Results 5,961-5,980 of 11,195 for speaker:Colm Burke

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Ambulance Services: Discussion (15 Dec 2021)

Colm Burke: Is Mr. Kenny aware of that happening? He spoke about the situation in Kerry. Is he aware of that level of engagement in, say, Cork or Limerick?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Ambulance Services: Discussion (15 Dec 2021)

Colm Burke: Does Mr. Kenny accept it would be better if there was joined-up thinking and management and the front-line medical people, namely, the nurses, doctors and care assistants in accident and emergency departments, also attended those meetings or at least part of them, rather than medical people being dealt with at third hand after the ambulance management talk to hospital management?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Ambulance Services: Discussion (15 Dec 2021)

Colm Burke: Can I ask Mr. Kenny-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Ambulance Services: Discussion (15 Dec 2021)

Colm Burke: I have a further question on unnecessary ambulance call-outs. The figures from Dublin Fire Brigade show there were 8,532 calls in November 2020 whereas there were 12,657 in November 2021, an increase of more than 4,000. That is a substantial increase in one year for the same month. Is there any explanation for that dramatic increase in a 12-month period? Could some of those people have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Ambulance Services: Discussion (15 Dec 2021)

Colm Burke: From feedback from staff and colleagues, has Mr. McEvoy found that ambulance services are sometimes called out unnecessarily, with the result that much valuable time is being used in circumstances where people could have availed of other transport to reach medical facilities?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Ambulance Services: Discussion (15 Dec 2021)

Colm Burke: I thank Mr. Kenny.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Ambulance Services: Discussion (15 Dec 2021)

Colm Burke: Fair point. I thank the witnesses.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Ambulance Services: Discussion (15 Dec 2021)

Colm Burke: I thank the witnesses for their presentations and the work they are doing in this area. I want to touch on an issue I raised at the previous session on co-ordination between the National Ambulance Service and hospitals. The reply I received was that while the front-line ambulance personnel and their representatives communicate with hospital management it does not appear to be a three-way...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Ambulance Services: Discussion (15 Dec 2021)

Colm Burke: That is not the question I am asking. My point is what happens after a problem with delays is identified where ambulances are held up in hospitals seems to be a two-way process between the ambulance and the hospital management. The front-line medical people do not appear to be involved in the discussion to resolve the problem.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Ambulance Services: Discussion (15 Dec 2021)

Colm Burke: That is the evidence that was given to us this morning. The person who gave us this evidence is a front-line worker in the ambulance service.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Ambulance Services: Discussion (15 Dec 2021)

Colm Burke: I apologise for interrupting but the evidence from the ambulance people this morning was that when a problem is identified, they deal with management only and there is not a three-way process. Perhaps this may be in only one part of the country; I am not sure. Is there a monthly meeting between people on the front line on the medical side, people on the front line on the ambulance side and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Ambulance Services: Discussion (15 Dec 2021)

Colm Burke: Does Dr. O'Donnell think more could be done in this area? From the evidence this morning, the indication that was given was that more could be done in this area.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Ambulance Services: Discussion (15 Dec 2021)

Colm Burke: I want to raise an issue that I also raised earlier. It is with regard to demand for the ambulance service and a report from Dublin Fire Brigade. The number of call outs in November 2020 was 8,532 and in November 2021, the number was 12,657 call outs. This is an increase of more than 4,000. Is there any reason for such a change in the same month of the year? There is such a change for the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Ambulance Services: Discussion (15 Dec 2021)

Colm Burke: I have one last question related to the availability of GPs at night. This is a problem in some areas with the number of GPs available at night, whether through SouthDoc or other out-of-hours services in other parts of the country. Could we be doing more to make sure that GPs are available at night? Should we be employing GPs specifically to do night work because the current system...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Policy (14 Dec 2021)

Colm Burke: Only 18% of Irish homes secured a building energy rating, BER, of B3 or higher in 2019. A great deal of work needs to be done in this area. We also have an additional problem now in that the cost of all building materials has increased dramatically. Have we sufficient supports in place at this stage? I am aware the Minister of State is talking about further announcements later on in 2022...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Policy (14 Dec 2021)

Colm Burke: My real concern is that I was speaking to someone in the past week who submitted their application to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, two years ago. It was only in the past week that the house was inspected. We have something to clear up in that particular area. What plans are being put in place to expedite inspections so that the work can start at an early date?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Policy (14 Dec 2021)

Colm Burke: 34. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if a national retrofitting plan will be accompanied by additional supports in order to assist households with the cost of retrofitting their homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61308/21]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Policy (14 Dec 2021)

Colm Burke: Will the Minister and the Department consider providing additional supports to assist households with the cost of retrofitting their homes alongside the national retrofitting plan? I ask the Minister of State to make a statement on the matter.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Tests (14 Dec 2021)

Colm Burke: 589. To ask the Minister for Health if persons will be entitled to a refund of the cost incurred for the requirement of having an RT-PCR test taken when travelling into Ireland and the subsequent changes that occurred in the timing as to when the test should be taken in view of the changes which occurred; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61355/21]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (14 Dec 2021)

Colm Burke: 590. To ask the Minister for Health the restrictions that apply to persons travelling to Ireland from the United Kingdom who is an Irish citizen but a spouse is a non-UK and or non-European and both of whom have not been vaccinated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61356/21]