Results 9,681-9,700 of 11,246 for speaker:Colm Burke

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Remuneration of Section 38 Agency Staff: Health Service Executive (24 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: I thank Mr. Tegerdine for his presentation. First, will he outline the total number of section 38 organisations we are discussing? Have we an idea of the total budget among all those organisations? I am not asking for precise figures but a rough guideline. Second, were there structures in place before the circular of September 2013? What was the structure in place in terms of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Remuneration of Section 38 Agency Staff: Health Service Executive (24 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: My apologies.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Remuneration of Section 38 Agency Staff: Health Service Executive (24 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: Recommendation No. 19 in the report on the implementation of recommendations is recorded as unable to implement. Will Mr Tegerdine give the committee some further clarification on that issue? What are we talking about? Mr Tegerdine refers to a statement by Ms Oonagh Buckley to the Committee of Public Accounts on 19 December 2013. Can we have some clarification on that because it is not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Remuneration of Section 38 Agency Staff: Health Service Executive (24 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: As regards section 38 agencies, it is relevant in that 25 have made business cases. My understanding is that we are not talking about a huge number of section 38 agencies overall. That is why I am wondering from where the figure of 25 came. That is why the question is relevant.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Remuneration of Section 38 Agency Staff: Health Service Executive (24 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: A total 25 of the 39 agencies have submitted business cases.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Remuneration of Section 38 Agency Staff: Health Service Executive (24 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: I accept that, but 25 of the 39 agencies have made submissions where they are non-compliant.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Remuneration of Section 38 Agency Staff: Health Service Executive (24 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: Before 2013, what structure was in place between the Department of Health, the HSE and the various agencies involved?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Remuneration of Section 38 Agency Staff: Health Service Executive (24 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: Was there anything to prevent any of the agencies from entering into a legal agreement before 2013?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Remuneration of Section 38 Agency Staff: Health Service Executive (24 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: Does that mean that they were not in breach of any regulation if they did sign a legal agreement prior to the circular of 2013?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Remuneration of Section 38 Agency Staff: Health Service Executive (24 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: At the same time, however, there was no regulation in place preventing agencies from entering into a higher level of pay with individuals to whom they were giving a contract?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Remuneration of Section 38 Agency Staff: Health Service Executive (24 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: There was nothing to prevent them from entering into such contracts.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Remuneration of Section 38 Agency Staff: Health Service Executive (24 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: The reason I am asking this question is that I know of a case in which a person moved from a HSE job to a position in the voluntary hospital sector and it was widely rumoured at the time - this was eight or ten years ago - that there was a huge difference in salary scales, even though the funding for the voluntary hospital was provided through the HSE. There did not appear to be restrictions...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Remuneration of Section 38 Agency Staff: Health Service Executive (24 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: There was guidance but no regulation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Remuneration of Section 38 Agency Staff: Health Service Executive (24 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: Mr. Tegerdine said recommendations Nos. 20 and 21 had been sent to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Does he believe the delay on the part of that Department in dealing with the issue will cause problems within the section 38 organisations or within the HSE? Is there a need for that Department to be put under pressure to make a decision on this matter?

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: I too wish to congratulate the men's and women's rugby teams on their success in the past week. It shows that leadership was provided in the work they have done in achieving successful results at the weekend. The week beginning 28 March is organ donor week. One of the problems in Ireland is that more than 600 people are waiting for kidney transplants. The number of medical consultants...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Cost of Prescription Drugs: Discussion (Resumed) (12 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: While I agree with the witnesses that the cost of drugs has come down, I am still concerned. I gave the example last week of someone who comes to my clinic in Cork. He is in receipt of an old age pension, he does not have a medical card and he has had two heart attacks. He travels to Northern Ireland, from Cork to Dublin to Newry, once every two months and is paying less in Northern...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Cost of Prescription Drugs: Discussion (Resumed) (12 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: It would be helpful if Mr. Burke was given a copy of the document that I have in order to correlate the figures.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: General Scheme of Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015: (Resumed) Alcohol Research Group (12 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: I pay tribute to the delegation for their fantastic presentation, which has been very well researched. I agree with previous speakers in that it is a very valuable document and we must take it very seriously. Our attitude towards drinking was summed up to me in the past week when I spoke to somebody who had returned from holidays. Half an hour into the flight, the crew of the aircraft...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Disability Support Services (11 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister to the House. This issue follows on from an issue I raised four weeks about a family in the Cork city council area whose child has a physical and intellectual disability. While that family were advised in July 2008 by a city council official of work to be carried out to their home to accommodate their daughter this work has yet commenced. The issue I am raising today...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Disability Support Services (11 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: I wish to raise two points. I am not blaming the Minister or the Department, but no one in the local authority is taking responsibility. The family has grown so frustrated that it has stopped talking to people. It was by pure accident that I came across the issue. I have been dealing with it for the past nine months. I have helped the family to file a complaint with the Ombudsman for...