Results 9,701-9,720 of 11,246 for speaker:Colm Burke

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

Colm Burke: I wish to clarify something. In the letter issued to the family in July 2008, Cork City Council accepted that works needed to be done.

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

Colm Burke: The plans were drafted and provided in November 2008, yet here we are.

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: I wish to follow on from the issues raised by Senator White. It is important that when people return to this country they not only look for jobs but at issues such as housing and taxation. The reason we have such high taxation here at this stage is because we must pay for mistakes made when Fianna Fáil was in power for 14 years. The Opposition should not forget that fact. Also, the...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: We must now be positive about bringing about change.

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: We have brought stability to the country and created jobs. The only way forward is to create jobs. One of the things about young people coming back and seeking jobs, is that we must remember Ireland is a small economy of 4.6 million people. When people go abroad they have a wider choice of jobs and places to go. Ireland now competes on the world market in a whole lot of areas. In terms...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: I have outlined the issues that we need to start tackling. If we want people to come back then we must fast-track registration procedures so that they can return to take up available jobs. That is a hugely important issue. I ask the Leader to raise the issue with the relevant Ministers because registration delays affect all professions. We must make sure that the registration authorities...

Seanad: Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill 2015: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister to the House. I thank him, the departmental officials and all those involved in the background in the Office of the Attorney General for bringing forward this legislation so rapidly. When this matter was brought before the High Court, it was argued that section 2(2) of the 1977 Act was unconstitutional. The public perception at present is that the Government is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: General Scheme of Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015: Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (10 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: I apologise for not being here for the presentation. We had a debate in the Seanad on the ambulance service, which is used to bring people who have been drinking excessively to accident and emergency departments. The winners of the Young Scientist exhibition this year did a project on alcohol consumption that involved interviewing parents and young people. The connection between the...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: A number of Senators have raised the issue of the difficulties many people are having in regard to housing. I refer to both mortgages and the rental sector. We need a fundamental change in this whole area and to have a debate on it. One of my proposals is that legislation should be introduced to prevent banks from using family homes as collateral for commercial loans. That is one area we...

Seanad: Ambulance Services in Dublin: Statements (10 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister for making time available. It is important that we debate this issue and that we refer to the recommendations of the HIQA report and act on them. The recommendation set out that the National Ambulance Service and the Dublin Fire Brigade must both address the operational inefficiencies identified and publish a joint action plan outlining proposed steps to improve...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Cost of Prescription Drugs: Discussion (5 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: I thank the witnesses for their presentations. Last Saturday morning, someone whose husband had had two heart attacks attended my clinic in Cork. He is on medication. He takes the train from Cork to Dublin and then the train from Dublin to Newry every two months to buy medication because he can get two months' supply cheaper there than he can get even one month's supply in Cork. He takes...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Cost of Prescription Drugs: Discussion (5 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: In fairness, the price increase was 260% before the unemployment figures started to increase. It happened between 2000 and 2008. That was when the big jump occurred - before the unemployment figures and the number of medical cards started to increase. It appears that it was a case of who was prepared to sign the blank cheque. There seems to have been very little control by the HSE and the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Cost of Prescription Drugs: Discussion (5 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: I asked a question about the margin between manufacturers and the prices set by the Health Service Executive. On the letter from Alexion, a company that was invited to attend this meeting-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Cost of Prescription Drugs: Discussion (5 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: The letter states: "Given Alexion would be highly restricted in terms of what we could discuss with regard to pricing negotiations in Ireland as well as our global experience and position, we must respectfully and regretfully decline your invitation at this time." The company clearly does not wish to discuss pricing and the cost of the medication it provides. Is greater transparency needed...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Cost of Prescription Drugs: Discussion (5 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: I thank all of the delegates for their presentations. Mr. O'Sullivan said Healthwave had been set up in 2013. The advantage in setting up then was he knew the market he was going after and he probably set it up cost effectively. I understand there are 1,700 pharmacies in the State, whereas there are only 350 in Denmark. Does he think pharmacies are facing a major challenge, given that a...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Drugs Payment Scheme (4 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: I am raising this matter regarding a drug, Fampyra, which is suitable for some MS patients. I accept fully that it is not suitable for all patients. A number of people have been in contact with me about this. They are paying more than €300 a month for medication. They are not entitled to claim under the drugs payment scheme and I know one of these people is on a medical card and is...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Drugs Payment Scheme (4 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State for her comprehensive reply. She said discussions are ongoing. Does the Minister of State have any idea when the discussions might conclude or is it very much a case of what progress is made in the coming weeks? Has there been any indication that there will be some progress on the matter?

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: I agree with Senator Bradford's comments on the self-employed. Many self-employed people who ran small businesses over the past four to five years in difficult financial circumstances continued to pump money in from their savings in order to keep companies going and workers employed, and they made considerable sacrifices. Those who run their own businesses have to pay commercial rates...

Seanad: Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill 2014: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (3 Mar 2015)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister to the House. I fully support him in bringing forward the legislation and spearheading the issue of plain packaging, which is long overdue. Given that more than 50 years ago a Surgeon General of the US identified that smoking was a real health problem and a real health risk, it has taken us a long time to react. In fairness, many campaigns have been conducted over...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Possible Exit of UK from European Union: Discussion (Resumed) (26 Feb 2015)

Colm Burke: In the UK elections to the European Parliament, many of the people elected were not pro-Europe to a large extent. If there were a vote in the morning in the UK, it might decide to leave the EU. There will be a long debate on the matter and the UK will seek a very much reformed EU. However, if the UK decided it was not happy with the package being offered, what would be the consequences...