Results 8,821-8,840 of 11,255 for speaker:Colm Burke

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Medical Practitioners (Amendment) Bill 2017: Discussion (6 Dec 2017)

Colm Burke: I fully support the Bill, but it is important that the message is not sent out that we are concerned that everyone is on the take for his or her own benefit, and that this legislation is not for the benefit of the patient. It is important to say that the vast majority of medical practitioners and practising nurses work to the best of their abilities for the benefit of the patient. Sometimes...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Dec 2017)

Colm Burke: I wish to raise a concern in respect of housing. Seven projects were submitted by Cork City Council to the Department for approval. Planning was obtained and an estimate was prepared regarding the cost of the projects. The tendering process, however, has shown that the projects are proving more expensive than the estimates originally indicated. I understand that the city council submitted...

Seanad: Department of Rural and Community Development: Statements (5 Dec 2017)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister to the House and wish him and his Department well in the job they are doing. I join Senator Feighan in thanking him for the funding that he made available to 116 agricultural shows around the country. One of those was in fact a show in my own parish of Inniscarra. It was very pleased to receive that funding, and it was important to it. A huge voluntary effort is...

Seanad: Department of Rural and Community Development: Statements (5 Dec 2017)

Colm Burke: At 10.30 a.m. tomorrow.

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Nov 2017)

Colm Burke: I, too, join in the tributes to Senator Norris. He has made a huge contribution to public life in the country. When he started out, it would not have been easy to raise the many issues which he did raise. Over the years, the change he sought has occurred and long may he continue to raise such issues. While we may sometimes sit back and say it is for someone else, he has always been to the...

Seanad: World AIDS Day: Statements (30 Nov 2017)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. It is very important that we have a debate on this matter because it is a very important issue, where progress has been made in the past few years but we still have further progress to make. My colleague, Senator Ned O'Sullivan, and the Minister of State have highlighted that there has been an increase in the number of people diagnosed in the...

Seanad: Domestic Violence Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (30 Nov 2017)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State and his staff for all the work they have done on this matter but I also acknowledge the work that was done by the Oireachtas committee a number of years ago on domestic and sexual violence. The committee produced a report. I thank in particular Senators from all parties, especially the Independent Senators, some of whom have made a very valuable contribution,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Primary Care Expansion: Discussion (29 Nov 2017)

Colm Burke: I thank the witnesses very much for their presentations and the work they are doing. I am quite concerned about the time it is taking to complete the contract negotiations. From my experience and previously when the Department was dealing with contract negotiations in other areas of health care, they took a number of years. If the witnesses wanted to fast-track a particular aspect of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Primary Care Expansion: Discussion (29 Nov 2017)

Colm Burke: Has an area been identified where agreement could be reached that would help progress immediate implementation, not implementation in 12 months or two years, and which would help what Dr. O'Shea is talking about?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Primary Care Expansion: Discussion (29 Nov 2017)

Colm Burke: I thank the delegates for taking time out of their busy schedules and for the work they are doing for general practitioners throughout the country and for their own patients. On the contract negotiations, there is always a golden rule that if one wants to delay something, particularly if one is the person writing the cheque, one should create a division between the negotiators. Is there...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: General Practitioner Services (28 Nov 2017)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State for coming before the House. My question relates to patient safety, clinical effectiveness and cost effectiveness and the evaluation of telecommunications, in other words, GPs using telecommunications for giving one-to-one advice over the Internet. What regulation exists on this and how are we going to develop this area, which would be of benefit to GPs,...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: General Practitioner Services (28 Nov 2017)

Colm Burke: What are we going to do to try and progress the matter and what are the Department's plans? Especially in rural areas where we are talking about primary care centres which would lead to the centralisation of GPs creating longer distances for people to travel, is there an overall plan to deal with this issue?

Seanad: Domestic Violence Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Nov 2017)

Colm Burke: I think eight days would be appropriate. I presume if it is a situation where the court becomes aware that it needs to be extended then appropriate application could be made.

Seanad: Domestic Violence Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Nov 2017)

Colm Burke: Eights days in fact is something that I think would be appropriate in an initial application like this because it would be very dangerous to suddenly grant a period longer than eight days. I agree with the Minister. It would be open to challenge in the higher court.

Seanad: Domestic Violence Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Nov 2017)

Colm Burke: On Thursday, 30 November 2017.

Seanad: Domestic Violence Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Nov 2017)

Colm Burke: At 10.30 a.m. tomorrow.

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Nov 2017)

Colm Burke: I agree with what Senator Craughwell said. I do not think I need to go into it any further. It raises a very serious issue. I believe there is accountability but I am very concerned about the way this issue has developed. The Tánaiste has given a full explanation and everything she has done in respect of this matter has been above board. On another matter, I am frequently contacted...

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2017: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Nov 2017)

Colm Burke: I contend that the insurance companies are being held to account. This is about risk equalisation. The money is not coming from the Department of Health or from Government expenditure. Rather, it is being charged to the general public through their payments. I agree with my colleague that insurance companies should not be allowed to use this as a reason to increase premiums. However,...

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2017: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Nov 2017)

Colm Burke: Next Tuesday at 2.30 p.m.

Seanad: Judicial Council Bill 2017: Order for Second Stage (22 Nov 2017)

Colm Burke: I move: "That Second Stage be taken today."