Results 1-20 of 12,121 for speaker:Colm Burke

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (13 Nov 2025)

Colm Burke: In Australia, there are high numbers of people affected by flu. Likewise, the UK is expecting the same thing to happen. Here in Ireland, the take-up of the vaccine is very low. For instance, take-up of the vaccine stands at 17.5% of healthcare workers, 53.7% of fair deal residents, 42.6% of adults 60 and above, and 11% of those aged between two and 17. As we face into the winter months,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Regional Development (13 Nov 2025)

Colm Burke: Where I am coming from is that in the Cork area, the land bank IDA Ireland has in Ringaskiddy is now totally built on and there is very little space available for new companies to come in. Likewise, many of the private business parks have been developed, such as Blarney Business Park, which has seen huge growth in the past five to eight years and is running out of space. My question is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Regional Development (13 Nov 2025)

Colm Burke: There is continued expansion. I visited one company recently that was doing a €60 million expansion and a number of other companies have plans to grow. The challenge is that some of them need to move to bigger sites. I welcome what the Minister said about a land bank because it is extremely important and also because of the port facility. The Ringaskiddy bypass road is now being...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Regional Development (13 Nov 2025)

Colm Burke: 11. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his Department and Enterprise Ireland are reviewing current policies with a view to expanding opportunities in areas outside of the Dublin region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62265/25]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Business Supports (13 Nov 2025)

Colm Burke: Ireland has a significant number of indigenous companies that have successfully scaled €100 million in revenue and turnover and 250 employees, creating essential local employment and economic prosperity across the country, especially in rural areas. Despite the efforts of many, the majority of the current State supports treats such companies as too large to be SMEs and too small to be...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Business Supports (13 Nov 2025)

Colm Burke: This is an important matter, because these companies create a huge amount of employment locally, especially in rural areas. It is important that we help them to expand further, particularly where they already have access to markets but are restricted because they need access to finance in order to expand. One of the companies I know has more than 800 employees, is operating outside Ireland...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Business Supports (13 Nov 2025)

Colm Burke: 7. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his Department and Enterprise Ireland plan to introduce a growth equity fund to help scale and co-invest in large privately owned Irish companies with a view to expansion in other jurisdictions; if his Department has researched similar programmes which are operational in other European countries, such as Denmark, Finland and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Business Supports (13 Nov 2025)

Colm Burke: Do the Department and Enterprise Ireland plan to introduce a growth equity fund to help scale and co-invest in large privately owned companies with a view to expansion in other jurisdictions. Has the Department researched similar programmes which are operational in other European companies, such as Denmark, Finland and Germany?

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Dental Services (12 Nov 2025)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State. It still does not deal with the issue of 500 posts that require to be filled and the fact we have fewer dentists working in the public sector than we had in 2006, from over 330 down to 254. The number of dentists in private practice who are offering public care has dropped from over 1,200 down to under 600. That is a huge drop. I have given the figure of...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Dental Services (12 Nov 2025)

Colm Burke: I am again raising the lack of training places for dental students. I have given these figures before. UCC takes in 25 per annum and Trinity also takes in 25 but those two colleges are then taking in non-EU students. In Cork it is 36 and in Trinity it is 21. I know the RCSI has recently opened a dental college and it is taking in 20, but that does not deal with the issue. The Irish...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Dental Services (12 Nov 2025)

Colm Burke: It is not just dentists, it is also dental nurses and dental hygienists. We have not increased the number of places available in third level colleges and we need to deal with it before the start of the academic year in September 2026.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Healthcare Services in the Mid-West: Health Information and Quality Authority (12 Nov 2025)

Colm Burke: I thank the witnesses for the presentation. I am concerned about the time it takes to get all of these projects done. To take the example of the elective hospital in Cork, we are now four years on from when it was originally proposed and there has not been even a planning application submitted, whereas the private sector can turn a project around in three, three and a half or four years...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Healthcare Services in the Mid-West: Health Information and Quality Authority (12 Nov 2025)

Colm Burke: In relation to the minor injury units, can their opening hours be changed?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Healthcare Services in the Mid-West: Health Information and Quality Authority (12 Nov 2025)

Colm Burke: What time scale are we talking about for that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Healthcare Services in the Mid-West: Health Information and Quality Authority (12 Nov 2025)

Colm Burke: Why can that not be expedited?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Healthcare Services in the Mid-West: Health Information and Quality Authority (12 Nov 2025)

Colm Burke: I am talking about the fast turnaround. For instance, one of the other issue with clinics is that clinics in a lot of HSE facilities close at 5 p.m. What is being looked at in that regard? For instance, one hospital I know, especially for day procedures, does not close at 5 p.m. but at 8 p.m. In other words, different staff come on. Some staff come on at 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. and another...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Healthcare Services in the Mid-West: Health Information and Quality Authority (12 Nov 2025)

Colm Burke: Was that looked at when HIQA was looking at Limerick? Did it look at where efficiencies could be created in clinics? If someone is seen in a clinic, they are less likely to have to come to accident and emergency. Sometimes, it is because of the delay in getting access to clinics that people end up in accident and emergency.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Healthcare Services in the Mid-West: Health Information and Quality Authority (12 Nov 2025)

Colm Burke: Has there been a change in the timeframe from, say, 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in some clinics, or even doing Saturday clinics? I have heard that in one hospital, which is a HSE facility, people are being seen on Sunday.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Healthcare Services in the Mid-West: Health Information and Quality Authority (12 Nov 2025)

Colm Burke: My point about clinics is the earlier people are seen, if they require medical care, the less likelihood they will need a hospital bed in the long term. It is the delays that are the reason people end up requiring beds. If waiting times can be expedited and reduced, through people having access to clinics in a far faster timeframe, then that can be reduced. The other issue we have is the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Homeless Persons Supports (6 Nov 2025)

Colm Burke: I am a little concerned that we are 14 months on and we still do not have a shared funding model. People who are homeless are in the same position they were in this time last year; the question now is whether they will be in the same position this time next year. The issue needs to be prioritised. I met with the building owners recently. They are becoming concerned that this issue seems...