Results 1,561-1,580 of 2,017 for speaker:Paul Bradford

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2007: Second Stage (21 Feb 2007)

Paul Bradford: Has the Minister, her junior Minister or officials met representatives of the Quinn group since its announcement some weeks ago? Has the Minister held discussions with them on their future plans in the market? I am deeply unhappy with the proposed legislation. I am on the record of this House and elsewhere in recent years as expressing grave concern over the concept of risk equalisation as...

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2007: Second Stage (21 Feb 2007)

Paul Bradford: Not eliminating but amending.

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2007: Second Stage (21 Feb 2007)

Paul Bradford: The Minister is now eliminating the three-year rule.

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2007: Second Stage (21 Feb 2007)

Paul Bradford: Has the Minister met representatives of the Quinn Group since its announcement?

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2006: Committee Stage (8 Feb 2007)

Paul Bradford: On amendment No. 5, I support what Senator Tuffy said regarding the proposed change. I would have thought the advice of Government was the required wording under the constitutional provision. I look forward to the Minister's response.

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2006: Committee Stage (8 Feb 2007)

Paul Bradford: Victim impact statements are becoming the norm in the law and it should be extended to this legislation.

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Feb 2007)

Paul Bradford: I welcome the fact Quinn Group has purchased the BUPA Ireland office in Fermoy. This matter has been raised in the House on many previous occasions. I hope the purchase is successful and will result not just in the retention of jobs but also in competition in the health insurance market, which is the most important factor. It is necessary that the Minister for Health and Children would, at...

Seanad: Human Rights Issues: Motion (31 Jan 2007)

Paul Bradford: I support the motion. If we had continued with our efforts 12 months ago to establish an Oireachtas committee, it might not have been necessary to debate this motion today. The questions posed would already have been answered, the investigations would have taken place and we would have been in a position to satisfy public opinion. Senator Ryan and Senator O'Meara outlined the background...

Seanad: Health Insurance (15 Dec 2006)

Paul Bradford: I am grateful for the opportunity to raise this issue concerning the BUPA health insurance company. As a result of the introduction of risk equalisation, BUPA has decided to withdraw from the Irish health insurance market. Yesterday's announcement was disastrous news for the 300 people BUPA employs in Fermoy. It was a bad day for BUPA's almost 500,000 customers and a disappointing day for...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Dec 2006)

Paul Bradford: I thank the Cathaoirleach for allowing me to raise on the Adjournment BUPA's decision to pull out of Ireland. Senator Brian Hayes proposed that statements on the issue be allowed on the conclusion of the Order of Business. If the Leader acceded to the request, I would be prepared to withdraw the matter I raised on the Adjournment. BUPA's announcement yesterday that it will withdraw from...

Seanad: European Communities Bill 2006: Committee Stage (12 Dec 2006)

Paul Bradford: I thank the Minister of State for his willingness to listen to the views of Members. I concur with Senator Mooney's comments. The majority of Members of the House are pro-European. Where small difficulties arise, we would like them addressed and dealt with in order that room for doubt is not created among members of the public. I welcome the Minister of State's comments on the statistics...

Seanad: European Communities Bill 2006: Committee Stage (12 Dec 2006)

Paul Bradford: I move amendment No. 1: In page 4, lines 38 to 45, to delete subsection (2). What I have just heard from the Minister of State in response to Senator Quinn's earlier intervention goes a long way towards supporting my amendment. If we want to keep Europe relevant and real and ensure our part in the European project continues strongly, we must ensure we do not distance the people of this...

Seanad: European Communities Bill 2006: Committee Stage (12 Dec 2006)

Paul Bradford: I oppose section 4. We have the advantage of the helpful advice received from the Minister of State's office of his views on our amendments. The Minister of State expressed surprise that I oppose this section. He recounted my comments made last week that we must respond to the Supreme Court judgment, which we do. However, needing to respond to the Supreme Court judgment and how we respond...

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Dec 2006)

Paul Bradford: Will the Leader arrange a debate for next week with the Minister of State at the Department of Finance on the decentralisation programme? This is the third anniversary of one of the most significant political announcements of the past decade, made in the Budget Statement of December 2003 by the then Minister of Finance, Mr. McCreevy, that 10,000 civil servants would be transferred throughout...

Seanad: Health (Nursing Homes) (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (7 Dec 2006)

Paul Bradford: That has another set of rules and another rigmarole.

Seanad: Health (Nursing Homes) (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (7 Dec 2006)

Paul Bradford: I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate on this legislation. The contributions of previous speakers were very interesting. In particular, those of Senators White and Ryan provided much food for thought, on which we must reflect strongly. Some of the Minister's colleagues at both senior and junior ministerial level are contemplating the possibility of a constitutional amendment...

Seanad: European Communities Bill 2006: Second Stage (7 Dec 2006)

Paul Bradford: I welcome the Minister of State and the legislation. I agree with him on its necessity and urgency in some respects. It stems from the Supreme Court judgments of 2003 and 2005. I could ask why we have been waiting almost three years since the 2003 judgment. However, the legislation is now before us. The language in the Bill, the Minister of State's speech and the general language used...

Seanad: European Communities Bill 2006: Second Stage (7 Dec 2006)

Paul Bradford: We are in 19th place out of 25 and perhaps the Minister of State would indicate the thinking in that regard. The Internal Market Scoreboard listed Ireland as one of the eight EU member states that had not met the target set for the implementation of Internal Market directives and stated that it faced 51 legal cases relating to its failure to adopt legislation in this important area. While...

Seanad: Leas Cross Nursing Home Report: Statements (29 Nov 2006)

Paul Bradford: I am glad to have the opportunity to contribute to this debate. I welcome the fact it is taking place because it helps bring further into the open the dreadful difficulties at Leas Cross. It must cause us to reflect on the possibility that Leas Cross was not alone in the difficulties it faced and it puts a strong moral obligation on the Government not just to investigate individual cases...

Seanad: Private Health Care Insurance. (29 Nov 2006)

Paul Bradford: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Seán Power. I am interested in his views on competition in the health insurance market and, in particular, on the proposed introduction of risk equalisation. If the latter is implemented as proposed, it may well result in the health insurance market returning to a state of total monopoly by one provider. The Irish health insurance market is unique...