Another area of real concern is tillage, where there is a decrease in those involved. It is very intensive. This is again an issue with costs, especially for vegetables. For instance, about three years ago I heard of carrots being imported from Israel, yet we cannot produce them here in a cost-effective way while giving a return to the growers. One area we have let slip completely is vegetable production in this coun…
TDs / Colm Burke
Colm Burke
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
1,291
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
49,488
words spoken in the chamber
3,972 as a minister, 45,516 as a TD
430
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
239
topics asked about
Across 20 departments
From the Dáil chamber only: committee meetings are not in this archive.
What they ask about
The subject headings the Oireachtas filed their questions under.
Who they ask
The departments their questions were addressed to.
Month by month
Low months are usually recesses, when the Dáil does not sit. The archive runs to 22 October 2026.
Questions asked 1,291 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 266 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 7 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 23 | 7 |
| March 2025 | 73 | 4 |
| April 2025 | 62 | 18 |
| May 2025 | 64 | 38 |
| June 2025 | 72 | 11 |
| July 2025 | 89 | 16 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 96 | 12 |
| October 2025 | 53 | 18 |
| November 2025 | 105 | 33 |
| December 2025 | 74 | 9 |
| January 2026 | 57 | 4 |
| February 2026 | 62 | 7 |
| March 2026 | 91 | 17 |
| April 2026 | 67 | 17 |
| May 2026 | 61 | 3 |
| June 2026 | 72 | 16 |
| July 2026 | 72 | 18 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 64 | 0 |
| October 2026 | 27 | 18 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 247 contributions in the regular slots, such as Leaders' Questions and Priority Questions. Speech from the chair is not counted.
Asked about similar topics
Worked out by computer from the subject headings of each TD's questions, giving more weight to headings few TDs use. It shows shared subjects, not shared views.
Party, constituency and offices
- constituency Cork North-Central 29 November 2024 to now
- party Fine Gael 29 November 2024 to now
I congratulate Cian and Jordan on the work they have done, as well as all the people who have helped them. They have done important work highlighting this issue, and it is extremely important that we speak openly and highlight the challenges.
Dementia is one of the health and social challenges facing Ireland today, with more than 69,000 people in the country currently living with the condition. That number is going …
Concerns have been raised in Cork regarding access for children to MRI scans in circumstances where a general anaesthetic is required. My understanding is that there were outside people coming in to do this work. That all stopped last year. The waiting list has grown substantially and, as a result, there is a concern. Eight consultants signed a letter advising of their concerns. The question now is how we are going t…
I will reply to the Minister in my next contribution.
My understanding is that the eight consultants signed the letter. It was sent to the head of the HSE. They expressed serious concerns to the effect about delays and about the consequences of those delays. The headline of the article I read, and in respect of which I did some further checking, was "Doctors at Cork hospital call for 'immediate action' to mitigate risk of 'preventable paediatric deaths'". A headline lik…
I raised this matter in order that assurances can be provided and that people can get access to care in a timely manner.
A question still arises as to why, previously, there was outsourcing or there were people coming in to do this work privately. That practice has now stopped. The argument being put forward by the consultants is that no additional staff have been taken on to deal with the vacuum that has been creat…
I thank the Minister.
13. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to provide an update on his Department's progress in establishing a single application process for employment permits and visa applications; the progress that has been made to date by the interdepartmental group established to review this process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48684/26]
Will the Minister to provide an update on the Department's progress in establishing a single application process for employment permits and visa applications, the progress that has been made to date by the interdepartmental group established to review this process, and will he make a statement on the matter?
