Results 4,381-4,400 of 11,187 for speaker:Colm Burke

Written Answers — Department of Health: Infectious Diseases (11 Oct 2022)

Colm Burke: 683. To ask the Minister for Health the consideration that would be given by his Department and the HSE to screening for vancomycin resistant enterococci in respect of all hospital patients on admission (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49845/22]

Public Accounts Committee: 2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 38 - Health
Health Service Executive - Financial Statements 2021 (Resumed) (6 Oct 2022)

Colm Burke: I thank all of our guests here for dealing with the queries that have been raised. I want to move onto an issue that I raised in the Dáil yesterday, which is in relation to the level of claims against the HSE and where we are with that issue. The amount paid out for the level of claims in 2021 was €461 million. That was paid out by the State Claims Agency. Not all of that...

Public Accounts Committee: 2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 38 - Health
Health Service Executive - Financial Statements 2021 (Resumed) (6 Oct 2022)

Colm Burke: I apologise. It was €461 million that was reimbursed to the State Claims Agency in 2021, up from €373 million. That is an increase of €86 million in 12 months.

Public Accounts Committee: 2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 38 - Health
Health Service Executive - Financial Statements 2021 (Resumed) (6 Oct 2022)

Colm Burke: Looking at how medical negligence is dealt with in other countries, is there a need to look at a policy change in this area? Can we manage it in a better way while making sure that where errors are made, people are adequately provided for? Is it not time to review the whole process rather than having what we have now where claims can go on for long periods of six, seven or eight years...

Public Accounts Committee: 2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 38 - Health
Health Service Executive - Financial Statements 2021 (Resumed) (6 Oct 2022)

Colm Burke: In other countries, an annual payment is made rather than a lump sum, so it is ongoing. It goes back to the issue of children who suffered as a result of thalidomide. While they got compensation, it was in no way adequate in real terms. I have heard of a number of cases where substantial compensation was paid out and within a very short period people passed away unfortunately. There is a...

Public Accounts Committee: 2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 38 - Health
Health Service Executive - Financial Statements 2021 (Resumed) (6 Oct 2022)

Colm Burke: The money paid out to the various section 38 and 39 organisations amounted to €5.7 billion in 2021. That is a huge slice of the HSE budget. There are more than 2,300 of these organisations and it is not physically possible to audit every one of them. They obviously have proper systems in place. In any one year, how many of the 2,300 organisations' accounts would the HSE go and review?

Public Accounts Committee: 2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 38 - Health
Health Service Executive - Financial Statements 2021 (Resumed) (6 Oct 2022)

Colm Burke: Let us say the HSE goes into 50 organisations in any one year. In how many of those would it find that not all the checks and balances are in place and not everything is being done by the rules?

Public Accounts Committee: 2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 38 - Health
Health Service Executive - Financial Statements 2021 (Resumed) (6 Oct 2022)

Colm Burke: A lot of these organisations are in very much the same area. Has any effort been made to have organisations work more closely together and maybe amalgamate them in order to create greater efficiencies?

Public Accounts Committee: 2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 38 - Health
Health Service Executive - Financial Statements 2021 (Resumed) (6 Oct 2022)

Colm Burke: Is a proactive approach being taken in encouraging people and organisations to work more closely together in order to deliver a better service more efficiently?

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Policy (6 Oct 2022)

Colm Burke: 15. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of the review of the Global Ireland Strategy which commenced at the end of 2021; if this review will alter the objectives of the strategy going forward; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48550/22]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (6 Oct 2022)

Colm Burke: 45. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the progress that has been made to date on the Passport Service Reform Programme; if the roll-out of the programme is on target; when the programme will be concluded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48549/22]

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (6 Oct 2022)

Colm Burke: 80. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the actions that his Department will undertake in relation to the recruitment of women into the Defence Forces in 2023 as per the recommendations set out in the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces and in line with Defence Forces recruitment objectives announced in Budget 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48632/22]

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (6 Oct 2022)

Colm Burke: 91. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the amount of funding that will be allocated to pay and allowance enhancements for serving members of the Defence Forces following the announcement in Budget 2023; the timeline for when these increases will come into effect; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48631/22]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Policy (6 Oct 2022)

Colm Burke: 136. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will confirm that the €600 energy credit is to be paid in instalments will be paid to prepay and pay-as-you-go customers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49358/22]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Budgets (6 Oct 2022)

Colm Burke: 424. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the expenditure by the Forestry Service is in line with the budget for the month of September 2022, thereby ensuring that there is no underspend for 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49405/22]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Budgets (6 Oct 2022)

Colm Burke: 425. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the expenditure by the Forestry Service for the month of September 2022 versus September 2021 to enable comparison in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49406/22]

Personal Injuries Resolution Board Bill 2022: Second Stage (5 Oct 2022)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State for the Bill bringing forward. While there has been a drop in the cost of insurance, I am wondering if the cost of insurance could have come down more in view of the fact that the average PIAB award has decreased by 42% to €13,525. We have not seen the same decrease in insurance costs. It is something that we need to get a far better response on from...

Regulated Professions (Health and Social Care) (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Oct 2022)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Bill and thank the Minister of State and her Department for the work done in progressing it. It is important that regulation and legislation be kept up-to-date at all times. This is the third or fourth Bill we have dealt with regarding registration. The CORU figures for 2017 to 2021, which include social workers, medical scientists and physiotherapists, are interesting. The...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Construction of the National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (5 Oct 2022)

Colm Burke: I thank the witnesses and apologise for not being here for the presentation. I read all of the documentation beforehand. What is the total number of people now working on the hospital site? The witnesses may have been over this already but I just want to get an idea of the number of people working on-site at the moment.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Construction of the National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (5 Oct 2022)

Colm Burke: Are we satisfied that the contractors and subcontractors are able to get the staff they require? Are there still challenges in that area?