Results 22,761-22,780 of 23,109 for speaker:Paddy Burke

Seanad: Maternity-Paternity Leave for County and City Councillors: Motion (7 Dec 2021)

Paddy Burke: I welcome the Minister of State and congratulate him on the work he has done on the restructuring of facilities and payments for local authority members. I thank the Cathaoirleach for bringing forward the provision whereby panel-elected Senators can table a motion. It is a great idea because, in this case, more than likely, the motion has had cross-party support from the moment it was put...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Jan 2022)

Paddy Burke: I support Senator McGahon in his call for a debate on a one-stop-shop for climate action and climate control, which is taking in some the local authorities. The initiative will be a great addition and warmly welcomed. A debate on the matter in this House would be very worthwhile. I ask the Deputy Leader to arrange a debate on tourism in the not too distant future. It would be timely to...

Seanad: Broadband Roll-out: Statements (26 Jan 2022)

Paddy Burke: I thank Senator Dolan for sharing time with me. I welcome the opportunity to say a few words on the national broadband plan. I must say, I think it was great foresight on the part of the previous Government to start the campaign and the roll-out of rural broadband. One would have to ask the question now of where we would be and where we would be going if some decision was not made a that...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (27 Jan 2022)

Paddy Burke: We must be close to an election with this type of heated debate becoming evident. I ask the Leader to arrange for a debate on credit unions. There was a commitment in the programme for Government for something to be done on how credit unions operate. I presume the Minister of State, Deputy Sean Fleming, who has responsibility for credit unions, will soon publish a draft Government policy...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Feb 2022)

Paddy Burke: It is very apt that the Acting Leader is here as Acting Leader on this St. Brigid's Day. We wish her well. To carry on from what Senator Cummins said, there is no reason every local authority would not be as good as Waterford City and County Council because they have the tools, as he said, to do this. They should be monitored and they should be made to do those things. I would like to...

Seanad: Payment of Wages (Amendment) (Tips and Gratuities) Bill 2022: Second Stage (1 Feb 2022)

Paddy Burke: I welcome the Tánaiste to the House and wish him well with this Bill. I think Senator Casey raised a very valid point on the question of how Revenue is going to deal with this issue. This Bill is about ensuring tips are not part of staff's wages. The point Senator Casey made is that tips will be part of their wages. Perhaps that is the way Revenue is going to treat it. More than...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (2 Feb 2022)

Paddy Burke: I would like to be associated with the vote of sympathy for the late Member of Dáil Éireann. Noel Treacy was an excellent contributor in this House as well and attended here on a regular basis. He was always very cheerful. I wish to extend my sympathy to his wife and family. I wish to raise an issue with the Leader, namely, the recent huge increase in ESB bills and the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (2 Feb 2022)

Paddy Burke: Oh no.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Feb 2022)

Paddy Burke: I compliment the Minister, Deputy Ryan, and the Government on the recent announcement of the new package in regard to heat insulation and retrofitting of houses. I would like the Acting Leader to invite the Minister to this House as a matter of urgency to discuss that package. Many people will not be able to avail of the deep retrofit, but I know many of them could carry it out over a...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Feb 2022)

Paddy Burke: I ask the Deputy Leader to arrange a debate in the House on the Future of Media Commission report. I understand that this report has been with the Government since last October. It has not surfaced around Leinster House. It has not gone to the joint Oireachtas committee responsible for discussing the report. I ask the Deputy Leader to find out where the report is at this point in time,...

Seanad: Report of Joint Committee on Agriculture and the Marine: Motion (16 Feb 2022)

Paddy Burke: I thank Senator Kyne for sharing his time with me on this very important topic. I welcome Deputy Cahill, the Chairman of the joint committee, to the House. While he seems very comfortable in his seat, I do not think he has any great ambition to come to this House other than in his capacity as Chairman of the joint committee. I also welcome Senator Hackett in her capacity as Minister of...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (16 Feb 2022)

Paddy Burke: I welcome the opportunity to say a few words on this section. I also welcome the Minister of State to the House. I would like to say that whatever the Minister of State does here, she will be setting a precedent for whatever may come in the future. Therefore, she has to tread very carefully. She should listen very carefully to the very serious questions and issues that have been raised by...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Feb 2022)

Paddy Burke: I wish to be associated with expressions of sympathy both to the wife of former Cathaoirleach of the Seanad, Brian Mullooly, and Senator Buttimer on the recent death of his dad. I join with Senators McDowell and Martin in calling for a debate on construction and how the green economy and the grants announced by the Minister, Deputy Ryan, last week will fall in together and what should get...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Feb 2022)

Paddy Burke: It is important that we have an early debate on tourism. Two years ago the name for tourism was "staycation". It worked very well for the country. Such a debate should be a priority because so many areas in the sector are under severe pressure. The hospitality sector is under pressure in terms of staff and in many cases it is looking for permits. That is something that crosses over to...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Feb 2022)

Paddy Burke: I agree with the sentiments expressed by my colleagues on Ukraine and that we would stand in solidarity with it. It is unbelievable to think that after what has happened over the past 100 years, this is happening now at this stage, and in a world that is much smaller, from a communications point of view, and much better educated. It is unbelievable to think that people are leaving and...

Seanad: Redundancy Payments (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second Stage (8 Mar 2022)

Paddy Burke: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I welcome the opportunity to speak on this very important legislation. It is a very short Bill and I am delighted that the Minister has brought it forward. It gives certainty to people who were laid off or are going to be laid off up to 2025 in some cases. It provides for their statutory redundancy. In the overall context, in my view it still...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Mar 2022)

Paddy Burke: I thank Senator McGahon and Senator Horkan for their worthwhile and heartfelt contributions. I send my condolences regarding their colleague from the Scottish Parliament. I also support Senator Dooley on the vote of sympathy for former Senator, Mr. Paul Kavanagh. In view of the decision made by An Bord Pleanála to dismantle the Derrybrien wind farm in Galway, who will pay the fines,...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Mar 2022)

Paddy Burke: We have spent a good while on section 7, the reason being that it is the kernel of this legislation. This is the second House of our Parliament. It is really a blocking House and that is what the House has done. It has held up this legislation and, in my view, it was right to do so. I have not met any of these farmers. I do not know them but everybody knows when they feel something is...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Mar 2022)

Paddy Burke: Regarding the independent assessor, the Minister of State might briefly outline whether the role is specified in the Bill, whether work has been done already and whether the powers of the assessor to assess the details of the final outcome will be set out via ministerial regulations. In terms of a period of three, five or ten years, the Minister of State said there had never been a ten-year...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Mar 2022)

Paddy Burke: In respect of the compensation period, the Minister of State made an equation with businesses that are taken over or that are for sale and said three to five years is the norm. In the majority of those cases, a company that knows it is going to be sold or taken over in the next two or three years takes measures to increase its sales or do something to make itself more profitable. However,...