Results 5,881-5,900 of 11,255 for speaker:Colm Burke

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Mental Health Services (27 Jan 2022)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State for the debate last night. I raised this matter during that debate and I want to tie down the particular issue of why there is not in place in the Irish mental health service a regular peer review of psychiatrists and the manner in which they are managing their patients and the prescribing of medication. When a patient is in a hospital setting, there is a team...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Mental Health Services (27 Jan 2022)

Colm Burke: One of the recommendations in the report published by Dr. Sean Maskey was that agreements should be developed with GPs to share the treatment of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD, and pharmacists might help if that were to cause difficulties for GPs with regard to medication. Another point in the report was that clear written guides for the use of antipsychotic...

National Broadband Plan: Statements (27 Jan 2022)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State for the efforts he is making to deal with this issue. There are huge challenges, however. Like my colleague from Cork North-Central, I want to convey my concerns about the constituency. Cork is the second biggest city in the country and huge areas now are on the schedule for 2025-26. That is not good enough. We also have a problem whereby Eir is providing...

Public Accounts Committee: National Transport Authority: Financial Statements 2020 (27 Jan 2022)

Colm Burke: I thank our guests for their presentation and for the work they have done, in particular over the past two years. It has been a difficult time for those involved in public transport, involving the giving of back-up support. The authority was initially set up as the transport authority for the greater Dublin area and was then expanded to encompass the entire country. Something like...

Public Accounts Committee: National Transport Authority: Financial Statements 2020 (27 Jan 2022)

Colm Burke: Were clear budgets set out for the project over, say, a five-year period? We have spent €86 million to date. Has a budget been set out for the next five years? How will the NTA seek to maintain the costs within the budget as planned?

Public Accounts Committee: National Transport Authority: Financial Statements 2020 (27 Jan 2022)

Colm Burke: Over the next five years, has a clear budget for the expenditure been set out? I accept the NTA has put the proposal to the Government, but does it contain a clear plan for the expenditure over the next five years? Is the NTA satisfied there are specific controls to ensure the project stays within that budget?

Public Accounts Committee: National Transport Authority: Financial Statements 2020 (27 Jan 2022)

Colm Burke: I might move on to the issue of passenger vehicles and the purchase of them. I understand the Government decided in 2019 that no further diesel-fuelled vehicles would be purchased, yet 33 such vehicles were purchased in 2020. My understanding is down payments were made on 109 buses and that the vehicles will be provided for companies that are tendering for contracts. What will the...

Public Accounts Committee: National Transport Authority: Financial Statements 2020 (27 Jan 2022)

Colm Burke: Were penalties imposed for not being able to deliver on time?

Public Accounts Committee: National Transport Authority: Financial Statements 2020 (27 Jan 2022)

Colm Burke: Will it be possible to furnish the committee with that information?

Public Accounts Committee: National Transport Authority: Financial Statements 2020 (27 Jan 2022)

Colm Burke: With regard to the order for 109 buses, my understanding is the whole plan is approximately 800 vehicles over a certain time period. An order has gone in for 109 vehicles at this stage and down payments have been made on them. What is the delivery time period for those?

Public Accounts Committee: National Transport Authority: Financial Statements 2020 (27 Jan 2022)

Colm Burke: Mr. Creegan outlined that electric vehicles could not be used on long runs. With regard to development of technology, have targets been set out to try move more towards electric vehicles? What is the timeframe for moving in that direction?

Public Accounts Committee: National Transport Authority: Financial Statements 2020 (27 Jan 2022)

Colm Burke: My understanding is that buses purchased are then made available to private operators who have tendered for public contracts. What is the arrangement for those operators? Are the buses given on a leasing basis? Who is responsible for maintenance and upkeep?

Public Accounts Committee: National Transport Authority: Financial Statements 2020 (27 Jan 2022)

Colm Burke: Is the contract a leasing contract or is there an annual charge for the use of that vehicle?

Public Accounts Committee: National Transport Authority: Financial Statements 2020 (27 Jan 2022)

Colm Burke: Is it correct that the cost of the vehicle is absorbed by the NTA?

Public Accounts Committee: National Transport Authority: Financial Statements 2020 (27 Jan 2022)

Colm Burke: My final point relates to my city of Cork. The presentation during which we received the briefing was very much focused on the greater Dublin area and I fully understand that because the authority was originally set up for the greater Dublin area. However, is additional focus needed outside of Dublin? I am not satisfied with the focus on Cork, Cork city, Limerick and Galway. What focus is...

Public Accounts Committee: National Transport Authority: Financial Statements 2020 (27 Jan 2022)

Colm Burke: What is the timeframe for that to be put in place?

Public Accounts Committee: National Transport Authority: Financial Statements 2020 (27 Jan 2022)

Colm Burke: What is the timeframe for delivery in Cork?

Public Accounts Committee: National Transport Authority: Financial Statements 2020 (27 Jan 2022)

Colm Burke: What timeframe are the witnesses talking about in terms of producing a plan for light rail?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (27 Jan 2022)

Colm Burke: I wish to discuss the CAMHS issue. In terms of medical negligence, my understanding is that we will be paying out approximately €540 million this year. This figure has been increasing every year and will continue to do so. When the State Claims Agency appeared before us, it stated that there was over €4 billion in claims now. The problem in the Kerry situation is that there...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (27 Jan 2022)

Colm Burke: When are we likely to get the full report on that?