The HSE acquired the old Blarney golf links hotel and has developed a 50-bed unit there. Some 30 beds are currently managed by Mercy University Hospital. People are discharged from hospital and follow-up rehabilitation care is provided there. The remaining 20 beds are idle because funding is not available to staff them. Those 20 beds are for neurorehabilitation. Will a commitment be given to provide the necessary fun…
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
123. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport to confirm the details of the community sport facilities fund which is opening to applications in October 2026; the total amount of funding allocated to the fund; and the additional measures available in this round. [73899/26]
I thank the Minister of State. It is important that we acknowledge the work that has been done by the Department but also by all the sports organisations around the country over recent years in the way they have effectively used funds to develop facilities. It is important we acknowledge that.
The issue in relation to this grant allocation is the Minister of State said it will close on 26 February. What kind of time…
It is important that I acknowledge the Glen which is also in my constituency. It won the senior hurling championship for the first time in ten years. It needs to be congratulated as well. It has developed huge facilities as a result of getting grants down through the years. It has used them very effectively. It is important that we look at areas where there is a huge growth in population. That is happening in my cons…
133. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the mechanisms available for a community group and sports clubs to apply for funding for a sports pavilion where the funding level required is greatly in excess of the €250,000 for local groups in the community sport facilities fund. [73901/26]
What mechanisms will be available for community groups and sports clubs to apply funding for a sports pavilion where the funding level required is greatly in excess of €250,000 for local groups in the community sports facilities fund? I am raising this in respect of situations where there is a number of sports organisations working together to build a facility and especially where there is a lot of new housing develo…
I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I would point any clubs in his constituency that are working with the Deputy to the information guide we published in the past couple of weeks on the Department's website. It sets out the criteria for the different grant thresholds available to sports clubs and organisations. As the Deputy knows, we have the standard one, which is up to €250,000, and can be funded up to a m…
I am asking in the context particularly of new developments. It is about getting the sports groups working with the local authorities and the Department making sure that adequate funding is put in place. It should not be a case of people being told to come back in five years' time for the matter to be considered.
Now is the time, when the housing is being built, that we need to deliver the facilities.
Regarding the Cork area, in the last round of grants there were only two major projects for all of Cork county and city. One was for €2 million, where athletic clubs got together with the county council. The other one was a €1 million project for a really good soccer facility.
That was only €3 million for a huge population. It is a pity that there was not more co-operation and co-ordination between the local authorities and sports clubs.
19. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht to confirm the level of funding that has been made available for rural community groups for improvements to community centres in budget 2027; and if any funding will be made available for new builds in 2027. [72668/26]
Budget 2027 makes a significant investment in our health service, with €29.1 billion provided for health. That is an increase of around €1.8 billion on 2026. The focus must now be on ensuring this investment translates into improvements in access and better outcomes for patients. One measure I particularly welcome is a phased introduction of a national shingles vaccination programme for people aged over-65, starting …
9. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the action being taken by her Department to reduce the current re-processing timeline of a passport application where a query is raised, in view of the fact that when an additional information request is made, the application is paused until such time as the new documentation is received and processed, which can add an additional 15 working days to…
Will the Minister outline what action is being taken by the Department to reduce the current timeline for reprocessing a passport application query when a query is raised, in view of the fact that when an additional information request is made the application is paused until such time as the new documentation is received and processed, which can add an additional 15 working days, which is three full weeks, to the app…
I thank the Minister very much. It is important that I first acknowledge that huge improvements have been made by the Passport Office. In fairness to the staff, they are extremely helpful when we do contact the office. My concern is that in a lot of cases where we run into problems, it relates to young children. If parents have two or three children who they are trying to sort out passports for, it is very stressful.…
One of the problems we find is that people going on holiday, for example, in July, apply for passports in May, when, in fact, they could have easily applied in February or March. The Department might consider bringing forward the awareness campaign to early January or February. It is something that needs to be looked at to encourage people to apply well in advance of the time they intend to travel.
In relation to ph…
As the Tánaiste is aware, the Defence Forces have confirmed that they intend to dispose of armoured personnel carriers. These are vehicles they no longer require. Has a decision been made in respect of inviting tenders to be submitted to facilitate the sale? Would consideration be given for a charitable organisation to acquire same, to be used for humanitarian purposes? One of the groups interested has already sent o…
There has been a substantial delay in issuing Irish residency permit, IRP, cards. Quite a number of my constituents have been let go from employment because they did not get their cards within the 12-week period. I know substantial changes have been made in the past few days, but the word is still not getting out to employers about their being able to take back employees who were let go two or three weeks ago and who…
There needs to be clarification to employers.
The Department of Culture, Communications and Sport provides funding to the FAI on an annual basis. I understand it is more than €6 million. Can the Minister of State ascertain why 30 acres of land in Glanmire, Cork, which was leased to the FAI by Cork County Council in 2017, has remained idle? What progress has been made by the Department, the FAI and the county council to bring these lands into use for sports activ…
I am absolutely astonished at that reply. The county council told councillors that it was leasing 12.5 acres to Riverstown FC rather than the full site. What the FAI is telling the Minister is totally different. State agencies, the Minister of State's Department, the county council and the FAI, which gets funding from the Department, are all involved and I cannot get a clear answer. I am getting one answer from the D…
11. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the additional measures he is considering to support farm incomes in light of rising input costs and challenges facing the agricultural sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52226/26]
What additional measures is the Minister considering to support farm incomes in light of rising input costs and challenges facing the agricultural sector, and will he make a statement on the matter? I know recent publications showed an increase in farm incomes but that was for the previous 12 months. The big challenge now is in relation to the cost of fertilisers, fuel and electricity. There is a really difficult cha…
I thank the Minister. I fully accept that a huge amount of work has been done over the last three to four months, especially in relation to fuel costs. The issue we are now looking at over the next 12 months is the fertiliser cost increase in view of the conflict in Ukraine and also the fact that while on the one hand, we thought the conflict in the Middle East was at an end, it now appears to be resurrecting itself …