Results 8,321-8,340 of 11,246 for speaker:Colm Burke

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Visa Applications (20 Nov 2018)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State for taking time out of his busy schedule to deal with this matter. Over the past number of months, I have come across a number of cases of people working in our health service, in some cases for quite a period of time, who have applied or had members of their families apply for visas to come to Ireland. Recently I dealt with a case where the person is now...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Visa Applications (20 Nov 2018)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State. The answer confirms what I had been told. I had understood it was Mumbai, but the office is in New Delhi. I understand some of the processing of these applications was transferred back to Dublin for a period of time. It is a problem because in the particular family referred to, both adults are highly skilled and work in the medical services in Ireland. They...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Nov 2018)

Colm Burke: The figures are available for the third quarter of the year and they show that year-on-year employment increased by 3.4%. There is an increase of 14% overall, year-on-year, in the number of people working in the construction sector. It is evidence that the building of residential accommodation continues to increase. Approximately 20,000 new houses will be completed by the end of this year....

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Nov 2018)

Colm Burke: They want to get replacement accommodation but are finding it difficult. This needs to be examined..

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Nov 2018)

Colm Burke: We need to deal with it in a short time period.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Nov 2018)

Colm Burke: That is democracy.

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2018: Second Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister of State to the House to deal with this matter. It is extremely important that there is risk equalisation.It is interesting that the Bill provides for risk equalisation for all persons regardless of age. For example, €3,300 per annum is paid from the fund to support a male aged 80 years or over with private health insurance. In the case of a female aged...

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2018: Second Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Colm Burke: For clarification, the number of staff who are nursing managers-----

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2018: Second Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Colm Burke: On a point of order, the number of nurse managers has increased from 6,600 to 7,700.

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2018: Second Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Colm Burke: That is an increase.

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2018: Second Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Colm Burke: The number for the increase in nursing staff is 2,700.

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2018: Second Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Colm Burke: Yes, it is. The Senator should check the figures.

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2018: Second Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Colm Burke: It is not a fudge. It is an increase of 2,700 in nursing staff in four years.

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2018: Second Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Colm Burke: Next Tuesday.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (14 Nov 2018)

Colm Burke: I thank the witnesses for the presentations. I also thank the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, for attending to deal with our questions. A new acute hospital for Cork is proposed in the national development plan. A committee was set up to help identify a site but my understanding is that it has not yet met. Even to identify a site is going to take some time. I am concerned about the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (14 Nov 2018)

Colm Burke: On the winter plan, Nursing Homes Ireland has advised me that, as far back as May or June, it raised the fact that it wanted to be very much involved in working with the HSE on the winter plan. It wrote a letter on 30 September and received a reply on 31 October from the co-chair of the management team advising that its proposals and engagement would be discussed at the meeting in November....

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Nov 2018)

Colm Burke: I wish to raise a matter raised previously by Senator Devine, who quoted people incorrectly. It is important to realise that between 22 December 2018 and 2 January 2019, there are 12 days. Seven of those are weekends or public holidays. The issue that arises relates to moving people out of hospital and into step-down facilities. What the Taoiseach was referring to is the fact that many...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Nov 2018)

Colm Burke: That is not true.

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Ms Deirdre Hargey, Lord Mayor of Belfast (8 Nov 2018)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Lord Mayor and I very much appreciate her taking time out of here very busy schedule to be here. I am a former Lord Mayor of Cork. There are only three cities that have that title, Belfast, Dublin and Cork. I am delighted the Lord Mayor is here as the role of Lord Mayor is about providing leadership right across the community. I know that she has been doing that since she...

Seanad: Health and Social Care Professionals (Amendment) Bill 2018: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Nov 2018)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State for bringing forward this legislation. It is technical in nature and covers a wide range of areas. It is important that we have proper regulation and that there is proper accountability. The Bill will give rise to both. All of the additional professions will be brought within its ambit. It is extremely important that we put in place the necessary regulation.