Results 9,181-9,200 of 11,246 for speaker:Colm Burke

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Hospital Waiting Lists (26 Jan 2017)

Colm Burke: I want to raise the issue of maternity services in Cork, of which there has been widespread coverage. There are now more than 4,000 on the waiting list for gynaecological services in Cork University Hospital and this makes up 42% of the total waiting list of the country. We opened a brand new maternity unit over ten years ago and two theatres were built. At present, one is opened for three...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Hospital Waiting Lists (26 Jan 2017)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State for her reply. My only concern is that a list was allowed to build up like this. My understanding is that back in 2009 there was a waiting list of over 2,900. We are now six or seven years on and we do not seem have a timeline for when action will be taken. When will the theatre be open five days a week? When will we progress to the second theatre? How can...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Jan 2017)

Colm Burke: It was announced this morning that there would be a new €20 million development in Cork which will provide 150 jobs and when completed, will accommodate 500 people. It is good news in terms of the number of new developments in that region. However, we now need to set out a clear strategy nationally in respect of development and areas we need to prioritise regarding the provision of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Emergency Department Overcrowding: Discussion (25 Jan 2017)

Colm Burke: I thank the witnesses for their detailed presentations. On the basis of the presentations made, it would appear there are around 26,900 people per week attending accident and emergency departments, or around 3,800 per day. If there is a 20% increase in that there is huge pressure on the system, and a sudden 20% increase would not be unusual. On the 29 units, it was said that some of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Emergency Department Overcrowding: Discussion (25 Jan 2017)

Colm Burke: I thank Mr. Woods for his presentation and apologise to him for the lengthy delay in commencing our discussion. On accident and emergency department overcrowding and hospital overcrowding in general, Nursing Homes Ireland today issued a statement in which it indicated it had understood since July 2016 that the Health Service Executive would engage with the organisation on planning for the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Emergency Department Overcrowding: Discussion (25 Jan 2017)

Colm Burke: They raised this with me in early January. I did not mention it to the Minister. My understanding was that engagement was to take place, but that it has not taken place. At a time of overcrowding in the hospitals, there are 742 vacant beds.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Emergency Department Overcrowding: Discussion (25 Jan 2017)

Colm Burke: To come back to the Nursing Homes Ireland issue, may I have a written response? Can a response be sent to the committee because Nursing Homes Ireland stated in its statement issued today that the emergency department task force had never engaged with it? The position needs to be clarified in writing because the issue is important and it is in the public domain. I accept that it is not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Emergency Department Overcrowding: Discussion (25 Jan 2017)

Colm Burke: I was advised that when it looked for replacement staff, they were not provided so ten out of 68 staff were out at any one time. In fairness, we are all out for very genuine reasons but it is a huge number out of a staff of 68 and I do not think it should be allowed to arise again.

Seanad: Health Service: Statements (25 Jan 2017)

Colm Burke: The health committee meeting is starting at 1.30 p.m. and as we are under pressure to attend that meeting it is unfortunate it is clashing with this debate. However, I appreciate the Minister coming in to the House to attend the debate. It is interesting to look at the figures relating to accident and emergency medicine. As I understand it, last year there was approximately 1.3 million...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Jan 2017)

Colm Burke: I agree with my colleague that the four Sinn Féin Members should take their seats in the House of Commons and have issued a press release to that effect. The party would have four crucial votes in debating Brexit as it would affect Northern Ireland. It is important that they exercise their right and make the interests of the people of Northern Ireland their first priority. That is...

Seanad: Adoption (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (24 Jan 2017)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister to the House. I pay tribute to all the Senators who have contributed on the matter, in particular Senator Boyhan. It is something he obviously feels very strongly about. I welcome the legislation which is very comprehensive and long overdue. In the referendum, we amended the Constitution, Article 42A of which now provides for this Bill. It is important to progress...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Maternity Strategy: Discussion (19 Jan 2017)

Colm Burke: I thank the witnesses for their detailed presentations. I will touch on a number of issues. The witnesses have referred to an additional number of midwives and I am not sure whether that takes into account the number of people who retire every year. One major concern I have is lack of support for nursing staff, consultants and junior doctors when there is an adverse event. It is not clear...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Maternity Strategy: Discussion (19 Jan 2017)

Colm Burke: I thank the witnesses for their presentation, which was circulated to members before the meeting. I welcome the report on the national maternity strategy. My problem with reports is that in 2003, when there were between 90 and 100 consultants in obstetrics and gynaecology, the plan was that to have 180 by 2012. The report published last year showed that in 2014 there were 121 consultants....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Maternity Strategy: Discussion (19 Jan 2017)

Colm Burke: The simple solution is to give us the figures for what was in place in 2014 and what is in place now. That would allow us to see the comparisons.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Maternity Strategy: Discussion (19 Jan 2017)

Colm Burke: I ask that we be given the figures for 2014 as well because that is the year we are talking about and-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Maternity Strategy: Discussion (19 Jan 2017)

Colm Burke: The reference period. If it is possible, Ms Fitzgerald might also give us the figures as of January 2017-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Maternity Strategy: Discussion (19 Jan 2017)

Colm Burke: -----for each of the units, and the birth rate for each of those units for the year ended 31 December 2016.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Maternity Strategy: Discussion (19 Jan 2017)

Colm Burke: That would allow us see the comparisons and sort out the problem in terms of determining whether the figures are accurate.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Maternity Strategy: Discussion (19 Jan 2017)

Colm Burke: The problem for the past 25 year is that very little has been set aside in the capital budget. In real terms it is a case of developing services in a piecemeal way because not enough moneys have been put into capital funding. To take the example of the three maternity units in Dublin, they are all more than 150 years old and we are now talking about dealing with those over a short...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Maternity Strategy: Discussion (19 Jan 2017)

Colm Burke: Can I ask a question on that, Chairman? Mr. Woods talks about the appointment of strong clinical leadership. Where all the clinicians in a particular facility agree there should be an independent review, however, someone in administration - who has neither hand, act nor part in the facility - can overrule their decision and 18 months later no review report has been completed. If that is...