Results 1-20 of 10,689 for speaker:Colm Burke

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Early Childhood Care and Education (19 Jun 2024)

Colm Burke: I am taking this Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister for children. I thank Senator Currie for raising this important issue and for offering me the opportunity to respond. Ensuring access to high-quality and affordable early learning and childcare is a key priority for the Government. Various data sources provide evidence that the supply of early learning and childcare is...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Early Childhood Care and Education (19 Jun 2024)

Colm Burke: I thank the Senator and I fully agree with her. As we now have full employment, there is competition when it comes to retaining staff. As I stated, the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, has recently established a new supply management unit in his Department to undertake more detailed analysis of supply and demand. That is an extremely important development. His role is to develop a planning...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: School Patronage (19 Jun 2024)

Colm Burke: I thank the Senator for raising this matter. I should outline that I am here on behalf of the Minister for Education. The Department of Education does not come under my remit but I have a very detailed statement, which runs to ten pages. I do not think I will have time to deliver all of it. Before addressing the specific matter raised, I will provide an outline of the extent of the school...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: School Patronage (19 Jun 2024)

Colm Burke: I will certainly take on board what the Senator has set out. As I said, a review has been published that sets out clearly the reform that is going to be implemented and the target of 100,000 additional students benefiting between now and 2030. In other words, the current capacity allows for over 161,000 children to travel on school transport. We are talking about adding another 100,000 on...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: State Examinations (19 Jun 2024)

Colm Burke: I thank the Cathaoirleach. With all of us Members present from Cork, I wonder if we could have a Seanad sitting in Cork. I thank the Senator for raising this matter. I am here on behalf of the Minister for Education so the reply received is from the Department of Education. I thank the Senator for the opportunity to update the House on this matter. The State Examinations...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: State Examinations (19 Jun 2024)

Colm Burke: I thank the Cathaoirleach and the Senator. The SEC at this time is finalising the terms of reference and the composition of the structures that will underpin the review. The review will consider all relevant issues and will take account of the best practice internationally. This, therefore, is a comprehensive review. In this regard, I am assured that the SEC intends that there will be...

Seanad: National Cancer Services: Motion (19 Jun 2024)

Colm Burke: I thank Senators Kyne and Conway for bringing forward this motion. Twelve Senators contributed to the debate and I thank each and every one of them for detailing their concerns and setting out how we need to roll out and improve our current cancer care plan. I will touch on some of the points raised because it is important that I deal with them as they arose. I may not be able to get...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Disability Services (19 Jun 2024)

Colm Burke: I have been asked to take this Topical Issue by the Minister of State, Deputy Butler. She apologises that she could not be here this morning. Funding for mental health increased to more than €1.3 billion in 2024. This is the fourth consecutive year of an increase for mental health services and highlights the importance this Government places on the mental health of those living in...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Disability Services (19 Jun 2024)

Colm Burke: Again, I am stepping in for the Minister of State, Deputy Butler. I do not think anyone is sticking their head in the sand. As I outlined, there was a 33% increase in demand for services and a 21% increase in the number of new cases. That is a substantial increase. The Deputy said people had their heads in the sand. The number of people working in this area has increased substantially in...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: State Pathology Service (19 Jun 2024)

Colm Burke: It is important that we distinguish between suspicious and non-suspicious deaths. The former come under the State pathologist's remit. I have outlined that there are four in Dublin and one in Cork. Where there is a suspicious death, they become involved. In other cases of non-suspicious deaths, that matter is dealt with in the hospital and within the hospital area.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: State Pathology Service (19 Jun 2024)

Colm Burke: I have set that out but I think it is important that we get the message across that post-mortems are dealt with in two distinct ways. Post-mortem examinations in non-suspicious deaths under the remit of the coroner are directed to be performed by hospital-based histopathology consultants.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: State Pathology Service (19 Jun 2024)

Colm Burke: I did not interrupt the Deputy.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: State Pathology Service (19 Jun 2024)

Colm Burke: I did not interrupt the Deputy. What I am saying is there is co-ordination, as I understand it, between University Hospital Kerry and Cork University Hospital with regard to the provision of services. If there were delays, I will check what the reason is for those and revert to the Deputy. I will also get him the average time it takes for post-mortems. The figures I have for 2021 show...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: State Pathology Service (19 Jun 2024)

Colm Burke: I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter, on which I will update the House on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly. I extend my sympathies to the families who have experienced a waiting period for the carrying out of a post mortem. I understand the concerns raised about the delay in post mortem services in Kerry. I appreciate that the current situation may...

Carers: Motion [Private Members] (18 Jun 2024)

Colm Burke: I thank the Deputies for their contributions. In coming back in response, it is important for me to state that I too have been involved in trying to work out support for people who reside at home. The challenge is that people are living longer and life expectancy in Ireland has increased by six years over the past 20 years and, therefore, we have a lot more people living longer. For...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (18 Jun 2024)

Colm Burke: 149. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when a review being undertaken by her Department in respect of a Stage 2B submission will be finalised and a school (details supplied) contacted about the outcome of this review, as it has been confirmed that it has been near completion for some time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25994/24]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Strategies (18 Jun 2024)

Colm Burke: Sexual health is a priority for the Department of Health; the National Sexual Health Strategy 2015-2020 (NSHS) was developed as a core policy under the Healthy Ireland Framework and is a priority under the Healthy Ireland Strategic Action Plan 2021-2025. Implementation of the Strategy is led by the HSE Sexual Health and Crisis Pregnancy Programme (SHCPP). It was extended until the end of 2022...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (18 Jun 2024)

Colm Burke: 394. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of an application by an organisation (details supplied) to Pobal for funding for an additional full-time worker; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25995/24]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Addiction Treatment Services (11 Jun 2024)

Colm Burke: The Department of Health, the HSE and the Department of Housing are committed to working collaboratively to enhance access to healthcare and drug treatment services for people who are homeless. The Department of Health has allocated dedicated multi-annual funding of c €47 million to the HSE for the provision of healthcare services for people who are homeless. This includes additional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (11 Jun 2024)

Colm Burke: 908.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider expediting a review of the SOLAS statutory apprenticeship which requires that certain apprenticeships applicants must pass the Ishihara colour vision test without the use of corrective lenses, particularly considering the most recent technological advances that have been made in such lenses; and if he will make a statement...