Colm Burke
Cork North-Central · Fine Gael · Ireland
“That is not the Department's fault but the FAI was not asked any questions about bringing this land back into use for sporting activities in Glanmire. There are 30 acres lying idle. Not a sod has been turned and no planning application has been made. We are now getting mixed messages about what is actually going on.”
“The Department is still giving out money to the FAI and not calling it to account for getting the land from a Government agency, the local authority, and leaving it to sit idle, while clubs are now refusing to take in new members because they do not have capacity for them. It is time for the Department to step in.”
“It is ten years later and not a sod has been turned. I got then Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, to come to Glanmire in 2023 where we met 18 of the sports clubs. As a result of that meeting, the FAI started negotiations again with the county council.”
“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?”
“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.”
“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.”
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“Some of the schools down there have over 1,000 students. They have some facilities but not facilities at the scale they would like. I ask that the Department now give priority to this issue. There are 1,000 houses being built. We are collecting planning fees and all sorts of contributions for these developments to go ahead but we are not providing any facilities of any description. Both the Department and the local authorities are guilty of not dealing with this issue.”
“That is not the Department's fault but the FAI was not asked any questions about bringing this land back into use for sporting activities in Glanmire. There are 30 acres lying idle. Not a sod has been turned and no planning application has been made. We are now getting mixed messages about what is actually going on. I am not happy with this answer. The Minister of State can say that to the FAI. I also ask his Department to get clarification directly from the county council. The Minister of State is involved in developing sports facilities. Most of the population that will use this facility live in the city. There should therefore be a joint approach to developing these lands between the Department, the county council and the city council. We need them. Soccer clubs and GAA clubs are turning people away. Schools are under pressure.”
“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 Department, which it is getting from the FAI, and we are getting a different answer from Cork County Council. This is State land that is lying idle. The population of Glanmire is growing at a phenomenal rate. One thousand new houses are being built. The Minister of State's Department agreed to provide funding to the FAI back in 2017 or 2018. This was never taken up by the FAI.”
“The Department can hold the FAI to account in this case. Why has it taken three years to make any progress? Even if it is possible to put it out to clubs for tender, that will take six months and then it will have to go through the planning process. It is time for the Department to intervene and deal with this issue.”
“The Department is still giving out money to the FAI and not calling it to account for getting the land from a Government agency, the local authority, and leaving it to sit idle, while clubs are now refusing to take in new members because they do not have capacity for them. It is time for the Department to step in. There is an athletics club in north Cork which got all the clubs together and they got €2 million in grants, and rightly so, because they got everyone together. The clubs in Glanmire have tried the same thing and still we are not making any progress on this. In August 2023, then Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, was there. It is now three years later and not one thing has happened in those three years, despite the fact the issue was raised publicly and followed up by me and other public representatives.”
“How can they apply for grants if they do not have grounds or planning permission? A Government Department is paying out money to the FAI, which is hoarding this land, and a local authority is sitting on it and not doing anything with it. There are 20,000 people living in Glanmire and 1,000 houses and apartments are being built there at the moment. We have Sarsfields GAA and camogie clubs, Glanmire GAA club, the football club, soccer clubs and rugby clubs. There are a lot of clubs there that do not have adequate access to facilities and there is not even planning permission for the 30 acres. If it were to start in the morning, it would still be a good 12 months down the road.”
“It is ten years later and not a sod has been turned. I got then Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, to come to Glanmire in 2023 where we met 18 of the sports clubs. As a result of that meeting, the FAI started negotiations again with the county council. My understanding is that they came to an agreement that 12.5 acres would go back to the local soccer club, but despite the fact I wrote to the chief executive of the county council on 5 May, and sent a follow-up letter and made a follow-up phone call, I cannot get a reply from the county council about what is proposed for these lands. My understanding is that the FAI does not intend to use them. Glanmire has a population of more than 20,000. The Minister of State was there recently in Vienna Woods where he met sports organisations to talk about applying for grants.”
“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 activities? Will he make a statement? I am raising this issue because these lands were purchased by Cork County Council more than 25 years ago, when the Cork-Dublin road was being built, and have been vacant since. In 2013 or 2014, the council decided it would lease these 30 acres to the FAI to build a new facility for the development of soccer in the region. The lease was signed in 2017.”
