies providing home care. Their big problem is that they have additional costs. For instance, they have to rent premises for administration and they have insurance and public liability costs. The HSE does not have the same cost base as the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (Resumed) (6 Dec 2023)

Colm Burke: Does Mr. McCallion agree that we need a lot more people to provide home care because we have an increasing number of people in need of such care? We want to keep them out of hospital and in their own communities. Is there further work that could be done, not necessarily by the HSE but by other support groups if they got the funding? I am just wondering if that can be looked at.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (Resumed) (6 Dec 2023)

Colm Burke: The point being made as recently as yesterday by one of the companies was that they do not get an allowance to pay for mileage, which is a problem. It is not necessarily the same problem in an urban area but in a rural setting it is a big problem. In fairness, a huge amount of effort is being made by families to keep that support and give that time. Therefore, we should also try to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (Resumed) (6 Dec 2023)

Colm Burke: What is the plan for increasing the number of hours available for home care in 2024? Are we talking about increasing it or staying at the same level?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (Resumed) (6 Dec 2023)

Colm Burke: One area that is of concern to a lot of people is areas where there is a large new development occurring and a huge increase in population but there is no co-ordination around putting in health services at the same time. Take my own area. In Glanmire, we do not have facilities for older people to meet up or for any kind of healthcare service to be provided locally. My understanding is that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (Resumed) (6 Dec 2023)

Colm Burke: Going back to the area around Glanmire, there are 25,000 or 35,000 people living there and a lot of people who are retired. I understand-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (Resumed) (6 Dec 2023)

Colm Burke: -----that elderly people are having to travel by bus to a facility in Cobh in order to get access to facilities. What exactly is going to happen in areas like that? Is it going to be the next two or three years or five or ten years' time before we have anything developed?

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (7 Dec 2023)

Colm Burke: 43. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to provide details of all approved housing projects for both Cork City Council and Cork County Council from 1 January 2020 to today’s date; the number that have now been fully completed and are occupied; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53372/23]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (7 Dec 2023)

Colm Burke: 56. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to advise when data from each local authority in relation to the properties entering the vacant homes action plan programme and outcomes will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53373/23]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Services (7 Dec 2023)

Colm Burke: 177. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport what action his Department is taking to improve a bus route in Cork city in view that there are recurring issues with reliability of the service (details supplied); if Saturday has been removed from the route; if so, the reason; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54367/23]

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: State Bodies (7 Dec 2023)

Colm Burke: 189. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to confirm what action will be taken to recruit additional legal staff to the Health and Safety Authority to assist the coronial service so that inspectors reports cannot be finalised, which require a solicitor's sign off before it can be progressed, particularly in light of the fact that the coronial service, and families...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (7 Dec 2023)

Colm Burke: 214. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to clarify what changes, if any, can be made to the sustainable housing policy to ensure that individuals choose to locate their homes in rural areas, in view that many rural areas are in decline because of the lack of clarity on sustainable housing policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49714/23]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Coroners Service (7 Dec 2023)

Colm Burke: 272. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality to confirm what action will be taken to recruit additional staff to provide support to coroners, particularly in light of the fact that the coronial service, and families affected, have been experiencing significant delays in cases being listed for inquest; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54370/23]