Results 841-860 of 2,017 for speaker:Paul Bradford

Seanad: Criminal Law (Defence and the Dwelling) Bill 2010: Second Stage (8 Dec 2011)

Paul Bradford: I will have fewer focail than the last speaker. Unlike the Minister and Senator O'Donovan I do not have a legal background and expertise. Those who have can approach Bills with a great degree of certainty and understand their definitions and limits. My comments in support of the Bill will be from a common sense perspective. I welcome the Bill and the fact it follows a promise our party...

Seanad: Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2011: Second Stage (8 Dec 2011)

Paul Bradford: Once again we are back on the subject of health insurance. This is a matter that is close to my heart politically because I was involved in the original debates in the other House at the time of the decision by the then Minister for Health, Deputy Michael Noonan, to allow competition into the health insurance business, which we all thought was a major step forward. In latter years I was one...

Seanad: Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2011: Second Stage (8 Dec 2011)

Paul Bradford: The Minister is introducing a system of universal care which everybody supports, including the previous speaker. The phrase the Minister used and that we used, mantra-like, at election time was: "The money follows the patient." At the moment, the money follows the doctors, the consultants and all the people who are literally making themselves millionaires out of the provision of health...

Seanad: Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2011: Second Stage (8 Dec 2011)

Paul Bradford: We have dealt with monopolies in other services, and sometimes, in our desire to solve problems, we can go too far. There was a time when there were not enough solicitors, barristers or accountants in this country. The word "professional" and the phrase "I am a professional" were allowed to be uttered only by a small, privileged minority. We have allowed the medical profession to remain a...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Dec 2011)

Paul Bradford: I will attempt to restrain myself on the issue of Seanad reform. I welcome Senator Mullen's contribution and it would be appropriate to have a lengthy and comprehensive debate in the House on political reform. I wish it were as simple as abolishing the Seanad but we all know political reform is about the Dáil, the electoral system, local authorities, our system of government, Dáil...

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Paul Bradford: The contributions are very interesting. If this index was applied to car tax a huge number of people in gainful employment in the country who are driving to work every day would not pay it. I suspect and fear that hundreds of thousands of people in this country are not in a position to invite friends for a meal once a month. I suspect tens of thousands of people in this country are not in...

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Paul Bradford: We have to debate the amendment before us. I take on board what Senator Norris said. The list will have to be refined before it receives further consideration. It will also have to exclude the €75,000 figure. As has been said, all of us are on reasonably good salaries but significantly less than €75,000. This is an interesting philosophical debate. Everybody aspires to ending...

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Paul Bradford: The Senator referred to Sinn Féin's pre-budget submission, which I read with interest as I did last year. I was taken by what I thought was a reasonable view of the wealth tax situation. We are all aware of people who have assets worth hundreds of thousands of euro who would also fail this test. People might live in fantastic old houses but cannot light a fire or go out for any...

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Paul Bradford: I take the Senator's correction.

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Paul Bradford: Due to the time restriction I did not have an opportunity to speak on Second Stage, so I apologise for arriving rather late to the debate. This amendment is part of the broader debate on where we are proceeding with taxation from the point of view of fairness and equality. The Senator who moved the amendment will have to recognise the fact that every consideration of the Irish tax and...

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Paul Bradford: No. In fact, this week's budget was all about trying to assist-----

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Paul Bradford: -----people, look after the most needy in the difficult circumstances in which we find ourselves and not reducing core social welfare payments.

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Paul Bradford: It was about not increasing taxes and, above all, trying to ensure that the majority of people on social welfare and those on the lower end of the income spectrum can aspire to a job and a future in this country. There are political parties and politicians whose existence would finish if the poverty industry disappeared and if we could lift people out of poverty. That is what the Government...

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Paul Bradford: I will try-----

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Paul Bradford: I will try to respond, through the Chair, to the misguided interpretation of my earlier comments by the Senator. Our aspiration in this country should be to move people out of the poverty zone-----

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Paul Bradford: -----back to work. However, we must also recognise that resources are exceptionally limited and we must raise money to pay social welfare and provide medical and educational services, particularly for those most in need. I wish there was a magic wand. The Senator's party colleagues in Northern Ireland spent many years on the margins and I welcome the fact that they have come in from those...

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Paul Bradford: They are introducing taxes, charges and property taxes and levies, as well as closing hospitals and schools. That is part of the Sinn Féin agenda-----

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Paul Bradford: It is part of the Sinn Féin agenda in Northern Ireland.

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Paul Bradford: I will have to seek the protection of the Chair from the Sinn Féin onslaught.

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Paul Bradford: The amendment is a piece of political gamesmanship, and Opposition parties will always do that. When the debate was about water and service charges no party was stronger in its opposition to such charges than the Senator's, yet his party colleagues are introducing all of these charges. It is important that we can expand the tax base. If we are to try to keep income taxes low and taxes and...