Results 1,541-1,560 of 11,255 for speaker:Colm Burke

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Disability Support Services (11 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: I wish to raise two points. I am not blaming the Minister or the Department, but no one in the local authority is taking responsibility. The family has grown so frustrated that it has stopped talking to people. It was by pure accident that I came across the issue. I have been dealing with it for the past nine months. I have helped the family to file a complaint with the Ombudsman for...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Disability Support Services (11 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: I wish to clarify something. In the letter issued to the family in July 2008, Cork City Council accepted that works needed to be done.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Disability Support Services (11 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: The plans were drafted and provided in November 2008, yet here we are.

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: I wish to follow on from the issues raised by Senator White. It is important that when people return to this country they not only look for jobs but at issues such as housing and taxation. The reason we have such high taxation here at this stage is because we must pay for mistakes made when Fianna Fáil was in power for 14 years. The Opposition should not forget that fact. Also, the...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: We must now be positive about bringing about change.

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: We have brought stability to the country and created jobs. The only way forward is to create jobs. One of the things about young people coming back and seeking jobs, is that we must remember Ireland is a small economy of 4.6 million people. When people go abroad they have a wider choice of jobs and places to go. Ireland now competes on the world market in a whole lot of areas. In terms...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: I have outlined the issues that we need to start tackling. If we want people to come back then we must fast-track registration procedures so that they can return to take up available jobs. That is a hugely important issue. I ask the Leader to raise the issue with the relevant Ministers because registration delays affect all professions. We must make sure that the registration authorities...

Seanad: Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill 2015: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister to the House. I thank him, the departmental officials and all those involved in the background in the Office of the Attorney General for bringing forward this legislation so rapidly. When this matter was brought before the High Court, it was argued that section 2(2) of the 1977 Act was unconstitutional. The public perception at present is that the Government is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Cost of Prescription Drugs: Discussion (Resumed) (12 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: While I agree with the witnesses that the cost of drugs has come down, I am still concerned. I gave the example last week of someone who comes to my clinic in Cork. He is in receipt of an old age pension, he does not have a medical card and he has had two heart attacks. He travels to Northern Ireland, from Cork to Dublin to Newry, once every two months and is paying less in Northern...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Cost of Prescription Drugs: Discussion (Resumed) (12 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: It would be helpful if Mr. Burke was given a copy of the document that I have in order to correlate the figures.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: General Scheme of Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015: (Resumed) Alcohol Research Group (12 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: I pay tribute to the delegation for their fantastic presentation, which has been very well researched. I agree with previous speakers in that it is a very valuable document and we must take it very seriously. Our attitude towards drinking was summed up to me in the past week when I spoke to somebody who had returned from holidays. Half an hour into the flight, the crew of the aircraft...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: I too wish to congratulate the men's and women's rugby teams on their success in the past week. It shows that leadership was provided in the work they have done in achieving successful results at the weekend. The week beginning 28 March is organ donor week. One of the problems in Ireland is that more than 600 people are waiting for kidney transplants. The number of medical consultants...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: General Scheme of Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: I thank the delegates for their presentations. I refer to a paragraph in the presentation made by Mr. White on codes of practice. It reads:The RRAI has consistently supported the replacement of the existing voluntary code of practice in mixed trading premises with a statutory code with strengthened provisions on the display and sale of alcohol in mixed trade stores. Will he outline what is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Remuneration of Section 38 Agency Staff: Health Service Executive (24 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: I thank Mr. Tegerdine for his presentation. First, will he outline the total number of section 38 organisations we are discussing? Have we an idea of the total budget among all those organisations? I am not asking for precise figures but a rough guideline. Second, were there structures in place before the circular of September 2013? What was the structure in place in terms of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Remuneration of Section 38 Agency Staff: Health Service Executive (24 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: My apologies.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Remuneration of Section 38 Agency Staff: Health Service Executive (24 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: Recommendation No. 19 in the report on the implementation of recommendations is recorded as unable to implement. Will Mr Tegerdine give the committee some further clarification on that issue? What are we talking about? Mr Tegerdine refers to a statement by Ms Oonagh Buckley to the Committee of Public Accounts on 19 December 2013. Can we have some clarification on that because it is not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Remuneration of Section 38 Agency Staff: Health Service Executive (24 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: As regards section 38 agencies, it is relevant in that 25 have made business cases. My understanding is that we are not talking about a huge number of section 38 agencies overall. That is why I am wondering from where the figure of 25 came. That is why the question is relevant.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Remuneration of Section 38 Agency Staff: Health Service Executive (24 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: A total 25 of the 39 agencies have submitted business cases.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Remuneration of Section 38 Agency Staff: Health Service Executive (24 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: I accept that, but 25 of the 39 agencies have made submissions where they are non-compliant.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Remuneration of Section 38 Agency Staff: Health Service Executive (24 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: Before 2013, what structure was in place between the Department of Health, the HSE and the various agencies involved?