“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 now have no income. One person with whom I am familiar started the process in January and has still not got his IRP card. I ask that a clear message be sent to employers that they can take these people back until 31 August. Hopefully, the IRP card issue will have been resolved by then.”
“It should also ensure the voices of people living with dementia, their families and advocacy organisations remain central to policymaking. Dementia is not a future challenge, but a present reality for tens of thousands of people across Ireland. The question is whether our policies, services and supports are keeping pace with this reality. The progress achieved to date provides the foundation, but the scale of this challenge requires greater urgency, sustained investment and a clear, long-term vision. In 2011, there were 600,000 people over the age of 65. That figure is now 860,000 and within three years, there will be over 1 million people aged over 65. Challenges will come very fast and we need to respond accordingly, ensuring we have adequate services to support the individuals affected, as well as the families caring for them.”
“The loss of employment and income can cause a profound financial shock at precisely the moment when additional support is most needed. These realities remind us that dementia must be viewed not only through a healthcare lens, but also through the lens of disability rights, social inclusion and economic security. As Ireland reviews its national dementia policy, we have an opportunity to develop a more comprehensive response, one that reflects the full lived experience of people with dementia and those who care for them. The response should be focused on early diagnosis, equitable access to services, stronger supports for family carers, dementia-inclusive communities and measures that address the financial impact of living with dementia.”
“The Alzheimer Society of Ireland, in a public consultation on the cost of disability, has highlighted a reality that is too often overlooked, namely, the significant financial burden associated with dementia. People living with dementia and their families frequently face additional costs related to care, healthcare, transport, home adaptations and day-to-day living. Some report exhausting their savings, postponing healthcare appointments or making difficult decisions about their future because of financial pressures. The challenge can be particularly acute for the 5,200 people living with young, onset dementia. Many receive a diagnosis before the age of 65, at a stage in life when they may still be working, raising children, paying a mortgage or supporting a family.”
“The expansion of memory assessment and support services, specialist memory clinics, dementia advisers and community-based supports has improved access to care and support for many people and their families. However, despite this progress, there are still challenges that must be addressed. Across Ireland, too many people continue to face delays in diagnosis, unequal access to services and uncertainty about where to turn following a diagnosis. For many families, receiving a diagnosis is only the beginning of a long and often difficult journey. While medical care is essential, dementia is about far more than healthcare. It affects housing, transport, employment, social participation and financial security.”
“When I was working as a solicitor I had to deal many times with families who had a family member with dementia where I had to try to sort out the legal issues arising from the person having dementia. For instance, I had a case involving a widow living with her daughter who had an intellectual disability. She did not have other children and both of them were living on tea and biscuits for a long period before it came to my attention. The lady had been admitted to hospital and the only thing she could talk about was playing camogie with Ballygarvan in 1935. She knew everything about what happened in 1935 but not what was going on around her there and then. Progress has been made in recent years. The national dementia strategy and HSE dementia model of care have helped place dementia hire on the national agenda.”
“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 to increase, as has been outlined. Behind every diagnosis is not only an individual but also a family, a carer and a community adapting to the realities of a progressive condition that changes lives forever. There are over 200 different types of dementia.”
“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 country. We are now reliant on vegetables being imported from outside of Ireland. Only a very small number of people are in it now. We need to look at how to keep them in it and increase the number of people who are producing vegetables here.”
“The question is about how we need to plan for that. I know it changes day by day and I fully accept that. The challenges are there and, as the Minister said already, there is a substantial decrease in relation to incomes and consistency in production. That needs to be taken into account as well.”
“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 again and, therefore, there is concern about increased costs in relation to fuel, electricity and fertilisers. In relation to fertilisers, in particular, we have the carbon border adjustment mechanism, which applies to a carbon-related charge in imported carbon-intensive products, including fertilisers. There are going to be additional costs for the farming community over the next 12 months.”
“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 challenge ahead for the farming community.”
“Until such time that we streamline the system and make it far easier for people to have both the work permit and residency permit and all the processes sorted, we will have people - and I have had several of them - who will be laid off work until the issue has been resolved, which is now causing problems.”
“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 they must apply and that it will take 12 weeks. There is then the whole issue of the period in which people can continue to work even where the card has not been renewed on time. That also needs to be looked at.”
