Results 9,001-9,020 of 11,255 for speaker:Colm Burke

Seanad: Recognition of Irish Sign Language for the Deaf Community Bill 2016: Committee Stage (21 Jun 2017)

Colm Burke: Senator Conway mentioned Dublin Bus. Paragraph (g) of amendment No. 3 reads: "a company (within the meaning of the Companies Acts) a majority of the shares in which are held by or on behalf of a Minister of the Government." Therefore, a public body would mean that that is covered by the section.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jun 2017)

Colm Burke: It was interesting to hear the comments made on the appointment of the former Attorney General. It is important to note that 16 of the 29 Attorneys General of Ireland have been appointed to the High Court. A number of others were appointed to positions at European level. I refer to Mr. Peter Sutherland SC and Mr. Justice John Murray. In fairness to Ms Máire Whelan, there is no...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Jun 2017)

Colm Burke: I would like to join my colleagues in paying tribute to the outgoing Taoiseach, Deputy Enda Kenny. He did an outstanding job as leader of Fine Gael, as a Deputy and as Taoiseach of this country. He did a number of outstanding things. When he came into office, he provided leadership and made sure that the entire Cabinet and Government were motivated to deliver. Putting in place the right...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Cancer Registry Board: Chairperson Designate (31 May 2017)

Colm Burke: I thank Dr. Coffey for his presentation. I read through his CV and it is extremely impressive. I thank him for all the work he has done to date. On providing services for those who have cancer, we are experiencing many difficulties in recruiting consultants in particular, as well as junior doctors and nurses. Are we facing the same problem in cancer treatment and providing services for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Treatment Purchase Fund: Chairperson Designate (31 May 2017)

Colm Burke: I wish Mr. Horan well in his new role and thank him for his work to date in all of the organisations in which he has been involved. He referred to the nursing homes support scheme. I have the terms of reference for the review of the system for setting nursing homes prices which is due for completion by 1 June. In recent weeks I have received correspondence from a number of nursing homes in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Treatment Purchase Fund: Chairperson Designate (31 May 2017)

Colm Burke: Can I get clarification on the review? Early June was set as a time for the review on the nursing home issue. I do not want to tie the witness to time now but are we talking about four weeks, eight weeks or 12 weeks?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Treatment Purchase Fund: Chairperson Designate (31 May 2017)

Colm Burke: Months rather than weeks?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Treatment Purchase Fund: Chairperson Designate (31 May 2017)

Colm Burke: The second issue I want to come back on is-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Treatment Purchase Fund: Chairperson Designate (31 May 2017)

Colm Burke: The second question I want to come back on concerns what Deputy Louise O'Reilly said about the delay in getting people out of hospitals and into nursing homes. This is not a problem caused by the nursing homes. When there was a huge problem with many people in beds waiting to be discharged, for example, nursing homes had over 750 vacant beds at the time. There seems to have been very...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Treatment Purchase Fund: Chairperson Designate (31 May 2017)

Colm Burke: We might end up not having to buy facilities or operating time in private hospitals if we had beds freed up in public hospitals. It is therefore a matter that should be Mr. Horan's concern since the faster we can get people out of the hospital system and into step-down care, the better and more efficient it becomes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Issues relating to Medical Scanning Services (31 May 2017)

Colm Burke: I am sorry, but as I have to be in the Seanad Chamber at 4.30 p.m., I am conscious of time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Issues relating to Medical Scanning Services (31 May 2017)

Colm Burke: I have to speak in the Seanad Chamber at 4.30 p.m. I thank Professor Daly for his presentation. I asked the committee to invite him because I had heard a number of complaints about people having scans on a Friday evening in services in which there was no medical backup to give advice. Advice has been given on a Friday evening without a medical person being present. That has occurred....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Issues relating to Medical Scanning Services (31 May 2017)

Colm Burke: I was referring to standalone facilities without medical backup. The concern arises in that respect.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Issues relating to Medical Scanning Services (31 May 2017)

Colm Burke: I would like to thank Professor Daly for giving us a very comprehensive presentation and for the work he and his colleagues are doing in the maternity services.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Issues relating to Medical Scanning Services (31 May 2017)

Colm Burke: Could we put the proposal to write to the Department and the issue of regulation of people providing scanning services on the agenda for the next meeting?

Seanad: Order of Business (31 May 2017)

Colm Burke: Today the representative group, Nursing Homes Ireland, NHI, is in Buswells Hotel meeting Oireachtas Members. I encourage Members to meet the NHI if at all possible. The group has raised a number of concerns, in particular the change in the mechanism for the calculation of commercial rates. I spoke to one nursing home provider who told me the home's commercial rates have increased from...

Seanad: Controlled Drugs and Harm Reduction Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (31 May 2017)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Catherine Byrne, to the House and thank her for dealing with this matter. I also thank her for the work she has already done in this area since she became Minister of State and even when she was a Deputy. I pay tribute to both Senators Ruane and Senator Ó Ríordáin for the very passionate speeches they gave. They believe passionately in...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 May 2017)

Colm Burke: Today's CSO figures show a continuing increase in the number of people in employment. The number in full-time employment has increased in real terms by 84,000 in the past 12 months. A wide range of people have returned to employment with increases in 11 of the 14 sectors. In the construction industry, there are 11,000 more people in employment. In the IT sector, there has been an increase...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (25 May 2017)

Colm Burke: I thank the delegates for their comprehensive presentations which I very much appreciate. I return to the budget of €1.68 billion for disability services. Is that money coming from the health budget or from a number of Departments? There is a health budget of approximately €14 billion. I am not sure whether the sum of €1.68 billion is part of that budget or the social...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (25 May 2017)

Colm Burke: Does Ms O'Connor have a breakdown of the social welfare budget for services for people with disabilities?