Results 9,941-9,960 of 11,271 for speaker:Colm Burke

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Concussion in Sport (15 Oct 2014)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. The matter I raise is a follow-up to a presentation to the Joint Committee on Health last week. The GAA made a submission calling for the establishment of a task force on concussion injury comprising representatives of sports organisations, sports medicine bodies and primary and post-primary schools. The main focus of the task force should be...

Seanad: Joint Policing Committees: Motion (15 Oct 2014)

Colm Burke: I apologise for the confusion. I had intended to second the motion but I was not aware that the time of the debate was changed from a start time of 5 p.m. to 3.50 p.m. That was my mistake. I welcome the Minister. I thank Senator Conway for bringing forward this motion, which I welcome. The prevention of crime is not the sole responsibility of the Garda. We all have a part to play. The...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Oct 2014)

Colm Burke: I would like to highlight one tax change. One of the messages that has been lost in the budget is that we are competing internationally for highly skilled people, especially in the health sector. We have great difficulty retaining people in this sector and, therefore, the tax changes in the budget are welcome. Many qualified medical professionals are emigrating to Canada, the US, New...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Oct 2014)

Colm Burke: I join in welcoming Senator Craughwell to the House. Having looked at his CV, I know that he has a major contribution to make to this House and I look forward to listening to him and to taking on board the issues that he wants to deal with in education. He did a very good job in his previous role in the educational sector. I will now raise an issue on the budget. It is interesting that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Concussion in Sport: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Oct 2014)

Colm Burke: I am sorry to come back on the task force issue, but in fairness, witnesses came in this morning with a very structured set of recommendations. One of the important things about meetings and public hearings such as this is to ensure we get something out of them and follow through. I accept fully that a great deal of work has been done by both the Department of Education and Skills and the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Concussion in Sport: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Oct 2014)

Colm Burke: I welcome all of the witnesses and thank them for their presentations. I apologise for not being here earlier, but there was a vote in the Seanad and a number of other committee meetings were taking place this morning. At the last session, the GAA raised the issue of a task force. I understand it has been in correspondence with the Department of Health on the subject. Is the Department of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Concussion in Sport: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Oct 2014)

Colm Burke: On the task force, has the Department indicated that it is coming on board on that matter?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Concussion in Sport: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Oct 2014)

Colm Burke: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Concussion in Sport: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Oct 2014)

Colm Burke: Some of the issues that I wanted to raise have been covered, so I will be brief. One of the very precise recommendations from the GAA concerns setting up a task force. Has the GAA been in correspondence with the relevant Departments on that matter, and has it received a response? If a task force involving all the sports organisations is set up, which Department would be most appropriate...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Waste Management (8 Oct 2014)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State for the reply but I am quite disappointed because this is a facility that cost €48 million and it is lying idle. All that I am asking is that the Department communicates with the city and county councils about the facility in a residential area. The last sentence of the reply refers to giving us control over a valuable resource and the scope to support...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Waste Management (8 Oct 2014)

Colm Burke: I also welcome the Minister of State. The matter I wish to raise relates to the current waste processing facility at Churchfield in Cork which has been in operation for a number of years. In fairness, the operator of the facility has been providing a very valuable service for residents in Cork city and surrounding areas. However, the volume of waste at the facility which is located in an...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Oct 2014)

Colm Burke: I was intrigued by Senator Daly's reference to fundraising. Perhaps he might outline to the House his involvement-----

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Oct 2014)

Colm Burke: -----in fundraising in the United States. There is a question he needs to answer.

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Oct 2014)

Colm Burke: I wish to raise the issue of long-term planning. All the evidence suggests that there is a major turn in the economy and that growth rates will vary from 4.5% to 6.1% over the next 12 months, which is very welcome. Long-term planning is an issue we need to address seriously. The media have not commented in recent times on those between 20 and 30 years of age. In the past five years the...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (7 Oct 2014)

Colm Burke: I support the comments of Senator Mooney on e-mails. What is far more sinister are those who receive phone calls on their mobile phones while on the Internet from those who tell them they will hack into their computers unless they pay money over immediately. I know of people who had such an experience. It is part of a new trend. It is quite frightening when it happens. If it happens...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Rule of Law in the European Union: Discussion (7 Oct 2014)

Colm Burke: Mr. Ligeti referred to the rule of law and changes in legislation and referred to one case in which work was allocated to a private contractor. What is preventing the courts in Hungary from dealing with these issues in terms of their constitutional position and power? We heard about a delay in the European Union becoming involved. I was a member of the European Parliament's foreign...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Concussion in Sport: Discussion (2 Oct 2014)

Colm Burke: I apologise if I am going back over old ground. Do the witnesses believe adequate training is being provided by the people who are coaching younger people, in particular in school? Is enough done to prepare the people involved in sporting activities in schools? Where do the witnesses see the more serious deficiencies? Although we have raised great awareness of farm accidents, there have...

Seanad: Fluoridation of Water: Motion (1 Oct 2014)

Colm Burke: At 10.30 tomorrow morning.

Seanad: Fluoridation of Water: Motion (1 Oct 2014)

Colm Burke: That is not true.

Seanad: Fluoridation of Water: Motion (1 Oct 2014)

Colm Burke: On a point of information, the forum on fluoridation in 2002 reviewed that matter.