Results 5,761-5,780 of 11,187 for speaker:Colm Burke

Public Accounts Committee: Transport Infrastructure Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (3 Feb 2022)

Colm Burke: Is there not now a need to look at that whole issue? As interest rates are low now, it may be to our advantage to have a review. Would Mr. Masterson accept it is a fault in the system that neither TII nor anyone else has the power and only the beneficiaries do?

Public Accounts Committee: Transport Infrastructure Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (3 Feb 2022)

Colm Burke: Has there been any review where a company has refinanced and where there has been a benefit? Has that occurred in any case?

Public Accounts Committee: Transport Infrastructure Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (3 Feb 2022)

Colm Burke: I refer to two projects. The route for the Ringaskiddy bypass was announced in 2014 and we are now eight years on. I know many of the delays were outside TII's control. Are there lessons to be learned on the planning processes and the entitlement to judicial review? I accept people have a constitutional right to judicial review. Does Mr. Walsh believe there can be a better way than the...

Public Accounts Committee: Transport Infrastructure Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (3 Feb 2022)

Colm Burke: In fairness, there are some delays in courts but there is also the complexity of these cases. As it takes up quite a bit of time before all the documentation from each side is put together, that must be taken into account. I am in no way saying anyone who wants to take a judicial review should be restricted. It is a constitutional right. However, it is about the whole process. From the...

Public Accounts Committee: Transport Infrastructure Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (3 Feb 2022)

Colm Burke: I return to the issue of projects that were sidelined. Take the Cork-Limerick road for instance. A decision was taken to not proceed with it. Then, when it was decided to proceed with it, it appears as though we started with a clean sheet and went through the whole process all over again. Is there a mechanism for dealing with that? If a project is parked, why must we start with a clean...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Feb 2022)

Colm Burke: 56. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to raise awareness and promote the treatment benefit scheme to increase take-up and ensure persons are aware of their entitlements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5306/22]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Feb 2022)

Colm Burke: 22. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons who received the carer’s support grant in 2021; if the social protection budget will enable a similar amount of support in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5305/22]

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (3 Feb 2022)

Colm Burke: 161. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the way that he plans to respond to the expert group report partnership for the Public Good: A New Funding Model for Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5313/22]

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Services (3 Feb 2022)

Colm Burke: 204. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the breakdown by scheme of funding support provided to youth organisations and youth services in 2021; the broad outcomes which this funding has supported; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5312/22]

Easing of Covid-19 Restrictions: Statements (2 Feb 2022)

Colm Burke: I thank the Ministers of State, Deputies Feighan and Butler, and all staff in the Department of Health for the work that has been done over the past two years. I further thank staff in our hospitals, front-line staff in our nursing homes and GPs and their staff for their work over the past two years and all of the people who have worked in vaccination centres across the country for their...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Nursing Homes (2 Feb 2022)

Colm Burke: 129. To ask the Minister for Health when a section (details supplied) of the Housing for All plan will come into effect; the details of this plan; the status of the proposal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5298/22]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Covid-19 and Easing of Restrictions: Discussion (2 Feb 2022)

Colm Burke: I thank the witnesses for their presentations this morning. I wish to deal with long Covid, which is an issue other speakers have already raised. I was looking at the progress being made in the UK on this, and my understanding is that there are now more than 80 NHS clinics specifically dealing with long Covid. What is the proposal for setting up specialist clinics in this area? I am not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Covid-19 and Easing of Restrictions: Discussion (2 Feb 2022)

Colm Burke: My understanding is that the UK Government has now set aside €100 million as an investment to deal with long Covid for young people. From Dr. Glynn's information, has there been any indication of the number of young people who have been adversely affected and who are still having to deal with long Covid?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Covid-19 and Easing of Restrictions: Discussion (2 Feb 2022)

Colm Burke: I will move on to two other issues. One is hospitals coming back to providing services. I recently spoke to someone who is working in a hospital operating theatre. In the past two weeks they had a full complement of theatre staff and they had to do a particular operation because it was urgent, but they were not able to do their elective list which they normally did on a particular day in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Covid-19 and Easing of Restrictions: Discussion (2 Feb 2022)

Colm Burke: Where there is capacity in a hospital to do elective surgery, and there are empty beds, are we then not making the waiting lists longer in hospitals? This is occurring in hospitals right around the country. What can be done to use beds that are empty and theatre space that is available to make sure we deal with people who require urgent care? Surely we can put in place enough mechanisms to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Covid-19 and Easing of Restrictions: Discussion (2 Feb 2022)

Colm Burke: When will we see the change in this approach? The approach that seems to be very much entrenched at this stage is that elective surgery cannot be done and people cannot be brought in unless it is urgent. This is what is being applied in many HSE hospitals throughout the country.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Covid-19 and Easing of Restrictions: Discussion (2 Feb 2022)

Colm Burke: Surely the Department of Health must have an influence on this. People are contacting us because they have been on a waiting list for elective surgery for six, 12 or 18 months and nothing is happening. Consultants and nurses as well as administrative staff are being contacted on a constant basis and being asked where people are on the list.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Covid-19 and Easing of Restrictions: Discussion (2 Feb 2022)

Colm Burke: Can the committee be advised of when progress will be made in this area?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Covid-19 and Easing of Restrictions: Discussion (2 Feb 2022)

Colm Burke: I want to raise a point on GP practices and the role the entire team in GP practices played during the pandemic. The Irish College of General Practitioners came before the committee recently. One of the issues it raised was that it had concerns about the level of support for GP practices and funding for support staff in practices. It also raised the issue of the number of GPs who will be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Covid-19 and Easing of Restrictions: Discussion (2 Feb 2022)

Colm Burke: This is about long-term planning. We are dealing with health and it is a relevant question to the Chief Medical Officer.