Results 22,481-22,500 of 23,109 for speaker:Paddy Burke
- Seanad: Seanad Reform Implementation Group: Statements (24 Sep 2019)
Paddy Burke: Senator McDowell does not know that.
- Seanad: Seanad Reform Implementation Group: Statements (24 Sep 2019)
Paddy Burke: The Minister must be standing for election.
- Seanad: Seanad Reform Implementation Group: Statements (24 Sep 2019)
Paddy Burke: I welcome the opportunity to say a few words about Seanad reform. I was also a member of the Seanad reform committee. We had some great discussions. Everybody did not agree but we had good discussions. Senator McDowell stated that the Seanad has been under the thumb of every Government. This is the first time ever that this House is not under the thumb of the Government.
- Seanad: Seanad Reform Implementation Group: Statements (24 Sep 2019)
Paddy Burke: What Seanad reform is trying to achieve is what we have here already. Over the 25 years in which I have been a Senator, there has never been such a diverse Seanad. It includes Independents, party members and all shades of political opinion. The Senator indicated that every Seanad was under the thumb of the Government. We have it in our grasp or power to make whatever changes we wish but...
- Seanad: Seanad Reform Implementation Group: Statements (24 Sep 2019)
Paddy Burke: It is not rubbish. The Senator, as Chairman of the committee, has not put forward any costings at all.
- Seanad: Seanad Reform Implementation Group: Statements (24 Sep 2019)
Paddy Burke: This needs to be spelled out in great detail for the public.
- Seanad: Seanad Reform Implementation Group: Statements (24 Sep 2019)
Paddy Burke: I will tell the Senator what is involved. One could have up to 40, or maybe 50, candidates on each of the five panels. Consider the cost if the State were to provide free post for each candidate. This is the case for the university panels, although not the others. I do not know what it has cost but I am sure it represents a considerable cost to the Exchequer. The Minister of State stated...
- Seanad: Seanad Reform Implementation Group: Statements (24 Sep 2019)
Paddy Burke: We are going to have an electoral commission for the Seanad. There is going to be an electoral commission for the Dáil-----
- Seanad: Seanad Reform Implementation Group: Statements (24 Sep 2019)
Paddy Burke: I have read the Bill.
- Seanad: Seanad Reform Implementation Group: Statements (24 Sep 2019)
Paddy Burke: I will give way.
- Seanad: Seanad Reform Implementation Group: Statements (24 Sep 2019)
Paddy Burke: I will give way to Senator McDowell.
- Seanad: Seanad Reform Implementation Group: Statements (24 Sep 2019)
Paddy Burke: I have given way to the Senator.
- Seanad: Seanad Reform Implementation Group: Statements (24 Sep 2019)
Paddy Burke: There is a proposal in the report for a Seanad electoral commission.
- Seanad: Seanad Reform Implementation Group: Statements (24 Sep 2019)
Paddy Burke: That may well be, eventually.
- Seanad: Seanad Reform Implementation Group: Statements (24 Sep 2019)
Paddy Burke: Yes, but there are five panels. One of the suggestions Senator McDowell put forward was that it might help the local post office. That was during the crisis with post offices, but Senator McDowell has no more regard for the local post office in Ballyglass or Belcarra, where I come from, than the man in the moon. However, we should calculate the cost, and I hope the Department will examine...
- Seanad: Seanad Reform Implementation Group: Statements (24 Sep 2019)
Paddy Burke: That might well be, but that will be even worse.
- Seanad: Seanad Reform Implementation Group: Statements (24 Sep 2019)
Paddy Burke: Then there is the problem of counting 500,000 votes. We saw this during the European elections. A recount was called and it was proposed that the recount could take up to six weeks.
- Seanad: Seanad Reform Implementation Group: Statements (24 Sep 2019)
Paddy Burke: It was not.
- Seanad: Seanad Reform Implementation Group: Statements (24 Sep 2019)
Paddy Burke: It did not happen but if it had, it could have taken six weeks-----
- Seanad: Seanad Reform Implementation Group: Statements (24 Sep 2019)
Paddy Burke: -----at an enormous cost to the Exchequer. There are no detailed costs put forward by anybody. I cannot stand over what I believe the costs will be and the imposition they will be on the Irish taxpayer with a reformed Seanad. I support Seanad reform but I believe constitutional change is required for proper reform. We are trying to reform the Seanad without changing the Constitution and I...