Results 161-180 of 2,296 for speaker:Colm Burke in 'Dáil debates'

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (31 May 2023)

Colm Burke: Can I raise the shortage of radiation therapists? I understand there is a 34% shortfall and, as a result, four machines, which are extremely expensive, are not being used. Will the Minister work with the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Simon Harris, to increase the number of training places? There are currently only 30 training places in...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (25 May 2023)

Colm Burke: As the Tánaiste is aware, there was a huge extension to Mallow hospital. It is a four-storey building. There are 48 rooms between the second and third floors for hospital beds. Between the ground and first floors, there are 40 rooms - 20 rooms on each floor - and the whole idea was that they would be developed as rehabilitation facilities. There now appears to be a question mark over...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Missing Persons (24 May 2023)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister. My understanding is that the Coroners Society of Ireland, the Office of the State Pathologist, the Dublin District Coroner, the missing persons bureau of An Garda Síochána and Forensic Science Ireland support the proposal I am making. I presented it to the Department and the Minister of the day five years ago, but it is only in the past three weeks that we...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Missing Persons (24 May 2023)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister for coming to the House to deal with this issue. In view of a recent meeting where coroners presented details of more than 40 remains on which they have information but who have not been identified, will the Minister give consideration to the establishment of an office of State forensic pathologist to complement and support the work of the State pathologist, coroners,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (23 May 2023)

Colm Burke: I would like to support my colleague on this matter. There was huge commitment and dedication by medical staff throughout the Covid period. There were there to do the best possible job for people who had Covid or other medical care requirements. People contracted it as a result of their commitment. We cannot ignore that some people have long Covid. They contracted it in their place of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Meals Programme (23 May 2023)

Colm Burke: I welcome this decision. There are quite a number of DEIS schools in my constituency of Cork North-Central. I welcome the fact that the hot meals programme will be available in all DEIS schools from September. One problem with rolling out and expanding the programme is that we started off in 2020 with 30 schools on the hot meals programme. Now it is up to 500 but the Minister believes we...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Meals Programme (23 May 2023)

Colm Burke: I recall being involved in a pilot project which provided meals at breakfast time when the children came into school. That had a huge effect in getting children into school. Likewise I believe this programme will have a huge advantage for schools, especially DEIS schools. I very much welcome the decision. I hope that all the schools being targeted will be able to offer hot meals from...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Meals Programme (23 May 2023)

Colm Burke: 79. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the progress that has been made in expanding the hot school meals programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24392/23]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Meals Programme (23 May 2023)

Colm Burke: I ask the Minister to outline the progress that has been made in expanding the hot school meals programme and to make a statement on the matter.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (18 May 2023)

Colm Burke: I have raised this matter previously and I raise it again. It is about the problems being encountered by teachers who provide home tuition because they are treated as self-employed by the Department. Even though the Department pays them, it deducts the tax. They are in category S in relation to PRSI and they have very little access to other services. They do not get paid during the summer...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (18 May 2023)

Colm Burke: It is the employer.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Nursing Homes (17 May 2023)

Colm Burke: I fully accept the Minister of State's commitment to this area, and that of the Government, but there now is a problem. In the Cork area, for example, the amount paid for public nursing home beds is one of the lowest in the country. I fully accept that. However, the increase allowed in Cork for public nursing home beds was 10.4%, whereas the increase for private nursing homes was 2.7%....

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Nursing Homes (17 May 2023)

Colm Burke: I want to raise the issue of the discrimination that is occurring in the moneys being allocated for private nursing homes compared with public nursing homes. As the Minister of State is aware, we have a situation in Cork where a nursing home with 73 beds has decided to withdraw from the fair deal scheme. It is interesting to go through the figures on this. The average cost of a public...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Nursing Homes (17 May 2023)

Colm Burke: Those are the figures and I have a full table for every county. Unless this matter is tackled we will have fewer beds available for people. In the past three months I have been trying to get people out of Cork University Hospital. People were in that hospital three to four months longer than they should have been because they could not get an appropriate bed in a step-down or nursing home...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (16 May 2023)

Colm Burke: I very much welcome what the Tánaiste has outlined with regard to projects that are up and running at the moment, particularly for Haulbowline and Collins Barracks in my constituency. I know the Tánaiste has set out what is planned for Collins Barracks and what is going ahead but is that going to be added to over the next number of years? Is there a plan to add to that? It is a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (16 May 2023)

Colm Burke: 10. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if his Department has set out a five year-plan to acquire or build apartments or houses that would accommodate members of the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21031/23]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (16 May 2023)

Colm Burke: The Minister mentioned the availability of 4,500 bed places. I wonder how many of those are currently occupied because in many cases, as he outlined earlier, accommodation was left not maintained over the years and not improved and brought up to modern-day standards. In my question, I asked had the Department put in place a five-year plan setting out clear goals annually for the next...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (16 May 2023)

Colm Burke: Could I ask-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (16 May 2023)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister. I welcome that budget 2023 provided the largest amount ever for the defence sector. We are now in a very competitive employment market. The role the Defence Forces play is extremely important. When they are abroad, they provide a very good service to the UN, as well as part of an EU peacekeeping project. It is important that we provide the level of support and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (16 May 2023)

Colm Burke: A number of people will automatically retire from the Defence Forces. Is the Minister satisfied that we will attract a sufficient number of new people into the Defence Forces over the next three to four years? It is of concern that numbers have decreased. We need to make sure that we not only maintain numbers but increase them.