Results 8,941-8,960 of 11,255 for speaker:Colm Burke

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Oct 2017)

Colm Burke: I would like to join in the vote of sympathy in relation to the late Liam Cosgrave who made a huge contribution to this country in difficult times. During the ceremony, there were interesting references to Liam Cosgrave's support for the Garda and the Garda's support for him. At an extremely difficult time, this played a major part in making sure we had peace in this country. Liam Cosgrave...

Seanad: Budget 2018: Statements (10 Oct 2017)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and am delighted he is here to deal with this debate. It is important when we begin to speak about this matter that we consider how far we have come since 2008. In October 2008, there was a €2 billion increase in taxation and €1 billion in cuts. On 7 April 2009, there was an emergency budget that had a €1.8 billion increase...

Seanad: Budget 2018: Statements (10 Oct 2017)

Colm Burke: She has a lot experience of psychiatric services.

Seanad: Budget 2018: Statements (10 Oct 2017)

Colm Burke: One of our colleagues, who is in Fianna Fáil, is a GP from Mayo and he has a lot of experience in GP care in rural area. It is unfortunate that we were all excluded. When considering health care it is important to consider cost efficiencies. One of the big complaints I have heard in the past 12 months has been how we employed an extra 2,000 in the HSE to work in management and...

Seanad: Budget 2018: Statements (10 Oct 2017)

Colm Burke: They do not have the doctors because-----

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2017)

Colm Burke: I wish to raise the regulation of home care providers. I published a Bill on the matter which was debated in this House. It was my understanding that the Department was further considering it. It follows on from a report produced by the Law Reform Commission. At the moment, anyone can set up a home care provider company. I know there is a code of practice for home care providers but there...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Adult Safeguarding: Discussion (4 Oct 2017)

Colm Burke: I thank the witnesses for their contributions and for the work they are doing. As my colleague, Senator Kelleher, who has published her Bill, I have also published a Bill on the regulation of home care providers, which follows on from the Law Reform Commission report. Sometimes people say that we in the Seanad do not do any work but there are two examples of us being proactive in trying to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Adult Safeguarding: Discussion (4 Oct 2017)

Colm Burke: I was not in favour of that. When it came before the Seanad, unfortunately the Department advised it wanted a further 12 months before it would go forward with the regulation of home care providers. It is an important issue because anyone can set up a home care providing company without restriction. There is a voluntary code but there is no regulation. It is something we need to progress....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Adult Safeguarding: Discussion (4 Oct 2017)

Colm Burke: Could I raise the issue of regulation of home care providers? Could the draft Bill be given some consideration at a future meeting? I will write formally to request it. Again, I thank Senator Kelleher for the work she has done in bringing forward the Bill. It is not an easy job to bring forward a draft Bill. There is a lot of work in it.

Seanad: Nursing Homes Support Scheme: Statements (3 Oct 2017)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister of State and wish him every success in his role in this area. Many people have referred to the fair deal scheme. We are spending roughly €1 billion per annum and, at the moment, there are some 23,500 people in nursing homes under the scheme. If we take the number of people who will retire and require support over the next ten years and apply the same ratio,...

Seanad: Nursing Homes Support Scheme: Statements (3 Oct 2017)

Colm Burke: At 10.30 a.m. tomorrow.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors (27 Sep 2017)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State. I fully accept a serious effort has been made with the MacCraith report, but I am very concerned that while the report set out a huge number of recommendations, it is not clarified how many of the 25 recommendations have been implemented. Perhaps we could get answers to this. I thought the MacCraith report would resolve many of the issues, but we are not...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors (27 Sep 2017)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State for attending to deal with this matter. I have raised this issue with regard to junior doctors consistently over the past four to five years. In 2012, I conducted a survey of people doing their final medical examinations in Irish universities. It indicated that more than 60% of them did not intend to work in Ireland once they had finished their internship. A...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 38 - Department of Health (27 Sep 2017)

Colm Burke: I apologise to the Minister but I have a Commencement Matter in the Seanad on a health issue which I must go to. However, I will come back once it is dealt with. Respite care is a major problem. I notice the number of people who have been able to get respite care has reduced drastically. My understanding is that part of that has been the result of HIQA inspections on the basis of which...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 38 - Department of Health (27 Sep 2017)

Colm Burke: A week. My apologies. In real terms, it is what we have taken on in management as we have taken grades 6 and 7 out of the managerial category. It has gone from 4,700 to 5,400 in real terms. We changed how we defined "management". I do not understand why one major hospital in this country had its tenth manager in 18 years start this week. It has had ten managers in 18 years. There is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 38 - Department of Health (27 Sep 2017)

Colm Burke: I wish to go back to the hospital management issue. Earlier, I raised the question of a tenth manager being recruited in 18 years. There must be a problem in the smaller hospitals because there seems to be a vast turnover of administrative staff at senior levels. I appeal for this issue should be looked at. In fairness, no matter how big or small the hospital, the hospital manager is...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Sep 2017)

Colm Burke: I too join with others in congratulating everyone involved in preparing this Chamber. The facilities are clear evidence that there was a very good team effort between the people here in Leinster House, the planners, contractors and everyone involved. I congratulate them on the work they have done. I would like to raise the very good and welcome announcement today of €350 million to...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jul 2017)

Colm Burke: I join with other colleagues in thanking the Cathaoirleach for his help and assistance and all the staff here in the House. We also should thank the backroom staff in our own offices for their dedication, commitment and support over the past 12 months. I raise with the Leader an issue that arose in a recent survey carried out on the provision of palliative care in two hospitals, the Mater...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jul 2017)

Colm Burke: Normally when we come in here and talk about health it is very much on the negative side. On the positive side, CSO figures for 2016 indicated the number of suicides has reduced from 451 in 2015 to 399 in 2016. It is a welcome drop but we have a long way to go. The frightening part about the figure is that of the 399 who died as a result of suicide in 2016, 318 were men. It is an area we...

Seanad: Mediation Bill 2017: Second Stage (18 Jul 2017)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister to the House and wish him every success in his new role. As a practising solicitor I am a little concerned at the views expressed on this area by some people. I think the Minister will agree with me. Solicitors do everything possible to get a resolution to a dispute. If one looks at cases listed for hearing, one will find that in the vast majority of cases people...