“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 concerned there is a lack of information for both employers and employees about the process. I have had cases where applications should have been made well before the card expired, but many people are not doing that and there needs to be more information sent out by the Department. However, I am concerned about the 16 weeks for an IRP card application that still has not been issued as of today.”
“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?”
“Eight people at senior level would not sign such a letter unless there are genuine concerns about the waiting time. Whatever the issue is when it comes to providing care for children, it needs to be resolved. I fully understand that we are putting a huge amount of money into the new national children's hospital, and rightly so, but it is important that areas outside of Dublin are not left in limbo as regards people getting access to the care that is required. As a result, I ask that this issue be looked at. The Minister may not have all the answers this morning, but she might come back to me on the matter.”
“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 created and that, as a result, the list is going to grow and people are going to be waiting longer. In relation to MRIs, where a concern is expressed by a GP or a medical consultant in relation to a child's health, if there is any delay, there may not be any going back because the treatment was not provided in a timely manner.”
“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 like that will cause serious alarm for parents of children who are waiting.”
“The letter to which I refer states that the waiting time could be as long as four years. That is really not acceptable at this stage. What can be done to make sure that there is not an unreasonable waiting time when it comes to getting access to these scans and to resolve the other issues the consultants involved have raised? I hope those issues can be resolved by the HSE, the management at the hospital and the people working at the coalface, namely the consultants, general doctors and nurses. That needs to be looked at. When will action be taken on this matter?”
“The other issue that is of concern relates to the outpatient unit that is due to open at Curraheen and whether there will be sufficient staff to operate it. What happened in this instance was that external firms were brought in to do the work. That has stopped, but no additional staff have been taken on to do the work that was being done previously. I have no problem with work being stopped in circumstances where outside contractors were doing it. However, I do have a concern about waiting lists growing substantially. There is also a question in relation to paediatric services in Cork. There is now major concern about how long a child will have to wait if they need an MRI scan in circumstances where he or she needs a general anaesthetic in order for the scan to take place.”
“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 to resolve this issue. Planning was granted for a new paediatric unit at Cork University Hospital, CUH, in 2022. Work on that project has not commenced. Access to certain procedures for children is being restricted as a result. My understanding is that people from outside were being employed to do some of the work involved but that this has stopped.”
“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 notice in place there since September of last year and there is no indication from Irish Water as to when that issue will be resolved. Again, the situation is that a well is servicing all the housing estates there. Is there any plan to have a direct link between the main water schemes in the city or county to service those areas?”
“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 and on developing and completing housing units. In the areas outside the city, in the villages where there are challenges with sewage treatment, can some of those projects be fast-tracked so development can proceed? I am talking about such places as Courtbrack, Grenagh, Carrignavar, Glenville and Whitechurch. They cannot progress unless the services are available. What does the Department intend to do to highlight that issue?”
“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 given as regards the emergency work that is required to be put in place immediately to deal with their concerns?”
“Going back to 2012, I was one of the only Oireachtas Members at the event in Farmleigh House. While a lot of progress has been made in 14 years, we need to expedite that progress in the next three to four years. We have medication in a lot of cases, but what is needed is access. It is important that we improve the process for making sure that the medication is available in a timely matter. I ask the Minister and the Department give priority to that matter. A lot of progress has been made. We need to make a lot more, but in a shorter timeframe.”
“The National Rare Disease Strategy 2025-2030 rightly recognises that the costs associated with rare disease diagnosis should be considered in medical card assessments. It also highlights the need for integrated care pathways, co-ordinated community supports, special services, respite care, psychological supports and smoother transitions from childhood to adult healthcare. These commitments must now be implemented with urgency. Families should not have to wait years for access to treatment while also struggling with financial hardship, travel costs and fragmented services. Our responsibility is not only to improve access to orphan medicines but also to ensure that every person living with a rare disease receives the support they need to live with dignity and security. The strategy provides the framework; we must now deliver on the action.”
“Currently, patients in Ireland wait, on average, more than 800 days between a medicine receiving market authorisation and becoming available to patients. This places Ireland among the poorest performers in the European Union and well behind the EU average. In 2018, I was involved in the health committee as regards producing a report on how we could speed up access to medicines. That report that has not been acted on. It is disappointing that some of the proposals set out in the report have not been followed through on. We must continue efforts to improve assessment processes, pricing negotiations and reimbursement pathways in order that effective treatments can reach patients more quickly. However, while these reforms are being pursued, we cannot ignore the immediate pressures facing families today.”
