Results 61-80 of 12,155 for speaker:Colm Burke

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Military Neutrality (6 Nov 2025)

Colm Burke: There are two issues I want to raise. One is in relation to the increase in numbers we require in our Naval Service. It is a big challenge. What progress can be made on that over the next 12 months? It is extremely important from our point of view and from a European point of view. The second issue concerns a scenario where we had peace in Ukraine. While we all want it, and it would...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Military Neutrality (6 Nov 2025)

Colm Burke: It is an issue that is going to come up very much. If there is not peace in Ukraine by the time we hold the Presidency, the issue of Ukraine will be very much to the forefront in any EU discussions. We will then be required to provide leadership in that area. I think the Tánaiste will accept that it will be a challenge on the basis that no matter what happens, we cannot go in there...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Military Neutrality (6 Nov 2025)

Colm Burke: I am sorry but there is just one final thing I want to mention and that is the respect that Ireland and the Irish Army has. I have been in two conflict zones where the Irish Army was. It is important we build on and maintain that and work in particular at a European level on it.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Finance Bill 2025: Committee Stage (Resumed) (6 Nov 2025)

Colm Burke: Following up what was said on productivity levels, I was on a site on Friday. I know we are talking about apartments here, but this is in relation to semi-detached houses. The average timeframe for building a house is 28 weeks. I was on a site on Friday where they can turn around, build and complete a house in 12 weeks. They are working with Enterprise Ireland on this project. More than...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Finance Bill 2025: Committee Stage (Resumed) (6 Nov 2025)

Colm Burke: I welcome the introduction of the 9% rate, which is reduced now from 13.5%. When originally proposed, it was 9% on sales and then there was a problem with housing agencies that own their own site and were getting apartments built. It turned out that it would be 13.5%. Since this amendment is being made, where they are getting them built the rate is down to 9%. The problem still arises...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Finance Bill 2025: Committee Stage (Resumed) (6 Nov 2025)

Colm Burke: I have come across this issue, on which I agree with Deputy Timmins. In one case, someone who is actively farming and has zoned land has an agreement in place for the land to be developed but the local authority is delaying development through its preplanning process, which has taken over 18 months. In the meantime, the person is now liable for the tax even though they are actively pursuing...

Committee on Drugs Use: Addiction, Sport and Well-being: Discussion (6 Nov 2025)

Colm Burke: I thank all the witnesses and their organisations for the work they are doing. Without those organisations we would not have the sports infrastructure we do. One of the things that strikes me is that something like 90% of the people before the juvenile District Court at any time are not involved in any sports organisation, physical activity or any club. Something that came across to me...

Committee on Drugs Use: Addiction, Sport and Well-being: Discussion (6 Nov 2025)

Colm Burke: Do we need to identify areas where there is not the expertise to deal with it and provide that support? It occurred to me very much in relation to Merchants Quay, where we had a local school with more than 180 children with very little access to any kind of sports facilities at all and no mechanism for helping that. I am concerned we are not doing enough in that area and that we all need to...

Committee on Drugs Use: Addiction, Sport and Well-being: Discussion (6 Nov 2025)

Colm Burke: What is the target date for having something in place to deal with that?

Committee on Drugs Use: Addiction, Sport and Well-being: Discussion (6 Nov 2025)

Colm Burke: I will ask one another question in relation to clubs, and it is a totally different issue. Where clubs know there is a member who is actively dealing or providing access to drugs to other members of a club, have clubs been trained as regards how to carefully manage a situation like that in order to steer the person who is involved in that in the right direction? It is obviously a very...

Committee on Drugs Use: Addiction, Sport and Well-being: Discussion (6 Nov 2025)

Colm Burke: Does Mr. Leavy think more work should be done in this area to help people who are involved at a voluntary level in clubs and organisations?

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (6 Nov 2025)

Colm Burke: 21. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he will provide an update on improvements to pay and conditions for members of the Permanent Defence Force arising from the €485 million allocation for defence pay in budget 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60415/25]

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Business Supports (6 Nov 2025)

Colm Burke: 117. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government for an update on the business energy upgrade scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50831/25]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Disease Management (6 Nov 2025)

Colm Burke: 387. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 846 of 14 October 2025, the action her Department and the HSE are taking in view of the statement of the Chief Operation Officer of St James’s Hospital (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60524/25]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Disease Management (6 Nov 2025)

Colm Burke: 388. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 846 of 14 October 2025, the action her Department and the HSE are taking in view of the statement of the Chief Operation Officer of St James’s Hospital (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60525/25]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Disease Management (6 Nov 2025)

Colm Burke: 389. To ask the Minister for Health the action being taken by her Department and the HSE to deal with the alarming increase in paediatric TB cases occurring since 2017, with the age-specific incidence rate for children having risen from 0.8 in 2023 to 1.3 in 2024, in particular taking in to account that the number of TB cases in children under one year of age in 2024 equalled the total cases...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Disease Management (6 Nov 2025)

Colm Burke: 390. To ask the Minister for Health the action her Department and the HSE are taking to deal with the challenges which the Irish Mycobacterial Reference Laboratory at St James’s Hospital is facing, which supports TB diagnosis nationally, is now at full capacity and unable to meet the growing demand for rapid diagnostics, especially for drug-resistant TB; and if she will make a...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Disease Management (6 Nov 2025)

Colm Burke: 391. To ask the Minister for Health the action the Department and the HSE are taking in view of the fact that Ireland is not on track to meet WHO End TB Strategy targets, and current resourcing falls short of national guidelines requiring immediate assessment of suspected TB cases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60528/25]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Disease Management (6 Nov 2025)

Colm Burke: 392. To ask the Minister for Health the action her Department and the HSE are taking to deal with the rising incidence of TB which increased by over 30% in 2024, with a fourfold rise in MDR-TB cases and a significant increase in paediatric TB; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60529/25]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Disease Management (6 Nov 2025)

Colm Burke: 393. To ask the Minister for Health the action her Department and the HSE are taking to deal with the capacity issues in dealing with TB cases, in view of the fact that emergency reviews have doubled from 2023 to 2024, which said reviews are used to prevent hospital admissions and to start treatment urgently thus preventing onward transmission; and if she will make a statement on the matter....