Results 10,101-10,120 of 12,035 for speaker:Colm Burke

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Open Disclosure: Department of Health (13 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: I thank the witnesses for their presentations. Open disclosure is very important. I am a little concerned about the capacity to deal with it within the HSE and will give one or two examples. First, an adverse event occurred and it was agreed by all of the medical staff in the particular hospital that there should be an independent review to make sure full information was given to the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Open Disclosure: Department of Health (13 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: What about the Coroners Act?

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Nursing Home Accommodation Provision (12 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State and welcome her to the House. This matter relates to a patient who has been in St. Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, since January 2016. The advice from the medical people in May 2016 was that the appropriate facility would be Bloomfield Hospital. Bloomfield carried out an assessment and found he was a suitable patient. Since then, no decision has been...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Nursing Home Accommodation Provision (12 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: The Minister of State's answer is totally unsatisfactory. The information she gave in the last part of her answer is new to me and the family. In May, the medical team in St. Vincent's identified that Bloomfield Hospital was the appropriate place. Nothing since then has been given in writing although the family has written to the CEO of St. Vincent's. I have written to the CEO of St....

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Nursing Home Accommodation Provision (12 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: I received a letter from the HSE to the effect that it was not the HSE's problem and that I should deal with St. Vincent's. I wrote to St. Vincent's and received no reply. This is not a way to deal with something that has been going on for four months. The HSE told me it did not know who it should contact in St. Vincent's hospital. It is unacceptable.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Nursing Home Accommodation Provision (12 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: Thank you.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: I agree with Senator Norris and my colleagues in Sinn Féin on this matter. It is deplorable. It was a deplorable decision by Bank of Ireland. I am supportive of a motion being passed in the House criticising Bank of Ireland and calling on it to reverse its decision. It was wrong and there was no justification for it. I also want to raise an interesting issue that we need to be very...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: I welcome the budget today and in particular the increase of €1 billion in the health care budget. It is extremely important that it be managed properly. I was interested to listen to the leader of Sinn Féin giving out about the budget. We are trying to encourage more nurses and doctors to come home to work in Ireland whereas Sinn Féin’s proposed increase in...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: Many good people from the health care sector have left the country and it is important that we do everything possible to bring them back. A total of 38% of the doctors working in this country are non-Irish graduates. Many are abroad and we need to encourage them back. Between now and 2025 there will be a shortfall of 95,000 medical practitioners in the United States. That is the challenge...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: I was intrigued by Senator Devine’s submission on the health care issue. She raised a very important issue and I fully agree with her in many respects. However, there is a ten-year strategy committee and I am seeking to have Senators appointed to that committee. I now understand that Sinn Féin is opposing that. I am intrigued that Senator Devine is telling us what we should...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: She raised the issue.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: You did not restrict her. I am trying to raise this issue regarding where-----

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: ----- a political party, a group in this Chamber, opposes Senators being added to a very important committee. It is important that the House is aware of the position. I am just raising that issue here because I think it is important.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: It now appears that Sinn Féin has taken an opposite view.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: It is intriguing that now it appears that Senators in this House are no longer interested in a ten-year health care strategy.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: We will need to roll out an increasing number of home-care packages in the coming years. I am concerned over whether adequate training is available for people who want to provide such services. The Minister should come to the House to outline what is proposed in the area. It is an area that will grow very fast and it is important that we are able to respond to it accordingly. I ask the...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: I wish to raise the methods the media have adopted regarding the health service. I have raised this previously. Everything that is done in the health service is reported in a very negative way. At 7.30 this morning I attended a presentation on a survey done by MSD. It shows that 39% of the population are very optimistic about our health service, 40% are pessimistic and 20% have no view...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: I wish to raise the issue of commercial rates, which will come before local authorities in the next two months. An analysis was undertaken over the summer months to identify the amount of commercial rates being paid in local authorities and the lack of discretion allowed to councillors. For example, Cork County Council collected over €118 million in commercial rates, which is local...

Seanad: European Commission Decision on State Aid to Apple: Statements (4 Oct 2016)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister to the House and thank him for his presentation. I come from the local electoral area where the Apple facility in Cork is based. It is a mixed area, in that a large section comprises local authority housing where at one time unemployment reached well over 50%. It is an extremely important facility in Cork, in terms of the contribution it is making to the local...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Health Issues: Minister for Health (29 Sep 2016)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister for a very comprehensive overview. I wish to raise a couple of points on the issues he has discussed. The first point is about the cost of drugs. I want to know what the actual total cost is. The Minister mentioned a figure of €1.9 billion in reimbursement and another €300 million in relation to the hospitals. That brings us to €2.2 billion. I...