Results 1,061-1,080 of 11,255 for speaker:Colm Burke

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Ambulance Response Times: Discussion (25 Feb 2014)

Colm Burke: I apologise for having missed quite a lot of today's meeting because I was in the Seanad. I want to welcome the witnesses and thank them for their presentation. I have one question concerning the 10% increase in emergency calls between January and December 2013. Has any reason been identified as to why there was such a substantial increase? Could we have a further similar increase this...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Ambulance Response Times: Discussion (25 Feb 2014)

Colm Burke: Could Dr. O'Donnell clarify the issue of hand-over of patients? Can we do something about expediting the hand-over of patients from the ambulance service to hospital staff? Has that been examined? Have units been identified where there are far higher delays in the taking over of patients from the ambulance staff, varying from one accident and emergency department to another?

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Feb 2014)

Colm Burke: I agree with Senator David Norris in respect of people not turning up for appointments. Having spoken recently with people working in hospitals even people who turn up knowing their appointment will take up half an hour of the time of doctors means there are people sitting around doing nothing. It is quite common for that to happen. A more proactive approach should be taken to ensure that...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Feb 2014)

Colm Burke: It may well be, but it is important the issue is dealt with. There has been no consultation with the boards of management or with the parents on the board of management. On the issue of the contract proposed for general practitioners, there has been a ruling by the Competition Authority that the Department cannot enter into negotiations with the IMO and the other body that acts for general...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Feb 2014)

Colm Burke: -----from negotiating on all issues, other than the issue of fees that are payable. Given that there are more than 2,500 general practitioners who provide a fantastic service they should not be left in limbo. I ask that the Minister intervene and that negotiations would commence to deal with the contact issue.

Seanad: Fines (Payment and Recovery) Bill 2013: Second Stage (26 Feb 2014)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State for stepping in for the Minister for Justice and Equality. I thank Senator O'Donovan for his constructive comments. He has experience of dealing with the District Court as a practising solicitor. I welcome the Bill, which is designed to increase the level of fines collection and to keep a number of people committed to prison for the non-payment of fines to an...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Schools Amalgamation (27 Feb 2014)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. Although this issue is not directly connected to his Department, it is an extremely important matter in the north side of Cork city. There is a proposed amalgamation and reconfiguration of schools in the area and one is Scoil Mhuire Fatima, or North Mon. That school has 170 students and no infant classes; if it had a full complement, it would...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Schools Amalgamation (27 Feb 2014)

Colm Burke: There is some confusion about who is the patron. My understanding is that North Mon is owned by the Christian Brothers and they have decided to move the school. Will the Minister of State clarify who is the patron? If the legal owners decide that this is what they want and if the parents, teachers, board of management and principal of the school are not in favour of the proposal, where...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Schools Amalgamation (27 Feb 2014)

Colm Burke: That would be very much appreciated as there was confusion at the public meeting. It was alleged that one party was a patron but that party denied it. The issue should be clarified.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Rare Diseases Day: Discussion (27 Feb 2014)

Colm Burke: I thank all the speakers for their detailed presentations, with much work put into them and the organisations they work with. I have come across a number of cases that deal with treatment abroad. One example is of a person being dealt with in Dublin and it was obvious that a diagnosis had not been provided. When the person went to the treatment abroad fund about getting a referral to...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Mar 2014)

Colm Burke: Does the Senator have any good tip?

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Mar 2014)

Colm Burke: I, too, join in expressing concern about the situation in Ukraine. It highlights the level of progress that has been made in Europe during the past 50 years when we consider that in the first 50 years of the previous century, 67 million people died in two world wars, the vast majority in Europe. One can travel from the Dingle Peninsula all the way to the Russian border without encountering...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Mar 2014)

Colm Burke: My question for the Leader is to ask for a debate on the use of State assets. I raise this matter because in the past eight years only €8.3 million has been raised from the sale of lands held by the psychiatric services. A good deal of land owned by the HSE and by other State organisations is not being properly used. It is important we have a debate on the proper utilisation of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Report on Perinatal Deaths at Midland Regional Hospital: Discussion (6 Mar 2014)

Colm Burke: I welcome the publication of the report and thank the families for highlighting the issue and forcing action to be taken. Other members have raised the issue of staffing levels being extremely low, particularly with regard to midwives. Has the reason for this been identified, as the report does not seem to indicate it? Why were levels so low and why did vacancies continue? Is it a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Report on Perinatal Deaths at Midland Regional Hospital: Discussion (6 Mar 2014)

Colm Burke: Was the difficulty in retaining and recruiting midwives explained in the report? Did the authors find out why there were recruitment difficulties? There are a lot of qualified midwives out there and I do not understand why there was a difficulty in recruiting. Has an explanation been found as to why people were reluctant to go to work in Portlaoise?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Report on Perinatal Deaths at Midland Regional Hospital: Discussion (6 Mar 2014)

Colm Burke: I referred to the withdrawal of rest days. The amount of work consultants in these units are required to do has doubled over the past eight to ten years. We have now withdrawn rest days for working weekends, with one in three on call in 11 units around the country. The second issue risk refers to the changeover of managerial staff in the smaller hospitals around the country, which is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Report on Perinatal Deaths at Midland Regional Hospital: Discussion (6 Mar 2014)

Colm Burke: There was also the withdrawal of rest days for staff on a one in three roster. They are being withdrawn in some units but not all.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Report on Perinatal Deaths at Midland Regional Hospital: Discussion (6 Mar 2014)

Colm Burke: I am talking about the position around the country where the rest day has been withdrawn in some units but not all. I am asking that the issue be dealt with because the number of patients has increased but the number of consultants has not.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Early Years Strategy: Discussion (6 Mar 2014)

Colm Burke: I thank the delegates for their presentations. I apologise for not being here but I have read the presentations. I thank the delegates for the work they are doing in this important area. I want to raise an issue concerning a programme in which the delegates may not be directly involved. In 1996 we introduced the Breaking the Cycle scheme whereby we increased the number of teachers per...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Mar 2014)

Colm Burke: It would be appropriate that the Government consider farming out the drafting of legislation, because it appears there is a problem in fast-tracking legislation. Many Departments have a programme with regard to what legislation they need to get through. I ask the Leader to consider the issue in respect of the initial drafting of legislation, not the final drafting. At least it would get...