I raise this because one of the areas where I have had many people on to me is for those who are working in nursing homes. There seems to be a huge problem between work permits and residency permits. For instance, I had one case which I sent a parliamentary question on to the Minister, where the person made an application for an IRP card on 6 March and by 30 June - 16 weeks later - it still had not issued. I am conce…
Where it really affects my constituency is, taking Apple computers for instance, which is the biggest employer in the constituency, there are people from 90 different nationalities working in that facility and it is important that this information gets out to employers. The problem arising is the delays in the processing now. I outlined the case of 16 weeks, which should not be happening, but people are being advised…
91. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to confirm the number of housing completions in Cork in 2025; the number of homes completed to date in 2026 in Cork; the number expected to be completed by the end of 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48241/26]
I thank the Minister of State. As the Minister of State will be aware, being from Cork, the reason I am raising this is that the number of new jobs being created in Cork is increasing every month and, therefore, the need for additional accommodation needs to be highlighted. We need to try to fast-track that housing. Cork City Council and Cork County Council are working hard with people making applications for housing…
On the issue of sewage treatment in villages, we still do not have a clear plan from Irish Water as regards access to services, including water services. For instance, in Whitechurch lorry loads of water have to be brought in every day because there is a well servicing the housing units there and it is not able to deal with demand during the summer months. It is likewise with Courtbrack. There has been a boil water n…
Will the Taoiseach outline when funding will be provided for the construction of the new paediatric unit at Cork University Hospital, CUH, given that planning permission was granted in 2022 and also taking into account that eight senior medical consultants have signed a letter expressing concern in respect of the current situation in the paediatric unit and stating there is a risk to patients? Can clarification be gi…
10. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of additional people that will benefit from increases in the carers allowance means test threshold due in July 2026; whether he has engaged with the Minister for Health and her Department to ensure that carers allowance income will not be included under the medical card means test so that those who benefit from the expanded threshold will not b…
I very much welcome that a large number of additional people will benefit from increases in the carer's allowance means test threshold, which comes into place on 1 July. Has the Minister engaged with the Minister for Health and her Department to ensure that carer's allowance income will not be included under the medical cards means test, so that those who benefit from the expanded threshold will not be at risk of los…
I very much welcome the Minister's reply. However, where I am coming from is about the people who are marginally outside under the old scheme who now qualify under the new changes that the Minister has made. I very much welcome those changes because people who are providing care in the home for their immediate family or for relatives are providing a fantastic service. What I am concerned about now is where people are…
I very much welcome the reply. The changes that are coming into effect on 1 July are very good. There are a huge number of people who provide a good standard of care in the home rather than people having to go into full-time residential care in nursing homes. They are providing an invaluable service. It is important that we make sure that we tick all the boxes and that they are discouraged from continuing to provide …
12. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection to confirm whether an examination of improvements to key ancillary benefits such as the fuel allowance, household benefits package and living alone allowance to support older and vulnerable groups has occurred as per the programme for Government; if not, when this examination will occur; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46276/26]
I very much welcome that over €28.9 billion is being provided in range of areas via budget 2026. There is a concern, however - and this was outlined this morning on "Morning Ireland" - that we may soon have an inflation rate of 5%. That is on the upper end of the scale. Because the cost of fuel and hearing are both increasing, we need to take action to keep pace with that in order to ensure that we have adequate supp…
I fully understand that. As was stated earlier, I have a number of people who are living in rural areas - the position would be the same in the Minister's constituency - in circumstances where there are two old-age pensions coming into the household. If one of the parties dies, there is a sudden drop in income. However, the cost of heating and travel for those individuals remain substantial. This is a huge challenge,…
Fourteen years ago in June 2012, the first meeting was held with the then Minister for Health, James Reilly, in Farmleigh House, when a whole lot of people involved in the area of rare diseases, including parents and different lobby groups, were brought together. That was the first that a serious effort was made to get everyone together in order to see how we could plan forward to deal with the many rare diseases tha…
On Monday, the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, opened a new, 50-bed rehabilitation unit in Tower and Blarney in my constituency. A total of 30 beds are geriatric rehabilitation beds, while there are 20 neurosurgery rehabilitation beds. The whole idea behind the geriatric rehabilitation beds is that the person will be in unit for between 30 and 35 days going through rehabilitation, rather than being inside in a hos…
Currently in Ireland, we have 23 linear accelerators in Galway, Dublin and Cork. Of those 14 linear accelerators in Dublin, 12 are more than ten years old and eight are more than 15 years old. It is clearly established that any machine that is more than ten years old is going to cause delays and breakdowns are far more frequent and as a result, the service cannot be delivered. In fact, the figures for 2025 are quite …