Results 9,201-9,220 of 11,702 for speaker:Colm Burke

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Feb 2018)

Colm Burke: I agree with the points made by my colleagues on the question of councillor's pay. We have all raised this issue in our own parties in the past 12 months to two years. While councillors get travelling expenses for travelling to council meetings, what is not taken into account are all the other meetings that they attend. I know there are councillors in the Gallery and I welcome those...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Hospital Appointments Administration (7 Feb 2018)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister of State. As I know that he has come from a meeting of the Joint Committee on Health, I will not delay him. This matter was touched on at the committee meeting. It is about people who have appointments to attend hospital outpatient clinics. The figure given at the committee meeting was that 479,000 people had not kept their appointments, but that figure does not...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Hospital Appointments Administration (7 Feb 2018)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive reply. In the 31 hospitals that have engaged the text messaging solution, is there any indication as to whether it has helped to improve attendance levels and reduce the number of non-attendances? I understand the overall number of outpatient appointments across all hospitals is 3.2 million per annum. That figure was not indicated in the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (7 Feb 2018)

Colm Burke: I thank all those who made presentations this morning. I apologise if I go over some of the ground again. I had to deal with a Commencement Matter in the Seanad. I am grateful for the comprehensive reply to my question on the availability of drugs. There is a question mark over short supply of some medication, some pharmaceuticals. I have got a comprehensive reply and I appreciate that....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (7 Feb 2018)

Colm Burke: The number of public health nurses has only increased by 3.69% in that period. We talk about trying to keep people out of the hospital system, but if we do not have people working in the community, then we have a problem. That is the point I am raising.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (7 Feb 2018)

Colm Burke: If the Vice Chairman wants to deal with that issue, I will come back to the issue of staffing levels.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (7 Feb 2018)

Colm Burke: I still have a concern about staffing issues and I am sorry for raising the matter now. If one looks at the 2015 annual report, the number of managerial staff was down as 4,700 because grades 7 and 8 were listed under the heading of managerial capacity. We have changed this and taken them out of the managerial capacity category and listed them under the administrative capacity category....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (7 Feb 2018)

Colm Burke: Can I ask about the overprescribing of drugs?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (7 Feb 2018)

Colm Burke: I did raise it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (7 Feb 2018)

Colm Burke: I raised a question on the overprescribing of drugs, which was not answered.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (7 Feb 2018)

Colm Burke: We have a problem in some geographical areas and there seems to be a reliance on some medication. In my own constituency, up to 20% of people are on antidepressants. What has the HSE put in place to deal with such issues?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (7 Feb 2018)

Colm Burke: What action is taken once the cause of the problem is established?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (7 Feb 2018)

Colm Burke: That would be appreciated.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Feb 2018)

Colm Burke: I wish to raise an issue relating to an article in the Sunday Business Postover the weekend by Susan Mitchell about the over-prescribing and the major increase in the past ten years in the use of certain drugs. The number of people using one drug, Lyrica, has gone up from 54,981 to 652,013. That is more than a 1,086% increase. Use of another drug, OxyContin, an opiate, has gone up from...

Seanad: Emergency Department Waiting Times: Statements (31 Jan 2018)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister. I appreciate the work he is doing in the health care sector. It is a huge challenge given the large number of hospitals providing services. It is interesting to look at the figures. A total of 1.3 million people attend accident and emergency departments, which is 25,000 per week or 3,571 per day. Over 6,346 people per week are admitted to Irish hospitals through...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Section 39 Organisations: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Colm Burke: I thank all the organisations which are working in this area. There is a huge commitment by staff. In many cases it is quite a demanding job, and it is important that we recognise that. Many of the issues I want to raise have already been raised. My question concerns the operations of the HSE. Last year it took me six months to establish that the HSE had taken on an additional 2,000...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Section 39 Organisations: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Colm Burke: Is the figure 2,000?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Section 39 Organisations: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Colm Burke: Can I come back on this as I think it is important? There was a sudden increase of 2,000 people who were not front-line staff, whether or not they were agency staff. I have raised with the Minister and the Department the lack of accountability in this regard. It is a pity that the same pro rataincrease was not provided in section 39 staff when it could have been. Probably some 300 or 400...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Section 39 Organisations: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Colm Burke: I thank the witnesses for their presentations. I do not necessarily agree with my colleague. I believe they are setting out the facts as they are and I very much appreciate what they have set out here. I have one or two questions - I apologise in advance but I have to speak in the Seanad in a few minutes - on the €800 million, which is going to the section 39 organisations. We...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Section 39 Organisations: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Colm Burke: One section of the HSE had a significant increase in staff numbers, but there was no pro rataincrease in section 39 provision. I do not think that was taken into account in the planning process.