Results 8,201-8,220 of 11,255 for speaker:Colm Burke

Seanad: National Children's Hospital: Statements (7 Mar 2019)

Colm Burke: What medical experts are we talking about? The medical institutions came down in favour of St. James's. Go read the reports.

Seanad: National Children's Hospital: Statements (7 Mar 2019)

Colm Burke: It is incorrect information.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Radio Broadcasting (6 Mar 2019)

Colm Burke: Community and local radio stations play an important role in this country by providing information, giving local news and dealing with issues as they arise in the community. They give opportunities to people to express views and while Members may not agree with them, there is freedom of expression in this country. It is important that there should be a fair and balanced approach to how...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Radio Broadcasting (6 Mar 2019)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State for a comprehensive reply. I hope this matter will be dealt with at an early date and that the issues which local and community radio stations have raised will be dealt with as soon as possible.

Seanad: European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Bill 2019: Second Stage (6 Mar 2019)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State for bringing this legislation forward. It is extremely important that we elect 13 very good people to the European Parliament. The Minister of State has outlined the numbers. The European Parliament has a very large membership. People may not be aware that MEPs have only one minute of speaking time in the Parliament. The main work of the Parliament is in its...

Seanad: European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Bill 2019: Order for Committee Stage (6 Mar 2019)

Colm Burke: Now.

Seanad: European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Bill 2019: Order for Committee Stage (6 Mar 2019)

Colm Burke: I move: "That Committee Stage be taken now".

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Mar 2019)

Colm Burke: I wish to raise a planning matter. Everybody wants houses built but we must be very careful about building infrastructure to provide for families who move into any new houses. I recently had a meeting with residents in an area where six new building projects have either got planning or in the process of getting planning. This will add 400 houses to an area without any overall master plan...

Seanad: The Future of Europe and the Value of European Union Membership to Ireland: Statements (5 Mar 2019)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State for coming here this evening to deal with this extremely important debate. I thank her, as well as the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Coveney, and the Taoiseach, Deputy Varadkar, for the work they have done defending Ireland's position on Brexit in the negotiations. They have put up a really good performance in ensuring we do...

Seanad: The Future of Europe and the Value of European Union Membership to Ireland: Statements (5 Mar 2019)

Colm Burke: Tomorrow morning at 10.30 a.m.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Office of Public Works Properties (28 Feb 2019)

Colm Burke: I am raising the issue of vacant property owned by the OPW. This first came to my attention some months ago when I found that in the Blarney area there was a house that had previously been used by the Garda and had been vacant for over 20 years. The house had not been lived or used by anyone over that period. When I did a Land Registry search, I found that the property is in a folio...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Office of Public Works Properties (28 Feb 2019)

Colm Burke: On the property in Blarney, I am not clear where the officials got their information. My information is that the property was vacant for over 20 years. Maybe somebody was put down as occupying it but the reality is that it was vacant. The current Garda sergeant in Blarney, with whom I engaged on this matter, was not even aware that such a property existed; indeed, no garda currently...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: School Building Projects Applications (27 Feb 2019)

Colm Burke: I, too, welcome the Minister of State and thank him for taking time out of his busy schedule to deal with this matter. It concerns a school that has over 350 pupils and 75% of the accommodation of which consists of prefabs. I was in it in the last two weeks and in quite a number of the rooms there were clear marks on the ceilings where water was coming in. The process of applying through...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: School Building Projects Applications (27 Feb 2019)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State. I appreciate the detailed reply very much and accept that the Department has worked well to try to progress the matter. It is important to acknowledge that there will be a saving with the new project in the following sense. If the school was to be built on the existing site, quite a number of prefabs would have to be moved to a new site while the building...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: School Building Projects Applications (27 Feb 2019)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Nursing Homes Support Scheme Review (26 Feb 2019)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath for coming to the House to deal with the issue pertaining to the nursing homes support scheme, known as the fair deal scheme. As I understand it, a review was to be carried out but the representative organisation, Nursing Homes Ireland, and all those involved in providing nurse home care under the fair deal scheme were led to believe that...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Nursing Homes Support Scheme Review (26 Feb 2019)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State. My only concern is with the definition of "shortly". This matter has been going on since 2016. There are complex issues involved. The problem we now have is that there are complex cases in the private nursing homes sector. These homes are not being funded to the same level as HSE-run facilities. To give the Minister of State an example, I know of two units...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Feb 2019)

Colm Burke: I want to raise the issue of supervisors and assistant supervisors on community employment, CE, schemes. In Cork last Monday, there was a protest outside the offices of Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection in respect of a Mandate decision in July 2008. There was a recommendation that supervisors and assistant supervisors would be brought in under a pension scheme. In...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Feb 2019)

Colm Burke: -----will proceed and will be delivered on. This is the reality. We have identified the projects which will be affected by the €100 million cut. They are clearly identified and they are set out in writing

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (19 Feb 2019)

Colm Burke: Members of this House raise issues of concern but it is also important to raise good news stories. I refer to the CSO figures which have just been released and which show the highest ever number of people working in this country, at 2.28 million, with the number of additional jobs created in the past 12 months standing at 50,500. Some 48,000 of the latter are full-time jobs. This means...