Results 8,261-8,280 of 11,255 for speaker:Colm Burke

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Dec 2018)

Colm Burke: It was stated that we did not have the right to vote. In fairness, one committee member voted against the proposal so it was not that Senators voted in one way.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2018: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2018)

Colm Burke: On the issue of assets and the transfer of local authority houses, I understand that when the Bill is passed and the changes are made to the Cork city boundary, the new city area will have more than 10,000 local authority houses. That poses a major challenge in respect of maintenance and making sure adequate support services are provided for all those living in local authority houses. We...

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2018: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2018)

Colm Burke: I seek clarification as well. For instance, the city and county sheriffs are involved in organising polling stations and making sure they are adequately supervised etc. How will such tasks be dealt with during the transition period? The city sheriff is responsible for the polling stations in a city. How will such tasks work out for local elections?

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2018: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2018)

Colm Burke: I agree with Senator Lombard. My home parish of Inishcarra is divided in two with which I have no difficulty. I have a difficulty with the division of townlands.There is one stretch along the dividing line, approximately 500 yd. wide, that runs from Moyle between a road and a river. That road is the dividing line. The way it is done does not make sense. If there was a straight line along...

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2018: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2018)

Colm Burke: When planning contributions are made, they are not ring-fenced for work to be done. In some cases, they might be but that would be unusual. Planning contributions go to the local authority and are used in the overall budget for the development of services. One cannot say that if a local authority receives funding because planning permission was granted for 100 houses in an area that that...

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2018: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2018)

Colm Burke: This is an important issue. I hope the structure that will be in place for payment by the city council to the county council will deal with many of these issues. It is also important that one of the areas that was not transferred into the city is Little Island, which has quite a good commercial rate income. In addition, regarding many of the larger ratepayers, when I did a survey of Cork...

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2018: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2018)

Colm Burke: This is about the review of the area plans within the city and county. It is important the local authorities do it once the change occurs in 2019. In fairness, there will now be a different focus. It is important as plans that would have been dealt with by the county may not now fit into the overall plan for the city; likewise, plans for the area not brought into the city will see a...

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2018: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2018)

Colm Burke: For clarification, my understanding is that Monard, which we are talking about, is not coming into the city but is, in fact, staying in the county. That was the issue I raised earlier on. It is proposed to take in Blarney and Tower. I know this was discussed between the city and county councils. I understand that, subsequent to an agreement being reached on the matter, there was a further...

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2018: Second Stage (18 Dec 2018)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and I welcome the Bill. As a former Lord Mayor of Cork city, I welcome the extension of the city boundary. The most recent extension was in the 1960s, more than 50 years ago, so this is welcome. We have undertaken planning well in Cork. More than 30 years ago, we had the Cork Land Use and Transportation Study Plan, LUTS, which was about...

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2018: Second Stage (18 Dec 2018)

Colm Burke: Time is up.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2018: Second Stage (18 Dec 2018)

Colm Burke: We are all civilised.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2018: Second Stage (18 Dec 2018)

Colm Burke: When is it proposed to take Committee Stage?

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2018: Second Stage (18 Dec 2018)

Colm Burke: Is that agreed? Agreed.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2018: Second Stage (18 Dec 2018)

Colm Burke: When is it proposed to sit again?

Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2018)

Colm Burke: The Senator also fails to acknowledge that the information was in the public domain.

Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2018)

Colm Burke: We will not allow any amendments while the Senators are away.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Home Care Services: Discussion (12 Dec 2018)

Colm Burke: I thank all of the delegates for being here and for their presentations. All of the organisations working in this area, private, community and voluntary, are providing an excellent level of service to people. Are there services that are perceived to be offering a service but are not doing so? In other words, have any of the organisations here had to take over the care of people because...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Home Care Services: Discussion (12 Dec 2018)

Colm Burke: I referred to the 13,000 additional whole-time equivalent people employed in the HSE in four years. That is equivalent to €600 million in additional pay per annum. There are 135,000 people working in the HSE, including people working on a part-time basis, but when one boils it down there are 116,000 whole-time equivalents. In December 2014 the number was 103,000. The cost of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Home Care Services: Discussion (12 Dec 2018)

Colm Burke: I thank the witnesses for their presentations. I thank them for all the work they are doing in this very important and growing area. I will return to the cost issue in tendering for contracts. I was given figures some time ago that showed private home care providers are quoting something like €22 or €24 an hour. They referred to deducting what they pay to the staff, which is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Home Care Services: Discussion (12 Dec 2018)

Colm Burke: It should not be.