Results 181-200 of 10,630 for speaker:Colm Burke

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Feb 2012)

Colm Burke: When he talks about a democratic deficit then he should talk about that.

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Feb 2012)

Colm Burke: I was pleased to be in south Kerry to explain to people what was involved in the referendum.

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Feb 2012)

Colm Burke: An allegation was made that the Government consulted with the Attorney General during negotiations. Of course the Attorney General was involved in consultations on any matter involving a treaty at all times. It is part of the role of the Attorney General to give legal advice in any negotiations. To suggest that the role of the Attorney General was misused is a little rich.

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Feb 2012)

Colm Burke: It is only appropriate-----

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Feb 2012)

Colm Burke: Allegations were made in the House today about the Minister. They do not stand up and it is wrong that allegations are made. We are waiting for a response from the Attorney General on the referendum. That response will be available within the next two weeks and we will deal with the matter at that stage.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Feb 2012)

Colm Burke: I remind the House that a delegation from the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children will visit the centralised processing centre on Friday. As part of the delegation, I am hopeful that some of the issues that were raised in this House will be raised at that meeting and that we will get a resolution. I agree with my colleagues that it is a problem that has been going on for far...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Feb 2012)

Colm Burke: I presume Senator Mooney will support it.

Seanad: Local Authority Staff (28 Feb 2012)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister of State and thank him for returning to the House. He is here almost on a weekly basis at this stage. This matter relates to accountability and the giving of information to the public, particularly as it applies to local authorities. I have raised the issue directly with the Minister and on the Order of Business. We can consider the websites of those people working...

Seanad: Local Authority Staff (28 Feb 2012)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive reply. While I acknowledge that some progress has been made in the past 12 months and local authorities have websites in place, they still appear to be reluctant to identify officials and their responsibilities. Progress is required in this area. As I have noted on a number of occasions, I contacted the Revenue Commissioners when I...

Seanad: Order of Business. (29 Feb 2012)

Colm Burke: It is important that we have a constructive debate on this matter. During the referendum on the Lisbon treaty a leaflet was distributed to every household on the north side of Cork city claiming that a "Yes" vote would lead to legalised abortion and prostitution, the imposition of conscription and a European insistence on no more than one child per family. The media have an important role...

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Mar 2012)

Colm Burke: In dealing with this issue it is important that people approach it in a balanced way. I worked in Brussels for two years and one of the things I learned was that people from the various member states had respect for parliamentarians or officials from other countries. It is unfortunate, therefore, that this matter has again arisen in respect of Germany. It is not a welcome development. It...

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Mar 2012)

Colm Burke: We need to approach the matter in an extremely delicate way. I wish to comment on the need to be positive. Today some people from Northern Ireland are visiting the Oireachtas to discuss matters relating to health. That is a welcome development. This is a matter on which a great deal of progress has been made. Yesterday was International Rare Disease Day. The authorities both here and in...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Mar 2012)

Colm Burke: To follow up on what Senator O'Donovan said about the west Cork case, it is important to acknowledge that it was the Attorney General and the Minister for Justice and Equality who released the papers to the solicitors for the person whom the French authorities were attempting to extradite. It was an important decision and, in fairness to everybody, it was important that this information was...

Seanad: Local Authority Housing (6 Mar 2012)

Colm Burke: I wish to raise on the Adjournment the issue of elderly people who want to downsize their living accommodation as their house is too large, now their families have grown up and left. We had a programme in place that allowed local authorities to purchase those houses and provide alternative accommodation to them. I have come across a few cases recently where people were advised that this...

Seanad: Local Authority Housing (6 Mar 2012)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State for his reply. An opportunity is lost by not having a comprehensive policy in place. The housing market has been at a standstill for the past four years and there are many elderly people who wish to make the move and want the security. I ask the Department to examine the issue and put in place a comprehensive policy. The Minister of State will recall the...

Seanad: Rare Diseases: Motion (7 Mar 2012)

Colm Burke: I move: That Seanad Éireann: notes that a rare disease is defined in the EU as a condition that affects fewer than 5 in 10,000 people, 0.5% of the population. Further notes, that even though specific data on rare disease prevalence have not been compiled in Ireland, the Department of Health recognises that between 6% and 8% of the population could be affected by a rare condition, according...

Seanad: Rare Diseases: Motion (7 Mar 2012)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister for Health, Deputy Reilly, and the Minister of State, Deputy Shortall, for attending the House today to deal with this matter and to listen to the Senators' views. I thank all the Senators who contributed to the debate. Everybody who did so was very constructive and supportive of the work the Minister and the Department have done to date in dealing with this matter by...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Mar 2012)

Colm Burke: I agree with Senator Ó Murchú's comments to the extent that yesterday we discussed a motion on the issue of rare diseases and the need for a proactive Government policy to deal with it. There was broad agreement across the House on how the issue should be approached. Likewise with the jobs issue, everyone in the House regardless of party affiliation has one aim, that is, to get people...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Mar 2012)

Colm Burke: It should be outlawed because it was wrong. It should not have been done and it should be made illegal now. This is one of the issues I want on the agenda if we are to debate the banking issue. The sooner it is on the agenda, the better for everyone in the country. I call for a debate on the issue at the earliest possible opportunity.

Seanad: Competition (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (8 Mar 2012)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister to the House. I also welcome this Bill. The Minister gave a comprehensive overview of the legislation in his opening statement. I agree with Senator Thomas Byrne that former Tánaiste and Minister, Mary Harney, made a valuable contribution in this area. On competition, I was fortunate enough to be apprentice to the solicitor who took one of the first...