Results 24,601-24,620 of 74,100 for speaker:Bernard Durkan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Options for Constitutional Change (18 Oct 2017)

Bernard Durkan: I am watching the clock very carefully myself, even if the Chairman might not think so.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Options for Constitutional Change (18 Oct 2017)

Bernard Durkan: I know. The Chairman is trying to hurry me and I am not in a condition to be hurried at this time of the night. Option 4, the repeal or replacement on specific grounds, could be a possibility, but I am not so sure. Repeal or replace on specified grounds and-or explicit rebalancing, the fifth option, has possibilities. It is something that might meet the requirements of all sides....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Options for Constitutional Change (18 Oct 2017)

Bernard Durkan: I am watching the clock.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Options for Constitutional Change (18 Oct 2017)

Bernard Durkan: I am watching the clock over there, Chairman.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Options for Constitutional Change (18 Oct 2017)

Bernard Durkan: That is modern technology, I do not go along with that at all. I am looking at the old fashioned timepiece over here and in the old days we always went by the clock on the wall.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Options for Constitutional Change (18 Oct 2017)

Bernard Durkan: Agreed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update On Health Issues: Discussion (18 Oct 2017)

Bernard Durkan: You will be glad to know it will be brief as always, Chairman. As far as I am concerned the big challenge currently is the budget. The current budgetary allocation is the first in recent years where extra money is available and it is being spent. We welcome that. The question is whether it will suffice. Given that we are in the higher cohort of spending among OECD countries, what...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update On Health Issues: Discussion (18 Oct 2017)

Bernard Durkan: Let me go back to my original question, on the issues that attract public attention and upset patients and the general public and which actually demoralise those working at the coalface in the health services. The first is overcrowding in accident and emergency units. Can the HSE put in place troubling-shooting systems that will find out precisely the cause in each case, as it arises?...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update On Health Issues: Discussion (18 Oct 2017)

Bernard Durkan: May I briefly-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update On Health Issues: Discussion (18 Oct 2017)

Bernard Durkan: I wanted to add a further question, as my other question was slightly gazumped by the Chairman. What has happened to GP services that have made them so unattractive recently compared with 25 years ago? Everyone wanted to be a GP and became successful ones. We are spending far more money on the health services now than we were then. For some unknown reason, we can, if we are lucky, get only...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update On Health Issues: Discussion (18 Oct 2017)

Bernard Durkan: May I comment?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update On Health Issues: Discussion (18 Oct 2017)

Bernard Durkan: I asked my question for a reason and with no disrespect to Mr. O'Brien, I did not get an answer. I am not new to this game and I have been at this a long time. My question remains. If I were to attend an overcrowded accident and emergency department tomorrow morning, could I find out why it is overcrowded? I guarantee I would find out whether patients are bypassing their general...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update On Health Issues: Discussion (18 Oct 2017)

Bernard Durkan: With no disrespect to my colleague, I am fully aware of that. What I am saying is that 25 years ago, we were able to deal with these issues effectively and we are no longer able to do so. We appear to be muscle-bound in the sense that we are spending more money per capita on health than many other countries in Europe and globally but we are not delivering. As a result, the quality of...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Strength (18 Oct 2017)

Bernard Durkan: 68. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the extent to which the strength of the Defence Forces - Army, Naval Service and Air Corps - continues to be replenished to ensure the maintenance of optimum strength; if particular recruitment proposals are in mind to deal with situations arising; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43978/17]

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Recruitment (18 Oct 2017)

Bernard Durkan: 217. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the progress to date in respect of proposed recruitment to the Defence Forces; the way in which each branch of the Defence Forces is likely to benefit from the recruitment programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44250/17]

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Representative Organisations (18 Oct 2017)

Bernard Durkan: 56. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the extent to which he has had ongoing discussions with the relevant representative bodies in the Defence Forces with a view to identifying and resolving issues of concern; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43979/17]

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Representative Organisations (18 Oct 2017)

Bernard Durkan: 224. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the extent to which the issues raised by the various representative bodies within the Defence Forces are being examined with a view to resolution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44257/17]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Status (18 Oct 2017)

Bernard Durkan: 132. To ask the Minister for Health if there will be no undue delays or rearranging of an appointment in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44087/17]

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Training (18 Oct 2017)

Bernard Durkan: 213. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the extent to which Defence Forces training continues to be in line with modern and international best practice; if particular procedures are shown to be in need of updating; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44246/17]

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Overseas Missions Data (18 Oct 2017)

Bernard Durkan: 214. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the level of deployment and location of Irish troops overseas on UN or EU related missions; the extent to which further missions are planned or required; the extent to which the need for the upgrading of equipment has been noted arising from such deployment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44247/17]