Results 10,281-10,300 of 11,285 for speaker:Colm Burke

Seanad: European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Bill 2013: Second Stage (23 Jan 2014)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister. I agree with speakers who said we need to look at the long-term composition of the European Parliament constituencies. I contested the European Parliament election and am still paying off some of the loans for that election. I make no apologies for saying that and have no regrets about the decision I took in contesting it. If I was asked, I would do so all over...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill 2013: Discussion (23 Jan 2014)

Colm Burke: All of the questions that need to be asked have been asked. I refer to the drop in the number of cigarettes seized, from 178 million to 41 million. Does this mean that there is an ongoing trade but at a smaller scale such that the 41 million cigarettes seized is a small figure in real terms? Perhaps the smaller number makes the problem more difficult to identify. Are these figures an...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Jan 2014)

Colm Burke: There is a need for a debate on the issue of section 38 and section 39 organisations. I appreciate that it is being considered by the Committee of Public Accounts. It is important that information is out there. When I first raised this matter last September at the Joint Committee on Health and Children - I raised it again in October - I suggested that some €3.48 billion was being...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Jan 2014)

Colm Burke: The Department and the HSE wrote to all the section 39 organisations on 10 December last to advise them that under the service level agreements for 2014, the salaries of management and CEOs must be disclosed in full before funding is paid. It is a little late, but it is welcome. We should have a debate because there could be other cases in which we are paying a substantial sum of money to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: EU Presidency Priorities of Greece: Ambassador of Greece (16 Jan 2014)

Colm Burke: I apologise to the ambassador as I was not present to hear her presentation. My colleague, Senator Healy Eames has referred to the issue of the border areas and refugees from Syria and other countries. Turkey is not part of the EU but it is has 600,000 refugees from Syria and there has been a movement of refugees into Greece. Is Europe doing enough to deal with the Syrian crisis and to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Update on Health Issues: Minister for Health and HSE (16 Jan 2014)

Colm Burke: In respect of the figure of over €50 million for agency costs and general doctors and the ratio of 175 whole-time equivalents, is my calculation of €280,000 correct? Could I get some clarification on that? If the information is not available today, could the Minister come back to me on it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Update on Health Issues: Minister for Health and HSE (16 Jan 2014)

Colm Burke: I thank the witnesses for their presentation. I wish to focus on Questions Nos. 3 and 5. Question 5 related to NCHDs. I based my question on the figures made available to me at the time. The agency cost for NCHDs was approximately €50 million. I am open to correction but I note that in the reply the hours contracted out to agencies is equivalent to 175 whole-time equivalents. If...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Jan 2014)

Colm Burke: I wish everyone a happy new year and a productive 2014. I raise the issue of surrogacy and the number of people travelling abroad, which was debated on television recently. With no legal provision in this country, children born abroad and coming into this country are not entitled to be adopted and citizenship is an issue. We are leaving a series of medical and legal issues sitting there....

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Jan 2014)

Colm Burke: Not true.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Health Service Plan 2014: Minister for Health and HSE (14 Jan 2014)

Colm Burke: No. My question concerned the readmission of elderly people into hospital within a six-week time period and the need for step-down facilities. I do not think enough work is being done in that area and it needs to be looked at. There is also a need to engage nursing homes in that process.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Health Service Plan 2014: Minister for Health and HSE (14 Jan 2014)

Colm Burke: I join colleagues in thanking the HSE staff, including the back-room staff, for all the work they have done over the last number of years and hopefully throughout 2014, and their dedication and commitment. I am concerned about the fair deal issue and step-down facilities from the point of view that the number of people over 65 is increasing all the time. We are talking about providing...

Seanad: Adoption (Amendment) Bill 2013: Second Stage (20 Dec 2013)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister for coming forward with the legislation, which is welcome. I am involved with one family that is adopting from Russia so know that the process takes time. The family was lucky because the process had been completed prior to October 2012. It is important to introduce amending legislation that will support families who have worked hard to adopt only to have their efforts...

Seanad: Protection of Children's Health from Tobacco Smoke Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2013)

Colm Burke: I do not wish to delay but I have a question about an outright ban on smoking in cars. I do not want to delay the progress of the legislation but I wonder if this matter could be examined.

Seanad: Protection of Children's Health from Tobacco Smoke Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2013)

Colm Burke: Yes, we have no objection to the amendments.

Seanad: Protection of Children's Health from Tobacco Smoke Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2013)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister for coming into the House for a second time this week. I welcome the amendments tabled by the proposers of the Bill and for the work they have done in preparing them and in preparing the Bill, which is very detailed. On the issue of banning smoking in cars with passengers under 18, in fairness, the amendments deal with the issue of producing evidence to prove someone is...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Dec 2013)

Colm Burke: I have come from a meeting of the health committee at which the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald announced that the Family Support Agency will commence its work in January. This is a welcome development. More than 4,000 staff will transfer to the agency. The establishment of the agency is a significant child care reform, considering that the annual birth...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Children and Youth Issues: Discussion with Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (19 Dec 2013)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister and her staff for all the work they have done over the last two and half years. It is not an easy task to establish a new agency and transfer 4,000 people. In a way, it is like taking over a company and doing due diligence beforehand, so it is quite a long process. There is a case of crossover between the Minister's Department and the Departments of Education and...

Seanad: Protection of the Public Interest from Tobacco Lobbying Bill 2013: Second Stage (18 Dec 2013)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister to the House. I thank Senator Crown for his work in presenting this Bill. This subject needs to be discussed. I have carefully studied the Bill as presented and I do not think it would stand up to constitutional challenge. This must be the test for any legislation coming before the House. The tobacco industry is a very powerful lobby group and it would not miss the...

Seanad: Protection of the Public Interest from Tobacco Lobbying Bill 2013: Second Stage (18 Dec 2013)

Colm Burke: On 30 April the Government approved the drafting of the lobbying Bill 2013. It is appropriate to examine the issue of lobbying. The objective of the lobbying Bill is to introduce a register of lobbyists, to place on the register information on the identity of those communicating on specific policy, legislative matters or prospective decisions with designated public officials or...

Seanad: Protection of the Public Interest from Tobacco Lobbying Bill 2013: Second Stage (18 Dec 2013)

Colm Burke: I am explaining that the Government is setting out clear guidelines on lobbying-----