Results 8,401-8,420 of 11,246 for speaker:Colm Burke

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Scoping Inquiry into the CervicalCheck Screening Programme: Discussion (10 Oct 2018)

Colm Burke: All the documentation that was relevant has been given over in order to have one platform on which all the information is stored.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Scoping Inquiry into the CervicalCheck Screening Programme: Discussion (10 Oct 2018)

Colm Burke: The second issue I wanted to check with Dr. Scally is about the issue of engaging with laboratories into the future. Obviously in any contract negotiations laboratories are now going to look for new terms and conditions, in particular in respect of dealing with the issue of litigation. From what he has learned from his work over the last four or five months, does Dr. Scally think that will...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Scoping Inquiry into the CervicalCheck Screening Programme: Discussion (10 Oct 2018)

Colm Burke: Does Dr. Scally believe it is going to be a problem?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Scoping Inquiry into the CervicalCheck Screening Programme: Discussion (10 Oct 2018)

Colm Burke: I call Deputy Durkan.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Scoping Inquiry into the CervicalCheck Screening Programme: Discussion (10 Oct 2018)

Colm Burke: I am sorry. I apologise to the Deputy.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Scoping Inquiry into the CervicalCheck Screening Programme: Discussion (10 Oct 2018)

Colm Burke: We will finish on that. I thank Dr. Scally, Dr. Denton and Ms McEntee for their contributions this morning. I also thank them for the very comprehensive report that they delivered, which sets a very high standard for future reports, no matter the subject. They have shown how a report should be done and how an investigation should be carried out. The Scally report provides a clear template...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Oct 2018)

Colm Burke: I welcome the budget announcements today. It is a big change from where we were seven years ago where over €8 billion was taken out of the budget overnight. Now we are in a very good position where we have a balanced budget and can give priority to a number of areas, in particular to health and housing. An additional €1 billion was added to the budget this year. In real...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Coroners Service (3 Oct 2018)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister, Deputy Flanagan, for taking time out of his busy schedule to be here. In this country at the moment, when a human remains or a body is not identified there is no central database for the information that is gathered. I understand that the information is kept within each of the coroners' areas. Dr. René Gapert, who is an expert in this area, has suggested that a...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Coroners Service (3 Oct 2018)

Colm Burke: I understand that across the various coroners' areas there are approximately 200 cases in which the bodies or partial remains of individuals have not been identified. That figure is taken from a survey which added them all up. There is no central relationship that allows such discoveries to be cross-checked with the cases of people who have been reported missing. Problems can arise when...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Sláintecare Implementation Strategy: Discussion (3 Oct 2018)

Colm Burke: I apologise for not being here for part of the meeting. I was dealing with the Minister for Justice and Equality on a Commencement matter in the Seanad. I would like to ask the Minister about Project Ireland 2040 and the Sláintecare report. It has been identified that additional hospitals are needed in certain locations, including Cork. I understand that a group of people from...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Sláintecare Implementation Strategy: Discussion (3 Oct 2018)

Colm Burke: I thank the witnesses for their presentations. I apologise for being late but I had an earlier commitment. On efficiencies in the HSE and health service, the witnesses referred to medication and access to GPs. To take the simple example of the cost of drugs and pharmaceuticals, people have access to drugs and pharmaceuticals but do not necessarily use them. On generic drugs, the changes...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Sláintecare Implementation Strategy: Discussion (3 Oct 2018)

Colm Burke: Will Dr. Johnston clarify the point about pushing?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Sláintecare Implementation Strategy: Discussion (3 Oct 2018)

Colm Burke: With regard to the drug charges, is there not a monthly cut-off point beyond which people do not pay for their drugs? Is that a cut-off of €134?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Sláintecare Implementation Strategy: Discussion (3 Oct 2018)

Colm Burke: Has there been an increase?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Sláintecare Implementation Strategy: Discussion (3 Oct 2018)

Colm Burke: It has since dropped.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Sláintecare Implementation Strategy: Discussion (3 Oct 2018)

Colm Burke: I am not suggesting there should be increased costs. I am asking how do we create an efficient service, one that is delivered and, at the same time, make sure there will not be unnecessary use of it? That issue came home with the introduction of free GP care for those under the age of six years. If we continue to increase access to free GP care, we will also have to meet that challenge....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Sláintecare Implementation Strategy: Discussion (3 Oct 2018)

Colm Burke: I want to touch on community care services. I agree fully with what has been said, but I spoke to a GP in a community care centre where a physiotherapist is now employed by the HSE. It was taking anything up to six weeks for the GP to get an appointment for a patient with the physiotherapist. He could telephone a physiotherapist and get a private appointment within 24 hours. I agree fully...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Sep 2018)

Colm Burke: There is quite a large amount of vacant property. We must take action to bring these properties into use and if necessary use the taxation system in the upcoming budget, and make it difficult for people to leave property vacant. I am a little concerned that while it complains night and day about the issue of housing, Sinn Féin proposed to one local authority in Cork that property tax...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Business of Joint Committee
General Scheme of the Patient Safety Bill 2018: Department of Health (26 Sep 2018)

Colm Burke: I thank our guests for their presentation. The first issue I wish to raise is open disclosure and the Medical Council. Where will practitioners stand with regard to when a complaint is filed with the Medical Council and the information given in that open disclosure? It does not appear to be mentioned in the legislation. What is the clinician's situation where that occurs? What...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Business of Joint Committee
General Scheme of the Patient Safety Bill 2018: Department of Health (26 Sep 2018)

Colm Burke: That is the exact question to which I wished to return. There is a section within the Scally report which deals with the issue of governance. While the medical practitioners on the front line are being held accountable, no one who was involved in management and governance is being held accountable on CervicalCheck. That is one issue I want to raise. I welcome this legislation but in the...