Results 1-20 of 2,291 for in 'Dáil debates' speaker:Colm Burke

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Dental Services (14 May 2024)

Colm Burke: I fully understand where the Deputy is coming from in relation to any person having difficulty accessing dental care. It is clearly set out in the statement, "The HSE is required to support the provision of emergency care to adult medical card holders who have difficulty accessing a local dentist." Access to dental care, including for adult medical card holders, is a top priority for the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Dental Services (14 May 2024)

Colm Burke: I thank Deputy Buckley for raising this matter. I am dealing with this reply on behalf of the Minister. Dentures and denture repairs for medical card holders are provided by contractors through the dental treatment services scheme, DTSS, which provides dental care, free of charge, to medical card holders aged 16 and over. Denture-related items are available from both dentists who hold a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Charitable and Voluntary Organisations (2 May 2024)

Colm Burke: Most of the funding for section 39 and section 56 organisations comes through the HSE. The funding for some of the programmes that employ people did not necessarily come through the HSE and therefore they fell outside the agreement that was reached under the WRC. It is my understanding there are further discussions on that issue and every effort is being made to resolve it. It affects a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Charitable and Voluntary Organisations (2 May 2024)

Colm Burke: It is not necessarily from the HSE. It comes from different sources, which is one of the problems.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Charitable and Voluntary Organisations (2 May 2024)

Colm Burke: I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle, Deputy Crowe and the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, for their kind comments. I thank Deputy Collins for tabling this question. Following many months of extensive negotiations in the WRC an agreement was reached in November 2023 which saw an increase in funding for pay of staff in section 39 organisations, as well as section 10 and section 56...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Charitable and Voluntary Organisations (2 May 2024)

Colm Burke: Officials from the Departments of Health and Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, the HSE and Tusla were invited to attend a WRC process on 16 October 2023 following similar engagements with trade unions representing section 39 and section 56 bodies in recent months. Following productive engagements with the WRC, strike action was averted. This is a recognition of the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Primary Care Centres (1 May 2024)

Colm Burke: I thank the Deputy again for raising this issue. An objective of the programme for Government is to deliver increased levels of integrated healthcare, with service delivery reoriented towards general practice, primary care and community-based services to enable a home first approach in line with the Sláintecare goal of receiving the right care in the right place at the right time. ...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Primary Care Centres (1 May 2024)

Colm Burke: I will come back to the Deputy. I wanted to say that as someone coming from a legal background I understand this, but I accept 14 years is a long timeframe and it should not take that long. Work continues on the provision of health centres in the Galway region. The primary care in Moycullen opened in April 2023. Proposed-----

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Primary Care Centres (1 May 2024)

Colm Burke: The proposed centres for Oughterard and Spiddal are at expression of interest stage-----

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Primary Care Centres (1 May 2024)

Colm Burke: -----planning permission for the new ambulance base in Recess was recently issued. Other locations in the Galway west network may be identified in the future. The development of primary care centres is based on geographical location, population density, topography and existing facilities. In order to enhance capital investment, the Department of Health is currently developing a strategic...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Primary Care Centres (1 May 2024)

Colm Burke: I fully understand. If I may say, I have been involved in a number of projects that had different parties involved. In one case I had six different parties and every time I got on to one I was given the answer it was someone else's fault. Sometimes it gets frustrating, but I will follow it up for the Deputy.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Primary Care Centres (1 May 2024)

Colm Burke: I fully understand the frustration and so does the Minister. It is one of the issues encountered. I refer to where a developer has agreed to provide a facility but cannot then proceed. There is frustration because of legal difficulties that may arise. The Minister fully recognises the frustration of the people in the local area who have been awaiting the completion of this centre for some...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Primary Care Centres (1 May 2024)

Colm Burke: I have only been in this position for the last two weeks. I think this is now my third week. I got notice that I had been asked to deal with this matter late yesterday evening. I have no difficulty coming into this House and dealing with any Topical Issue matter in relation to health. I know now that I might end up regretting saying this, but it is my responsibility to come in here to...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Primary Care Centres (1 May 2024)

Colm Burke: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. In fairness, he has been instrumental in the primary care centres that have been delivered and in having them delivered in a timely manner. I am dealing with this matter on behalf of the Minister of Health, who has asked me to thank the Deputy for raising this matter and for the opportunity to update the Dáil on this issue. A central...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Waiting Lists (30 Apr 2024)

Colm Burke: The Deputy has made a very strong case in respect of his constituent. It is important that I take on board what he has said and that we continue to try to improve the services. The Minister for Health is assuring children and their families that the Government will continue to invest significant funding to help clinicians to reduce the time for which children must wait for important...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Waiting Lists (30 Apr 2024)

Colm Burke: The Deputy has given a very good and detailed explanation of the challenges Anna and her family face. I fully understand the situation because I have also come across constituents facing similar challenges. I am here on behalf of the Minister for Health. I thank the Deputy for raising the matter of children on waiting lists for scoliosis surgery. The Minister acknowledges that waiting...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Health Services (24 Apr 2024)

Colm Burke: It is important to remind the Deputy that we also have the minor injuries unit on the north side.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Health Services (24 Apr 2024)

Colm Burke: No. The minor injuries unit covers people from both the north side and the south side. I just want to be clear that not everything is on the south side. Second, I have checked for myself and SouthDoc saw more than 220,000 people last year.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Health Services (24 Apr 2024)

Colm Burke: Deputy Gould raised the issue of SouthDoc not doing its job. SouthDoc saw 220,000 patients last year. It has 19 vehicles available to call out to people as well, so there is a whole rota of people available to call out to patients. If a patient is deemed to be so unwell that he or she cannot travel to a centre then SouthDoc will arrange a visit. Patients are seen, on average, within four...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Health Services (24 Apr 2024)

Colm Burke: -----response. I fully understand where Deputy Gould is coming from. The concerns he outlined have been raised with me as well. We need to make sure that the service continues, as I am sure it will.