Results 1,941-1,960 of 11,255 for speaker:Colm Burke

Seanad: Judicial Council: Motion (19 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister of State. I thank the Senators for tabling the motion. It is important that we discuss this matter because it has been discussed for more than 16 years and we should now try to move forward. Members have outlined the delays but it is important to recognise the changes that have been made in the courts in recent years, in particular, the establishment of a Court of...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: I thank Senator Ivana Bacik and all those involved in bringing forward the motion on the situation in Syria. It is extremely important that we speak with one voice and send a clear message on this matter, given the significant number of innocent people, especially children, being killed. In talking about the need to speak with one voice I wish to refer again – I am sorry for doing so...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Nursing Homes Support Scheme Appeals (25 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank him for dealing with this Commencement matter, which relates to the private nursing home sector. At present, there are over 23,500 people in private nursing home beds under the fair deal scheme. An issue has been raised with me by representatives of a number of private nursing homes regarding the fact that when the price is fixed - and...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Nursing Homes Support Scheme Appeals (25 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive reply. I agree fully with the Minister of State in respect of his last point. Such an outcome is the last thing we need. It reminds me of every District Court case that is sent to the Circuit Court, and that is not what I want. It may be that only one price agreement in every 1,000 is fixed but some mechanism is needed. The Minister of...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: I join Senator Humphreys in raising the extremely important issue of maternity hospitals. I fully agree that a ten-month delay in the lodging of a planning application is unreasonable. It is about time those involved resolved their differences and got on with it. I remind the House that a 2003 report on our maternity services suggested that there should be approximately 180 consultants in...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Special Educational Needs Staff (26 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister and I thank him for taking the time out from his busy schedule to deal with this query. St. Paul's School in Montenotte, Cork, has 95 students. Some have moderate learning disabilities and some have severe and profound learning disabilities. As I understand it, there are 15 class teachers and 35 special needs assistants. There is a problem in the school. I spent...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Special Educational Needs Staff (26 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: I very much appreciate the reply. I will send on the letter I received from the principal. One of the major issues is that because of the severe or profound learning disabilities of some of the students, extraordinary pressure is coming on staff. For example, when I was there one pupil required two staff members at all times. The school has a serious challenge in this regard.This pupil...

Seanad: Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (26 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister of State and thank her for bringing forward the Bill. There is overall agreement that we need to tackle the drink problem. We have major problems in our health service and regarding many issues surrounding drink. The University of Sheffield, which was contracted by the Northern Ireland Executive, made a presentation to the previous Oireachtas Joint Committee on...

Seanad: Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (26 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: Overall, there is a need for a major shake up in respect of how we approach alcohol consumption. We need an education programme and we need to control access to alcohol, especially for young people.

Seanad: Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: We should consider the amendments put forward by the Independent Senators and Senator Black on advertising. This is especially relevant for advertising and broadcasting of a main sporting event. If such an amendment was to be brought forward, there is nothing to say it has to be put in place immediately. It could come in by way of regulation at some stage in future. I am somewhat...

Seanad: Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: The national broadcaster is receiving some funds from the various companies in the drinks industry, in particular where advertising occurs around sports events. This is covered in the amendment tabled by Senator Black and others. While we may not be able to control or implement it now, my argument is that the amendment is valid. I am not asking that it would come into place immediately as...

Seanad: Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: This does not deal with online shopping where somebody is buying products from abroad. I do not believe we can legislate on that, but it is an issue. If people are producing a product and they find that the legislation here prevents them from selling that product here, there is nothing to prevent them from going outside Ireland and advertising it online. It is a problem that must be...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: I propose an amendment to the Order of Business, that No. 9 be dealt with before No. 1, if it is agreeable.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: It is the publication of a Bill on the registration of professional home care providers. The second issue is the whole health service and, following on from what Senator Humphreys said on a previous day, the need to have the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, in here regarding a number of issues. One of the issues we need to discuss with him is maternity services. A report was published...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) (Professional Home Care) Bill 2016: First Stage (27 Oct 2016)

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 (Amendment) (Professional Home Care) Bill 2016: First Stage (27 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: On Tuesday next.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Paediatric Hospital: Discussion (27 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: I suggest we ask questions and that the answers could be dealt with together.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Paediatric Hospital: Discussion (27 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: I thank the witnesses for their presentation and detailed submission. The issue of the location of the new children's hospital has been discussed for literally 25 years. We had decided on the Mater hospital site ten years ago. The planning for it from Dublin City Council was almost through when An Bord Pleanála overturned it. The decision on this matter was taken in 2012 and the site...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Paediatric Hospital: Discussion (27 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: The reason I raised the issue was what was stated in the last sentence of Ms O'Shea's submission. It implicates the three clinical directors. It is in that context that I raise the question because it is a very serious allegation that the decision will cause deaths. The three clinical directors support the proposal. I am a little concerned that Ms O'Shea is implicating them.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Paediatric Hospital: Discussion (27 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: I apologise for not being here for the start of the presentation. Unfortunately I had business in the Seanad I had to attend to. I was moving a Private Member's Bill. I have looked all the documentation on this. With regard to the presentation made earlier this morning, I raised in particular the issue that An Bord Pleanála looked at the Mater hospital site and decided it was not the...