Results 841-860 of 10,635 for speaker:Colm Burke

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: State Bodies (7 Dec 2023)

Colm Burke: 189. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to confirm what action will be taken to recruit additional legal staff to the Health and Safety Authority to assist the coronial service so that inspectors reports cannot be finalised, which require a solicitor's sign off before it can be progressed, particularly in light of the fact that the coronial service, and families...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (7 Dec 2023)

Colm Burke: 214. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to clarify what changes, if any, can be made to the sustainable housing policy to ensure that individuals choose to locate their homes in rural areas, in view that many rural areas are in decline because of the lack of clarity on sustainable housing policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49714/23]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Coroners Service (7 Dec 2023)

Colm Burke: 272. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality to confirm what action will be taken to recruit additional staff to provide support to coroners, particularly in light of the fact that the coronial service, and families affected, have been experiencing significant delays in cases being listed for inquest; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54370/23]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Admissions (7 Dec 2023)

Colm Burke: 328. To ask the Minister for Health the percentage of private patients in beds in public hospitals as a total percentage of all patients in public hospitals for the 12 months ending October 2021, October 2022 and October 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54362/23]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Admissions (7 Dec 2023)

Colm Burke: 329. To ask the Minister for Health the percentage of public patients being cared for in private hospitals as a percentage of the total number of beds available for the 12 months ending October 2021, October 2022 and October 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54363/23]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (7 Dec 2023)

Colm Burke: 330. To ask the Minister for Health the total amount of money collected from private insurers by public hospitals in the years in ending October 2021, October 2022 and October 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54364/23]

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Employment Rights (6 Dec 2023)

Colm Burke: I know this area is not under the Minister of State's remit. I fully understand that. However, we had the same problem with people working in RTÉ who were treated as self-employed. When that was reviewed, it turned out many of them had to be treated as employees. The issue has also changed because of the Supreme Court decision. It is like the people working for the pizza delivery...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Employment Rights (6 Dec 2023)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State for taking this Topical Issue. I previously raised this issue over 12 months ago, I think. The response I got was that there would not be a move by the Department to treat home tutors as employees of the Department. Home tutors are paid directly by the Department and taxes are deducted by the Department when payment is made. In other words, home tutors have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (Resumed) (6 Dec 2023)

Colm Burke: I thank all of the witnesses for coming in here this morning to give us an update. I will first deal with the issue of the surgical hubs. When are we likely to have all of these fully operational with regard to the design, build and making them available? What timescale are we talking about for each of those?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (Resumed) (6 Dec 2023)

Colm Burke: Does Mr. McCallion see any of those opening in 2024?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (Resumed) (6 Dec 2023)

Colm Burke: There is a huge change in that we have had a 40% increase in the population over the last 23 years. We have a huge demand for services. Can anything be done to expedite the delivery of these additional services? We can talk all we like about the employment of more consultants but consider what happens if we employ more consultants. For instance, one consultant came from the United States...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (Resumed) (6 Dec 2023)

Colm Burke: In the remaining period of time there is a problem in that some theatres are not operating after 4 p.m., as I said. We have already had the Secretary General of the Department of Health telling us the number of people employed in hospital services increased by 36%, but the actual number of people being seen and treated in hospitals in some cases is as low as 10%, and in some as high as 20%,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (Resumed) (6 Dec 2023)

Colm Burke: I will raise one specific point with regard to South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital in Cork. There are two new theatres for ophthalmology and a new outpatients clinic, but there is still no agreement about the transfer of ophthalmology from Cork University Hospital to South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital, and no progress has been made. As a result, the theatres and the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (Resumed) (6 Dec 2023)

Colm Burke: That is not the question. Nothing has happened. Absolutely nothing has happened.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (Resumed) (6 Dec 2023)

Colm Burke: We have lost time. We are putting money into infrastructure and then finding it is not being used appropriately. A huge number of people are having to travel to the North for ophthalmology and are travelling outside the State for ophthalmology and yet here we are. It was flagged up over two years ago that this was to happen yet here we are two years later with under-utilisation of a brand...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (Resumed) (6 Dec 2023)

Colm Burke: I will move on to the issue of the elective hospital. I understood - it was said here by the Minister for Health a number of months ago - that we would expect to be going for planning by October 2023. However, we do not even have a design team appointed. Even if we appoint a design team at the end of January, when can we expect to have a design for the new elective hospital? When are we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (Resumed) (6 Dec 2023)

Colm Burke: We have had a population increase of 40%. We are talking about building a new elective hospital. If we went out to the private sector they would have it done and dusted in three years. At the rate we are going we will not see this hospital for at least five years. We are under huge pressure in all of the core costs. We need additional beds. We have a whole lot of problems where we have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (Resumed) (6 Dec 2023)

Colm Burke: Does Mr. McCallion accept that given the increase in population and the number of people in employment increasing, the timescale within the Department and the HSE is no longer adequate to deal with the demands on the service? There is an additional problem with the growth in population among the older age group. It will be 1 million people within the next five years. We are not going...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (Resumed) (6 Dec 2023)

Colm Burke: Is that giving an excuse for a delay with the elective hospitals?