Results 81-100 of 11,938 for speaker:Colm Burke

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: EU Legislative Proposals: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Colm Burke: We are now in the real world. All I am saying is that it is quite clear that the United Nations does not have a mandate in many areas because of the power that Russia, China and America have. That has neutralised the impact of the UN from the point of view of peacekeeping. That is the point I am making.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: EU Legislative Proposals: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Colm Burke: I will move on to what the witnesses said about what has occurred in Europe. For the past 25 or 30 years, the threat of Russia was not there. A huge change has occurred, and Europe must respond accordingly. The problem is that if we wait around, it is obvious from what America is now saying that it is not prepared to help Europe at any time in the future. AS a result, Europe needs to deal...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: EU Legislative Proposals: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Colm Burke: I know, but-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: EU Legislative Proposals: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Colm Burke: I was in Gaza in 2009 when Israel bombed a whole lot of areas there, killing 1,400 people, including 400 children. I visited four weeks after that bombing took place. They used the changeover period between American Presidents, from 27 December 2008 until 18 January 2009, to go in, carry out that bombing and kill innocent people. That was 15 years ago. If action was taken by the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: EU Legislative Proposals: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Colm Burke: There is, because of the fact that-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: EU Legislative Proposals: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Colm Burke: No protection was provided to Gaza after 2009 to ensure there would be no repeat of what occurred.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: EU Legislative Proposals: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Colm Burke: Is Ms Ní Bhriain saying-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: EU Legislative Proposals: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Colm Burke: The problem Europe has is the conflict that has occurred in Ukraine. There is a genuine fear that it will spread to other European counties. Therefore, Europe must be careful that is not allowed to happen.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: EU Legislative Proposals: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Colm Burke: That has not worked in Gaza.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: EU Legislative Proposals: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Colm Burke: I am not in favour of arms or ammunition being purchased. That is the last thing I want to happen. The best example in respect of arms relates to the fact that 46,000 people in America died as a result of the use of guns in a 12-month time period. By comparison, we in Ireland are grateful that only five people were admitted to hospital with gunshot wounds in the same period. The more we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Key Issues Relating to the Health Service: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Colm Burke: I thank the Department and the HSE for the work they are doing and for the services being delivered. I want to touch briefly on the issue in relation to Portiuncula University Hospital and going back to the Baker report. My understanding in relation to maternity services is that each month a safety statement is signed off on. The Baker report was in 2018 and issues were highlighted at that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Key Issues Relating to the Health Service: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Colm Burke: But it is a safety statement.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Key Issues Relating to the Health Service: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Colm Burke: If something is not satisfactory, however, what are the triggers then that get someone from outside to intervene? There were quite a number of incidents in a short period of time. What I am concerned about is how that number of incidents happened in such a short period of time and whether there were incidents before this that were not attended to.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Key Issues Relating to the Health Service: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Colm Burke: Moving on from that, we have 19 maternity units around the country. My understanding is that only six of them are computerised at this stage, even though the computerisation programme started five or six years ago. When are we going to progress it to 19 units being fully computerised? Second, we have a lot more consultants now in each of the smaller units but the problem is that they are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Key Issues Relating to the Health Service: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Colm Burke: Could I move on to the issue of the development of health services in Cork? In the past 20 years, no new beds have been made available in the Cork region, even though there has been a substantial increase in population. Cork, in particular CUH, is also dealing with other work. In fact, I heard of a case recently where a patient was referred from as far away as Sligo. In relation to the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Key Issues Relating to the Health Service: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Colm Burke: Is there a target date for applying for planning?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Key Issues Relating to the Health Service: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Colm Burke: So, it is going to be the end of 2026 before it-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Key Issues Relating to the Health Service: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Colm Burke: I think Mr. O'Connell would accept that there are huge demands in Cork now as regards beds because we have a growth in population and also because of the fact that Cork is dealing with work from outside of the Cork city and county region, for example, from Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford. As I said, I have even heard of a case that was transferred from Sligo.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Key Issues Relating to the Health Service: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Colm Burke: Where are we with neurorehabilitation?