Results 5,761-5,780 of 11,255 for speaker:Colm Burke

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Oversight of Sláintecare: Discussion (16 Feb 2022)

Colm Burke: Absolutely.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Oversight of Sláintecare: Discussion (16 Feb 2022)

Colm Burke: I will move on to capacity in Cork and the wider Cork-Kerry region. I received a telephone call at 10 o’clock last night from a member of a family whose mother had been in the accident and emergency department of Cork University Hospital, CUH, since Sunday night. After 50 hours, this 92-year-old woman was still in the accident and emergency department. There is, therefore, a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Oversight of Sláintecare: Discussion (16 Feb 2022)

Colm Burke: Even as regards identifying the site, the HSE has a 100-acre site at Sarsfield Court in Glanmire. The hospital could be built block by block there into the future. This is about long-term planning to ensure we are not looking for additional space in three, five or ten years. There is 100 acres of land owned by the HSE that is underutilised. Let us at least identify the site so that we can...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Oversight of Sláintecare: Discussion (16 Feb 2022)

Colm Burke: It is that kind of delay where-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Oversight of Sláintecare: Discussion (16 Feb 2022)

Colm Burke: -----we lose valuable time. We also have problems in that we have consultants who are lucky to get a half day per week in operating space because they cannot get access to operating theatres. That needs to be looked at and that was done by the gynaecology services in Cork where there were 4,500 on the list. They got time in the Mater Private. The consultants went down there and cleared...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Oversight of Sláintecare: Discussion (16 Feb 2022)

Colm Burke: Can we look at fast-tracking the project to building stage?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Oversight of Sláintecare: Discussion (16 Feb 2022)

Colm Burke: In 2021, funding was made available for the building of two new theatres. Everyone expected they would be finished by November 2021. It turns out that a contract for the building was not signed until November 2021 and we are now talking about July or August of this year before those two new theatres are built. Can we not deal with the type of delay occurring in the healthcare sector? Why...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Services (15 Feb 2022)

Colm Burke: I agree with my colleague from Cork North-Central with regard to an elective hospital for Cork. The South/South West Hospital Group made a presentation to the HSE more than three years ago. An advertisement was put in place almost 12 months ago now looking for sites to be identified and here we are. Even if we identify a site in the morning, we have to get a design team in to design it, go...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Services (15 Feb 2022)

Colm Burke: I agree we need long-term planning. One of the things about long-term planning is making sure we do not identify a small site and then say we do not have adequate space in five or ten years’ time. It is important we identify a site and get on with the planning process. The planning process is going to take us a minimum of 18 months. This is now a priority. There is not sufficient...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Services (15 Feb 2022)

Colm Burke: 78. To ask the Minister for Health when it is proposed to announce the site of the proposed elective hospital in Cork; if a site been identified; when planning will be applied for and construction work will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7678/22]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Healthcare Infrastructure Provision (15 Feb 2022)

Colm Burke: 93. To ask the Minister for Health the current status of all projects involving hospital extensions in the Cork area in view of the large increase in population and the lack of an adequate number of hospital beds in the region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7679/22]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (15 Feb 2022)

Colm Burke: 399. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the total number of passports issued for each month from 1 January 2021 to 31 January 2022, by the number of passport renewals and the number of new passports for each month; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7698/22]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Disease Management (15 Feb 2022)

Colm Burke: 695. To ask the Minister for Health his views on the benefits of the participation of five Irish hospitals in the European Reference Network on Rare Diseases; if participation will help further national plans to support persons with rare diseases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7647/22]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (15 Feb 2022)

Colm Burke: 698. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to make the long-acting antibody treatment Evusheld available for the prevention of Covid-19 in immunocompromised patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7672/22]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Feb 2022)

Colm Burke: I thank Mr. Connolly for his presentation and for the constructive way he has set out the issues. I very much welcome his contribution. One of the issues that is being raised with us by the Irish Heart Foundation and the Irish Cancer Society is the increase in the number of young people who are vaping. In 2015, 23% of teenagers used e-cigarettes and by 2019, it was up to 37%, and we are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Feb 2022)

Colm Burke: These are the figures they are quoting. They are quoting figures and they are producing figures from the research that is available to them. They are saying it increased from 23% in 2015 to 37% in 2019. That is a huge increase in the number using e-cigarettes. The figures from the research also showed that people are more likely to use cigarettes if they have been vaping. I know we have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Feb 2022)

Colm Burke: Is Mr. Connolly saying the Irish Heart Foundation and the Irish Cancer Society are quoting inaccurate figures?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Feb 2022)

Colm Burke: The figures have gone up. There is also the issue of flavouring and three states have already decided to ban flavouring. What is Mr. Connolly's view on that, given it looks like this is going to happen across Europe? Some states have already decided this is the way forward. What is Mr. Connolly's view on that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Feb 2022)

Colm Burke: I accept they are not aimed at children but between 2012 and 2015 there were 343 incidents of e-liquid poisoning, of which 42.7% were among children. There were 343 incidents of such poisonings in a three-year period across Europe. These products are not aimed at children, but children have ended up using them. We need to be careful in how we deal with the issue. I accept what Mr....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Feb 2022)

Colm Burke: It was a study of 1,173,000 adults in the US aged between 18 and 50. The result was 34% were more likely to suffer from visual impairments, compared to those who had never tried e-cigarettes. It is an extensive study. I accept and think everyone here accepts that vaping has helped people to move away from cigarettes but we need to make sure there is adequate regulation because there are...