Results 9,521-9,540 of 11,271 for speaker:Colm Burke

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...

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

Colm Burke: I thank Dr. Fitzpatrick for his presentation. I also thank him for his long years of service in the obstetrics and gynaecological area and as master of the Coombe. I know that the hospital was run very efficiently and in a good manner. Dr. Fitzpatrick has raised a few issues, in particular an issue that I have raised at all of the presentations we have had here and I refer to the Hanly...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: National Maternity Services and Infrastructure: Discussion (24 Sep 2015)

Colm Burke: I welcome the witnesses and thank them for their comprehensive presentations. Many of the issues they raised this morning are ones I have highlighted over the past four years. In terms of some of the issues, it is like banging one's head against a stone wall. Dr. Coulter-Smith raised fact the number of consultants is 133. The Hanly report stated that over 170 consultants should be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: National Maternity Services and Infrastructure: Discussion (24 Sep 2015)

Colm Burke: I want to raise the coroner situation. I know there is a good relationship in Dublin but in other parts of the country there have been unreasonable delays in inquests. My understanding is that there is no statutory requirement on a coroner to hold an inquest within a set period. Should we take up the issue at this stage? Once all the necessary documentation has been filed with the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: National Maternity Services and Infrastructure: Discussion (24 Sep 2015)

Colm Burke: In fairness, it is something we should take up with the Minister for Justice and Equality because it comes under that Department. There is no statutory requirement.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: National Maternity Services and Infrastructure: Discussion (24 Sep 2015)

Colm Burke: I want to clarify that I am referring to cases where the coroner has all the documentation and there is still a delay. That is the issue I am raising.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Babies Born to Mothers with Substance Abuse Issues: Discussion (24 Sep 2015)

Colm Burke: Are there any conclusive data between the three Dublin hospitals on the number of women using these services?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Babies Born to Mothers with Substance Abuse Issues: Discussion (24 Sep 2015)

Colm Burke: Is there any breakdown between drug and alcohol misuse?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Babies Born to Mothers with Substance Abuse Issues: Discussion (24 Sep 2015)

Colm Burke: There was an interesting story this morning on thejournal.ieabout a person who, for various reasons, went through withdrawal when he was born and who is now running his own business.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Procurement Practices for the Purchase of Hospital Supplies and Equipment: Beacon Hospital and Health Service Executive (23 Jul 2015)

Colm Burke: St. Vincent's hospital is getting substantial amounts of taxpayers' money. I accept fully what it is saying about the investigation. My concern is that the letter does not set out a timeframe for how long the investigation is likely to take. The representatives say they are happy to come before the committee once the investigation is completed, but when will that be? Will it be in a week,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Procurement Practices for the Purchase of Hospital Supplies and Equipment: Beacon Hospital and Health Service Executive (23 Jul 2015)

Colm Burke: I thank Mr. Cullen for attending the committee and for his presentation. I want to ask about the overall cost of running a private medical facility, and the cost increases that have occurred in recent years. I presume that previously external auditors were brought in to review the costs and what patients had to be charged. Can Mr. Cullen give an idea of the total cost of medical supplies...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Procurement Practices for the Purchase of Hospital Supplies and Equipment: Beacon Hospital and Health Service Executive (23 Jul 2015)

Colm Burke: Mr. Cullen said the cost per patient had decreased. Can he give us an idea of the percentage decrease?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Procurement Practices for the Purchase of Hospital Supplies and Equipment: Beacon Hospital and Health Service Executive (23 Jul 2015)

Colm Burke: In the report it was stated that 42 audits dealing with procurement were carried out and that deficiencies were identified. This has all been kept within the HSE. We have not been given any information as regards the deficiencies that were identified and the cost to the taxpayer where proper procedures were not followed or where there were deficiencies. What action was taken where...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Procurement Practices for the Purchase of Hospital Supplies and Equipment: Beacon Hospital and Health Service Executive (23 Jul 2015)

Colm Burke: It is happening.

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Jul 2015)

Colm Burke: First, I thank all the staff in the House for their dedication and commitment to their jobs and the assistance they give to each one of us throughout the year. I have a question on the role of access officers in local authorities. Today is 21 July 2015. Seven years ago a family, who have contacted me in the past 12 months, received a letter from Cork City Council advising them that work...

Seanad: Children (Amendment) Bill 2015 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (21 Jul 2015)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister and his officials for the work they have done in this area. I was part of the delegation that went to Oberstown. By visiting an institution, one can see the challenges everyone faces. The best thing we can all learn in this process is that prevention is better than trying to provide a cure after the event. While this legislation goes a long way towards dealing with...