“The strategy provides a roadmap for more integrated person-centred care and recognises the unique challenges faced by those living with rare diseases. However, for many families, progress on paper has yet to translate into improvements in daily life. Recent findings from Rare Diseases Ireland are concerning. Four in ten respondents reported poor access to healthcare services. More than 40% rated their physical health as poor, while over one third reported poor mental well-being. Nearly four in ten families described their financial situation as poor due to medical costs, travel expenses and reduced income arising from their condition. More strikingly, only a small minority expressed optimism that the new strategy will improve their quality of life. One area requiring urgent attention is access to orphan medicines.”
“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 that are there. Rare diseases may be individually uncommon but, together, they affect 300,000 people and their families across Ireland. Behind every diagnosis is a child, parent, carer or an adult who is living with a condition that often requires specialist treatment, ongoing support and access to innovative medicines. The publication of Ireland's National Rare Disease Strategy 2025-2030 was an important step forward.”
“I fully understand that there will be many demands in healthcare and other areas in the context of the forthcoming budget, but this is something we need to keep pace with in order to ensure that people who are in receipt of social welfare supports do not lose out because of the inflation that is either going to occur or that has occurred over the past 12 months.”
“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, especially for people in rural areas. The matter needs to be looked at very carefully.”
“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 supports for people who are vulnerable and who are very much dependent on the social welfare system. It is in this context that I am asking about whether the review has occurred and what we need to do in the context of planning forward, especially for budget 2027.”
“Again, I thank the Minister for the work that has been done in this area and the number of additional people who are now going to come in under the qualifying criteria, so they can get the carer's allowance in support of the work that they are doing.”
“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 that care because they qualify for the allowance but they are afraid of applying for it as they are afraid of losing their medical card. That is an issue that we need to get clarification on.”
“That is another issue that needs to be reviewed but that is not under the Minister's Department. Can we get clarification before 1 July on this issue? It is going to affect quite a number of people who will not put in the application at this stage.”
“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 pulling back from applying because they are afraid of losing their medical card. That is extremely important to them, especially for anyone who is providing care but also has their own medical challenges and are still well able to provide that care. That is why I am looking for clarification. As the Minister knows, the qualifying criteria for medical cards has not changed for quite some time.”
“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 losing their medical card? I ask him to make a statement on the matter. I have heard from a number of people who have decided not to apply until the issue is clarified.”
“At the same time, it will ensure that, when people go home, they have gone through a full rehabilitation programme and are ready and fit to go back to their homes and get suitable support thereafter.”
“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 hospital where they would not have access to the same level of treatment. Will the Government identify sites around the country to develop and build these rehabilitation and step-down facilities so that we can free up hospital beds? Will a programme be put in place? This is an innovative way of trying to get people out of hospitals faster.”
“In September 2025, the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel published its conclusions that Israeli authorities and security forced had committed four of the five acts defined as genocide in the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. The human cost of this conflict remains devastating but it is important that, no matter what we do, we bring other countries within Europe with us. We must also work at an international level to bring countries with us to ensure decisive action is taken against Israel over this conflict, which has been allowed to continue. In the last 17 years, over 75,000 people have been killed.”
“We must recognise that displacement is not simply a humanitarian challenge; it is a profound human tragedy. Children lose access to education, communities are fragmented and generations face uncertainty as to whether they will ever be able to return to the places they call home. The protection of civilians from forced displacement must remain a core principle of international humanitarian law and a priority for the international community. Equally concerning are efforts to obstruct or undermine humanitarian initiatives intended to assist civilians in Gaza. The international community has a responsibility to uphold international humanitarian law and to ensure that all parties to conflicts are held accountable for their actions.”
“It is therefore extremely important that we work on that front. That is why it is important that the legislation we bring forward is moderate while still challenging what Israel has done. The human cost of this conflict extends far beyond those killed and injured. Displacement has become a defining feature of the crisis. Families are uprooted from their homes and communities and deprived of security, stability and dignity. Amnesty International released a report today documenting that, between January 2023 and April 2026, 3,407 Palestinian homes in the occupied territories were demolished, resulting in the displacement of thousands of people. These figures serve as a stark reminder that behind every statistic is a family forced to leave behind their home, their livelihood and their future.”