Results 9,301-9,320 of 11,246 for speaker:Colm Burke

Seanad: Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: This does not deal with online shopping where somebody is buying products from abroad. I do not believe we can legislate on that, but it is an issue. If people are producing a product and they find that the legislation here prevents them from selling that product here, there is nothing to prevent them from going outside Ireland and advertising it online. It is a problem that must be...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Nursing Homes Support Scheme Appeals (25 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank him for dealing with this Commencement matter, which relates to the private nursing home sector. At present, there are over 23,500 people in private nursing home beds under the fair deal scheme. An issue has been raised with me by representatives of a number of private nursing homes regarding the fact that when the price is fixed - and...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Nursing Homes Support Scheme Appeals (25 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive reply. I agree fully with the Minister of State in respect of his last point. Such an outcome is the last thing we need. It reminds me of every District Court case that is sent to the Circuit Court, and that is not what I want. It may be that only one price agreement in every 1,000 is fixed but some mechanism is needed. The Minister of...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: I join Senator Humphreys in raising the extremely important issue of maternity hospitals. I fully agree that a ten-month delay in the lodging of a planning application is unreasonable. It is about time those involved resolved their differences and got on with it. I remind the House that a 2003 report on our maternity services suggested that there should be approximately 180 consultants in...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: I thank Senator Ivana Bacik and all those involved in bringing forward the motion on the situation in Syria. It is extremely important that we speak with one voice and send a clear message on this matter, given the significant number of innocent people, especially children, being killed. In talking about the need to speak with one voice I wish to refer again – I am sorry for doing so...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: I agree with previous speakers on the wording used when dealing with ongoing industrial relations disputes. There appears to be a media view that if a demand is made, the Government must be in a position to pay. There is no significant debate in the media on the fact that it is the taxpayer rather than the Government who must pay increased costs in the public service. We must be careful...

Seanad: Judicial Council: Motion (19 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister of State. I thank the Senators for tabling the motion. It is important that we discuss this matter because it has been discussed for more than 16 years and we should now try to move forward. Members have outlined the delays but it is important to recognise the changes that have been made in the courts in recent years, in particular, the establishment of a Court of...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: In response to Senator David Norris, it is important to highlight the case dealt with by the Court of Appeal. The matter was referred by way a case stated from the High Court. The Senator is right that it was in relation to the Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Act. It was decided that such cases could not be brought before the Circuit Court but could be brought before the High Court. One...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: It is important. In my experience of dealing with county registrars, in any case in which the property owner is not consenting, the matter is referred to court for decision, as Senator Mulherin said. The county registrar does not take the decision. County registrars do not receive 7.5% when they give a decision. The issue does not arise in the scenario in which they make a decision on...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: I sent it in early August. We need to clarify the role of the House in new legislation coming before the House. During the previous Seanad, a number of new Bills were introduced in the Seanad and carried forward to the other House. I am concerned that we seem to be on the back foot and new legislation is not being introduced here. I am wondering if it can be changed. We need to expedite...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: It is important that we support first-time buyers, and it is the appropriate support.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Open Disclosure: Department of Health (13 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: I thank the witnesses for their presentations. Open disclosure is very important. I am a little concerned about the capacity to deal with it within the HSE and will give one or two examples. First, an adverse event occurred and it was agreed by all of the medical staff in the particular hospital that there should be an independent review to make sure full information was given to the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Open Disclosure: Department of Health (13 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: What about the Coroners Act?

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Nursing Home Accommodation Provision (12 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State and welcome her to the House. This matter relates to a patient who has been in St. Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, since January 2016. The advice from the medical people in May 2016 was that the appropriate facility would be Bloomfield Hospital. Bloomfield carried out an assessment and found he was a suitable patient. Since then, no decision has been...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Nursing Home Accommodation Provision (12 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: The Minister of State's answer is totally unsatisfactory. The information she gave in the last part of her answer is new to me and the family. In May, the medical team in St. Vincent's identified that Bloomfield Hospital was the appropriate place. Nothing since then has been given in writing although the family has written to the CEO of St. Vincent's. I have written to the CEO of St....

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Nursing Home Accommodation Provision (12 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: I received a letter from the HSE to the effect that it was not the HSE's problem and that I should deal with St. Vincent's. I wrote to St. Vincent's and received no reply. This is not a way to deal with something that has been going on for four months. The HSE told me it did not know who it should contact in St. Vincent's hospital. It is unacceptable.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Nursing Home Accommodation Provision (12 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: Thank you.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: I agree with Senator Norris and my colleagues in Sinn Féin on this matter. It is deplorable. It was a deplorable decision by Bank of Ireland. I am supportive of a motion being passed in the House criticising Bank of Ireland and calling on it to reverse its decision. It was wrong and there was no justification for it. I also want to raise an interesting issue that we need to be very...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: I welcome the budget today and in particular the increase of €1 billion in the health care budget. It is extremely important that it be managed properly. I was interested to listen to the leader of Sinn Féin giving out about the budget. We are trying to encourage more nurses and doctors to come home to work in Ireland whereas Sinn Féin’s proposed increase in...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: Many good people from the health care sector have left the country and it is important that we do everything possible to bring them back. A total of 38% of the doctors working in this country are non-Irish graduates. Many are abroad and we need to encourage them back. Between now and 2025 there will be a shortfall of 95,000 medical practitioners in the United States. That is the challenge...