Results 9,481-9,500 of 11,246 for speaker:Colm Burke

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Leopardstown Park Hospital: Chairperson Designate (20 Oct 2015)

Colm Burke: I thank the witness for that clarification. In the context of a future development cost of €20 million, is it envisaged that capacity would increase? Given that the number of people over the age of 65 will increase by 20,000 every year, for argument's sake, by the time those who enter government in 2016 serve out their term of office, there will be an additional 100,000 people over...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Leopardstown Park Hospital: Chairperson Designate (20 Oct 2015)

Colm Burke: I wish Mr. Magee every success in the next five years.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Oct 2015)

Colm Burke: An article in today's edition of The Irish Timesregarding drink driving convictions states that in some parts of the country the conviction rate is below 20% and in others the average conviction rate is higher than 68%. This raises very serious questions about how summonses are prosecuted, including whether there is a defect in the manner in which they are presented by the Garda, whether...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Oct 2015)

Colm Burke: I need to reply to Senator Cullinane on the budget.

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Oct 2015)

Colm Burke: Incorrect information is being furnished and it is part of the debate we are having. A married couple with two children on one income of €25,000 will be €1,000 better off as a result of the budget. That is over €21 per week. A married couple with two children earning €55,000 will be €30 per week better off, or €1,500 per annum. That is the reality...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Oct 2015)

Colm Burke: The Senator said we were giving medical cards.

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Oct 2015)

Colm Burke: It is GP cards we are talking about.

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Oct 2015)

Colm Burke: What I am saying to the Senator is that it is an important step in providing health care for our young people and it is all part of our programme to move eventually towards GP cards for people up to 18 years of age. It is important to note that the budget is a balanced one. I was talking to one person yesterday who is on an old-age pension, as is his wife. He is caring for her because she...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Oct 2015)

Colm Burke: I, too, wish to join in the expressions of sympathy. Garda Golden was the 88th garda to die on duty in 93 years. It is one death too many. Like the late Garda Golden, every one of the gardaí who have died over the years served the force well. It is extremely sad. It is important that we convey our sympathies to his wife, Nicola, and to his immediate family. I also would like to...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Oct 2015)

Colm Burke: I agree with what Senator Rónán Mullen said about the fair deal scheme. As someone who was involved more than ten years ago in forcing the setting up of the scheme, it is one of the difficulties with it where there is total discrimination against those with farmland. I came across one case where a substantial amount of money was required to be paid every month for someone who was...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: General Scheme of Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2015: Department of Children and Youth Affairs (8 Oct 2015)

Colm Burke: I thank the witnesses for a comprehensive presentation. Has the information campaign been planned already and what form will it take? One of the major contacts in healthcare is the GP service. Is there a format set out for how the information will be disseminated? I was surprised, a number of years ago, to learn that maternity hospitals do not seek identification from their patients. A...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: General Scheme of Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2015: Department of Children and Youth Affairs (8 Oct 2015)

Colm Burke: It is an issue no one has dealt with. It is an issue that needs to be dealt with, especially now.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: General Scheme of Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2015: Department of Children and Youth Affairs (8 Oct 2015)

Colm Burke: Some 25 years ago, the vast majority were Irish people whereas now we have a lot of different nationalities using our maternity services. I am saying that there has not been any comprehensive identification requirement put in place.

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Oct 2015)

Colm Burke: I wish to refer to an issue about which I am extremely concerned. I have raised it in the House on a number of previous occasions, including as a Commencement Matter. It was not, however, dealt with here but was, rather, responded to by way of a letter. The issue in question is the delay in the registration of nurses. Currently, 2,260 people are awaiting registration with An Bord...

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Oct 2015)

Colm Burke: The system, as it stands, does not suit everyone so we must look at alternatives. I ask that the Leader raise this with the Minister for Health at the earliest possible date.

Seanad: State Claims Agency: Motion (7 Oct 2015)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister. I thank the Senators concerned for bringing forward the motion. It is grand to talk about reform, but what is important is to carry it out. It is almost the fifth anniversary of a report by the working group on medical negligence and periodic payments which was dated 29 October 2010.To date that report has not been implemented. Blaming the legal profession for the...

Seanad: State Claims Agency: Motion (7 Oct 2015)

Colm Burke: We would have been in some mess if we had left Senator Ó Domhnaill's party in government for five years.

Seanad: State Claims Agency: Motion (7 Oct 2015)

Colm Burke: I agree but I could not resist.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: National Maternity Services and Infrastructure: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2015)

Colm Burke: I am a bit sceptical about the report because report after report has been issued over the past 15 years. One can go back to the Hanly report of 2003, which I raised at last week's meeting, which sets out that we would 170 consultants by 2012. We currently have whole-time equivalents of 114 consultants. The proposal in this report is for another six consultants for the various hospitals....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: National Maternity Services and Infrastructure: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2015)

Colm Burke: I would like to make two points in regard to staff retention. I recently came across a case of a GP who was employed in a hospital to provide a particular service but because six months into the job he had not been paid he resigned. That is not the way to about trying to retain staff. The second issue relates to agency staff and the reason some hospitals are experiencing difficulty getting...