Results 1,401-1,420 of 11,255 for speaker:Colm Burke

Seanad: Defamation (Amendment) Bill 2014: Second Stage (3 Dec 2014)

Colm Burke: I welcome the publication of this Bill. It is important to have a debate about freedom of speech. For a second while listening to Senator Daly, I wondered if I was involved in a debate in North Korea because he gave the impression that there is no free speech in this country. I remind him-----

Seanad: Defamation (Amendment) Bill 2014: Second Stage (3 Dec 2014)

Colm Burke: I remind Senator Daly that his party was in government in 2004 when my legal office identified a major defect in legislation involving people in nursing homes. We found that 80% of their pension was being deducted and no legislation gave power to the health boards to do that. The response of the Government in 2004 was to immediately rush legislation through the Dáil and Seanad in three...

Seanad: Homelessness: Statements (3 Dec 2014)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. It is important to acknowledge the work of many groups on the housing issue, in particular the Simon Community, local authorities, the Housing First service and Threshold, and that of the people who work for them on a voluntary basis. It is not an easy issue to resolve. I recall Cork County Council trying to open a wet shelter in the city when...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Tenant Purchase Scheme Administration (3 Dec 2014)

Colm Burke: I realise the Minister of State has had a long day and apologise, therefore, for detaining him so late in the evening. A large number of people in local authority housing wish to purchase their home, but there is no scheme in place to allow them to do so. In many cases, tenants have been living in the same property for a long time but there is no private housing available in the area....

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Tenant Purchase Scheme Administration (3 Dec 2014)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive reply and am delighted the new scheme will be up and running shortly.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Deep Brain Tissue Treatment: Health Service Executive (4 Dec 2014)

Colm Burke: I thank Dr. O'Connell for a very comprehensive presentation and for setting out all the issues and the way the HSE is approaching it. Dr. O'Connell gave the figures for 2012 up to 2014. There is a substantial increase. Could he clarify whether he sees a further increase over the next two to three years or whether he thinks it has levelled out in respect of the numbers who will be seeking...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Deep Brain Tissue Treatment: Health Service Executive (4 Dec 2014)

Colm Burke: In the context of cross-border health care, I wish to ask about undue delay. Is that being looked at currently? Are there consequences in terms of the implementation of the directive? How do we plan to deal with the issue?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Best Practice Access Guidelines: Irish Wheelchair Association (4 Dec 2014)

Colm Burke: I thank the deputation for a comprehensive presentation. My first question relates to selling an idea and about engagement. One point may be helpful from our point of view. Do we have a figure for the total number of people who are wheelchair bound or who need to use wheelchairs? Another interesting figure is the number who are dependent on wheelchairs and living alone. These figures are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Best Practice Access Guidelines: Irish Wheelchair Association (4 Dec 2014)

Colm Burke: To refer back to targets with local authorities, I served on a local authority for 12 years and local authorities tend to say they will deal with an issue next year or the year after. It would be a very good idea if the witnesses engage with local authorities and set clear targets for areas, because unless the targets are set out in writing it can get pushed down the road. That is something...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Dec 2014)

Colm Burke: The Senator will have to do the Ring of Kerry.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Dec 2014)

Colm Burke: I propose an amendment to the Order of Business that No. 12 be taken before No. 1. I raise a matter that was presented to us at a meeting of the Joint Committee on Health last Thursday. I refer to the HIQA report on the National Ambulance Service which is frightening. It clearly indicates that some in management in the ambulance service acknowledged that they did not have the skills...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Dec 2014)

Colm Burke: What services should we cut?

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Dec 2014)

Colm Burke: What services does she want to cut?

Seanad: Health (Professional Home Care) Bill 2014: First Stage (9 Dec 2014)

Colm Burke: I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to provide for the regulation of professional home care, for that purpose to amend the Health Act 2007 and to provide for related matters.

Seanad: Health (Professional Home Care) Bill 2014: First Stage (9 Dec 2014)

Colm Burke: Next Tuesday, 16 December.

Seanad: Intellectual Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Second Stage (9 Dec 2014)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister for bringing forward this legislation, which I very much welcome. Cork is hugely reliant on the pharmaceutical industry. Eight of the top ten pharmaceutical companies in the world are based in the Cork region, within a 50-mile radius of Cork city, which emphasises the importance of the industry to Cork. Anything that can help to copperfasten that industry and grow it...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Dec 2014)

Colm Burke: It is important that the facts of the report last night are fully investigated. One of the things the report highlights is the lack of checks and balances. That is what we need in every system. It appears not only that the facility is falling down in the provision of services and how it treats the people it is appointed to care for, but also that the checks and balances are not working....

Seanad: Standards of Care in Residential Care Homes: Statements (10 Dec 2014)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State for making time today to deal with this issue. The television programme aired last night was frightening. People are shocked that in this day and age this way of managing patients was allowed to continue. It is interesting that HIQA carried out an inspection of the facility on 25 and 26 February and again on 26 and 27 May this year. Several issues were...

Seanad: Standards of Care in Residential Care Homes: Statements (10 Dec 2014)

Colm Burke: I am in the Minister of State's hands. I propose that we extend the time allotted for statements by 20 minutes.

Seanad: Standards of Care in Residential Care Homes: Statements (10 Dec 2014)

Colm Burke: At 10.30 a.m. tomorrow.