Results 4,801-4,820 of 11,255 for speaker:Colm Burke

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Adult Education Provision (28 Jun 2022)

Colm Burke: 678. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if all adult education tutors will be entitled to receive holiday pay in the same way as all other employees of the education sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34386/22]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (28 Jun 2022)

Colm Burke: 697. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the full number of gardaí across all ranks attached to all Garda stations in the Cork city and county area in each of the years from 2017 to 2021 and to date in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33676/22]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Facilities (28 Jun 2022)

Colm Burke: 893. To ask the Minister for Health the status of the completion of the new ophthalmology unit which has been built in Ballincollig, County Cork as part of the overall development in the south and south west HSE area; if funding has been provided to equip the building and to provide an adequate number of staff to provide ophthalmology services; the expected date when it will be fully...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Healthcare Policy (23 Jun 2022)

Colm Burke: I raise this matter because concerns have been expressed to me that there may be a need for legislation in the context of this scheme. In that regard, I am concerned about the timeframe we have to pass any such required legislation, with this House only sitting for another three weeks, and likewise with Seanad, which any Bill would also have to go through. The issue here is whether we need...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Healthcare Policy (23 Jun 2022)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, for taking this matter. I ask him to outline the plans by the Department of Health for the introduction of the free contraception scheme for 17- to 25-year-olds, which is due to happen in August. I am seeking clarification as to whether it needs to be done by way of legislation or by means of regulation. If the former, when will we see the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (23 Jun 2022)

Colm Burke: Deputy Emer Higgins and I published a Private Members’ Bill in regard to the regulation of home care providers. In fairness to the Department of Health, it is progressing with the drafting of legislation and new regulation in this whole area. One of the issues it needs to put in place is an IT system for the HSE in regard to the management of home care because it is currently all...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 3 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (23 Jun 2022)

Colm Burke: I thank the witnesses for being here this morning and for dealing with the questions being raised. My first question relates to the "RTÉ Investigates" programme on 23 March 2022. I will quote two examples they gave about the lack of accountability. The first example was Cavan County Council in 2017 and an allegation of fake invoices. An investigation was initiated but there has been...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 3 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (23 Jun 2022)

Colm Burke: With the case in Cavan the report said there was no Garda investigation.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 3 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (23 Jun 2022)

Colm Burke: That is a great line with regard to "We cannot give you any information". I would like someone from An Garda Síochána to confirm that the file is not closed. Certainly, RTÉ did not get that information.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 3 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (23 Jun 2022)

Colm Burke: Perhaps the Department could give the committee some clarification on this issue. I like it when people can give me the full facts but in this case they are saying that there was no Garda investigation. Now we are being told something different inside here. Will the Department come back to us with clear information that there is still an ongoing Garda file and that it is not closed?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 3 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (23 Jun 2022)

Colm Burke: I will move on to something more recent. I do not see in any of the reports an acknowledgement of the contribution of commercial ratepayers to local authorities. It must be remembered that they pay a substantial sum of money to local authorities. It might be interesting to get a full breakdown of the total amount of commercial rates that are collected from the private sector by all of the...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 3 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (23 Jun 2022)

Colm Burke: I apologise for raising something that is very local but I wish to move on to this recent issue, which is the extension of the city boundary in Cork. It is a very welcome development in that there are now two local authorities dealing with planning and all of the other issues in relation to their areas. There is a situation, however, where there are 50 court orders and a dispute with the...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 3 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (23 Jun 2022)

Colm Burke: My understanding is that the papers were sent to the Attorney General six months ago. Surely we are talking about-----

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 3 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (23 Jun 2022)

Colm Burke: -----we are talking about breach of planning, court orders being in place and no action being taken. Rate payers and taxpayers are paying for a service from their local authorities and action is not being taken where people have totally flouted the law. Everyone who has complied with the law is paying up their full amount of taxes and full amount of rates, yet people who have flouted the...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 3 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (23 Jun 2022)

Colm Burke: I accept that.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 3 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (23 Jun 2022)

Colm Burke: Can we have a timeline by which action will be taken on this?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 3 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (23 Jun 2022)

Colm Burke: I also wish to raise the issue about the collection of rents from local authority housing. Can we get a breakdown from each local authority on the arrears? I understand that it is about €80 million across the entire State. Can we get a breakdown on what is the annual rent collected by each local authority from housing and what are the arrears that have now accumulated? How do we...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 3 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (23 Jun 2022)

Colm Burke: Can we also get a reason there is such a variation? Some local authorities work very closely on this. Obviously there are tenants who do run into difficulties, and this must also be considered, but some local authorities seem to work very effectively while others seem not to be as effective in dealing with the issue.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 3 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (23 Jun 2022)

Colm Burke: I raise a final question regarding taking in charge of properties.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 3 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (23 Jun 2022)

Colm Burke: I will return to the role of local authorities in planning. One of the problems I am coming across, and the Department must have an input in this, is local authorities not implementing the conditions in planning. You come across estates built over 15 or 20 years ago that have still not been taken in charge. I am talking about estates in cities and county areas. What is the Department...