Results 10,501-10,520 of 11,255 for speaker:Colm Burke

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (27 Jun 2013)

Colm Burke: I seek clarification. I note that we are raising the number of directors from six to eight. Perhaps we could get some clarification. I am not against it but I seek clarification about why the increase arises. I understood it was clearly designated originally that the maximum would be six. Are we now adding two further positions? Perhaps the Minister could provide some clarification.

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (27 Jun 2013)

Colm Burke: I have a question about the intervening section. When litigation is issued, the director general is not required to appear before an Oireachtas committee. What would happen if someone makes an allegation and the director general immediately issues a High Court writ, thereby preventing an Oireachtas committee dealing with it? That is dealt with in section 16 of the Bill. I accept the...

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (27 Jun 2013)

Colm Burke: It is an issue that arises and I am concerned about it.

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (27 Jun 2013)

Colm Burke: I join in thanking the Minister for taking on board the concerns we had in the House when the Bill was going through. This is a welcome development and I fully support it.

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: An Dara Céim (Atógáil) - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (27 Jun 2013)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. A number of years ago, I promised him a No. 2 vote in a Seanad election, which at the time was as good as a No. 1 vote. I made it clear who I was giving my No. 1 vote and why giving the Minister of State a No. 2 vote would be as good as giving him a No. 1 vote. Little did I think when I was marking that ballot paper that I would be in here...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Hospice Services (27 Jun 2013)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. My Adjournment matter follows a presentation yesterday and the publication of a report by the Irish Hospice Foundation entitled, Access to Specialist Palliative Care Services in the Place of Death in Ireland. The figures in the report reflect the need for action to be taken. I am not blaming the Minister or the Department because this is a...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Hospice Services (27 Jun 2013)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State for his very detailed reply. In view of the projected figures given for 2016 and the fact that when people are being cared for and supported under the hospice care and home care packages, significant savings are made, in real terms, in hospital services, is it time to look at the plan in view of the changes that have taken place to see how we can further improve...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Public Health Nurses: Discussion (27 Jun 2013)

Colm Burke: We have identified the problem of obesity. There is only so much public health nurses can do. Is there something else we, the Department or the HSE can do to give a level of support to public health nurses to deal with this issue, even if it is providing more information? It is a frightening problem given that 25% of children are obese at three years of age. What is the witnesses' view on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Public Health Nurses: Discussion (27 Jun 2013)

Colm Burke: I have spoken to Senator Norris about the variation in hospice care and Ms O'Dowd spoke about variation in her presentation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Public Health Nurses: Discussion (27 Jun 2013)

Colm Burke: I specifically want to focus on obesity in children under three years of age.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Public Health Nurses: Discussion (27 Jun 2013)

Colm Burke: I thank the witnesses for the presentation and for the very valuable work they do. Yesterday, the hospice movement gave us an overview of the huge variation in hospice care across the country. The issue that comes to mind regarding children is the recent report on obesity which shows that 25% of children under three years of age are overweight or obese. It is obviously a problem created at...

Seanad: Courts Bill 2013: Committee Stage (26 Jun 2013)

Colm Burke: I broadly agree with the amendment, which would still leave it open that the evidence would not be admitted except by order of the court. The amendment sets out the circumstances in which such an order could be made. The proposed amendment should be given serious consideration - perhaps it should have been considered at an earlier stage.

Seanad: Courts Bill 2013: Committee Stage (26 Jun 2013)

Colm Burke: I welcome the provision to facilitate the appointment of two additional judges to the Supreme Court. As the Minister outlined, there is a substantial backlog in dealing with cases. While I am open to correction, I understand that in a large number of appeals, the Supreme Court is finding that it must provide substantial assistance to litigants to ensure fair and proper procedures are...

Seanad: Courts Bill 2013: Committee Stage (26 Jun 2013)

Colm Burke: It is a matter of concern which cannot be ignored.

Seanad: Courts Bill 2013: Committee Stage (26 Jun 2013)

Colm Burke: This is a welcome development given that many criminal cases take a considerable time in the courts. Does the procedure for having an open ballot need to be defined in the Bill? Normally, we select 12 jurors. Does this issue need to be clarified through definition, perhaps in a subsection?

Seanad: Courts Bill 2013: Committee Stage (26 Jun 2013)

Colm Burke: I wish to raise an issue in respect of the Coroners Act. The issue may already have been covered in other amending legislation but I have not been able to find it. The issue is about the duty of the coroner to hold the inquest within a certain period of time. The case I am citing is where a death occurred in a hospital through natural causes and there had to be an inquest but there was a...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (26 Jun 2013)

Colm Burke: I want to raise the two Bills which I published. The first, the Medical Practitioners (Amendment) Bill 2012, which relates to the need for comprehensive insurance, was first introduced in 2009 by the Minister for Health, Deputy Reilly, who was then in opposition. At the time, the then Department of Health and Children stated that by January of 2010 there would be agreement from it to this...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Jun 2013)

Colm Burke: I support the Minister of State in what he is saying. While this is no criticism of the Minister of State or the Department, we need to do more long-term planning on hospital charges and elderly care. The history of this involves the 1970 legislation followed by the Supreme Court decision in 1976 which found that nursing home care came under the definition of medical care and therefore came...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Jun 2013)

Colm Burke: By abolishing the provision, are we opening an avenue in respect of people who are in nursing home care and who are not fully competent in the context of providing instructions as to what should be done regarding their affairs? I was involved in a case eight years ago in respect of someone who was a ward of court and who was in nursing home care. I applied to the wards of court office to...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Jun 2013)

Colm Burke: I raised the structure of elderly care and the need to plan for the future on the initial Stages of the Bill. By 2021 we will need to have an additional 13,000 beds if everyone with certain disabilities or health issues are put into nursing homes. We need to work together in a more comprehensive manner. I discussed it with the Minister of State, Deputy Lynch, and had an Adjournment debate...