Results 10,321-10,340 of 11,285 for speaker:Colm Burke

Seanad: Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) (No. 2) Bill: Second Stage (5 Dec 2013)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. This Bill amends the qualifying criteria for medical cards for the over 70s, but it needs to be put in perspective, in that, when the scheme was introduced, there were free medical cards for everyone aged over 70 years without a consideration of the cost. Nursing home care was one such cost. As far back as 1976, the Maud McInerney High Court...

Seanad: Child and Family Agency Bill 2013: Fifth Stage (5 Dec 2013)

Colm Burke: I join with colleagues in thanking the Minister and her staff. We must keep in mind the fact that as this is a new agency, much work had to be done to prepare for it. I mention the detail in the Bill, which was very well drafted. I wish the Minister and the new agency every success in the future. This is a milestone in how we manage this whole area. I join with Senator Hayden in thanking...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill: Discussion with Minister for Health (5 Dec 2013)

Colm Burke: I thank all the witnesses for their presentations. The Minister has set the target for 2025 but does the Department and the HSE have a five-year target? How will the progress on reaching targets be monitored? Will we break down the 2025 period into five-year time periods and set targets for each period? I understand the Government in Australia has set out targets for tobacco control and I...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Dec 2013)

Colm Burke: The figures on job creation and the reduction in unemployment are interesting. In the Cork-Kerry region, there has been a reduction in the number on the unemployment register of more than 5,000. Since this is similar to the Dublin region, it is not only the latter that is recovering well. Long may that continue. I hope that, by this time next year, the unemployment figures will have...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Dec 2013)

Colm Burke: After giving notice to a former landlord, a family with four young children has been told to move. My colleague, Senator Hayden, referred to the homeless. The family will be homeless within the next week unless this problem can be resolved.

Seanad: Mental Health Services: Motion (4 Dec 2013)

Colm Burke: Tomorrow at 10.30 a.m.

Seanad: Mental Health Services: Motion (4 Dec 2013)

Colm Burke: I thank my colleagues in the Labour Party for bringing forward this motion and for their contributions to this debate. I assure Senator Marc MacSharry, as someone from the same constituency as the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, that she is well able to fight her corner. I have no doubt whatsoever that she will secure every possible cent for this area of the health care budget. ...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Dec 2013)

Colm Burke: I have been contacted in the past two days by a young family, with four young children, whose local authority has allocated it a house. The house was vacant for some time and the electricity was disconnected. I am now advised that the procedure for reconnecting the electricity will take three months. It is unacceptable that two State authorities, the local authority and the ESB cannot...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Dec 2013)

Colm Burke: I am aware of that but this is an issue that cannot be left as it is. This is a young family who want to get into a house before Christmas but which is told that it will take three months to reconnect the electricity. The local authority has to send in an application, the ESB must send back a bill, and the local authority must pay the bill before the reconnection is made. It is outrageous...

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Dec 2013)

Colm Burke: I join my colleagues in raising the issue of the number of agencies that are getting funding from the HSE. For the information of the House, 2,680 organisations are in receipt of funding totalling €3.27 billion per annum. It is 25% of the health budget so it is important that we have a debate on it. I welcome the decision by Jonathan Irwin to disclose the pay of senior staff. Every...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2013: Discussion (28 Nov 2013)

Colm Burke: I referred to the duplication of services in some areas, which results in a higher cost. In the area of cancer care, for example, a major programme of reform has led to the establishment of eight centres of excellence for the provision of services. I am concerned that significant sums of money are going out to the voluntary sector where, in some instances, there is a duplication of services...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2013: Discussion (28 Nov 2013)

Colm Burke: I apologise for having to leave for a vote in the Seanad. I am not sure if my question on the reconfiguration of hospitals was dealt with. In one urban centre many hospitals may be providing the same service and yet other services are not being provided. Can the insurance industry play a part in that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2013: Discussion (28 Nov 2013)

Colm Burke: I thank all the contributors for a comprehensive overview. One of the things that comes across from the presentations is the lack of stability, which is of concern for them because it does not allow them to undertake long-term planning. We must accept that fundamental changes are ongoing concerning the reorganisation of health services. It would be helpful if they could do long-term...

Seanad: Child and Family Agency Bill 2013: Second Stage (27 Nov 2013)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister for being with us and for bringing forward this Bill, which is very welcome. I thank her for her announcement this morning of €30 million for nine projects around the country. One of those projects is in my old local electoral area of Knocknaheeny in Cork. I think €1.8 million is going in there and it is very welcome news for the area to give that...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Nov 2013)

Colm Burke: It is important that we have a debate on health, because reforms are taking place. It is easy for Senator MacSharry to criticise the Minister, but his party was in government for 14 years and had the opportunity to bring stability to the system.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Nov 2013)

Colm Burke: Unfortunately, we-----

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Nov 2013)

Colm Burke: We inherited a system whereby in 2003 it was agreed that by 2012 there would be 3,600 consultants. In fact, when Fianna Fáil left office the number was short by 1,100. The Minister has to deal with the fallout from the system that was introduced to deal with junior doctors. More than 2,000 of the 4,900 junior doctors are only on six-month contracts. The Minister is providing...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Nov 2013)

Colm Burke: A series of initiatives have been introduced to ensure we get value for money from section 38 and section 39 organisations. In the 2012 budget, €3.27 billion of the total amount of €13.3 billion was paid to organisations that are not under the control of the Department or the HSE. The Minister has put in place necessary regulation and procedures to ensure full accountability...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: HSE Funding (26 Nov 2013)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State for his reply. He indicated an additional information return was added to all service arrangements in 2013 requiring agencies to separately report on all individual staff paid at grade 8. I was not informed of this when I received a reply on this matter in October. At that time, it was stated that the Health Service Executive did not have the power to seek...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: HSE Funding (26 Nov 2013)

Colm Burke: This matter arises on foot of a reply I received on 17 October to a question in respect of section 38 and section 39 organisations which I submitted to the Joint Committee on Health and Children in September. I have in my possession the appendix to the 2012 annual report of the HSE, which indicates that some 2,680 organisations are receiving funding from the executive. The total amount of...