Results 421-440 of 4,773 for speaker:Paudie Coffey

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Mar 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I thank the Minister of State for his response. While I understand his position, clarity is required on this issue. For example, in the event of a candidate standing for election to both a town and a county council, how will the 10% figure be calculated? Will the candidate allocate to the national agent 10% of the total expenditure limit or 10% of the larger of the two limits?

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Mar 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I move amendment No. 2: In page 8, line 3, to delete "7" and substitute "10". The purpose of the amendment is to extend from seven to ten days the period within which candidates must remove election posters to avoid prosecution under the Litter Pollution Act. Polling usually takes place on a Friday or at the weekend and is immediately followed by the count. Many staff and supporters of...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Mar 2009)

Paudie Coffey: On a point of clarification and before we finalise this part of the legislation, when I asked the Minister of State a question on Committee Stage regarding the 10% incurred by the party, he said it was a percentage of the combined total. Is that 10% of the total of the town council and the county council or all of the county council and one quarter of the town council? The Bill states:...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Mar 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I thank the Minister of State for that clarification but it is a pity that it is not clearer in legislation. If it is 10% of the limit, why not state that in the legislation? I would have thought that would be a fairly simple thing to do and it would remove much of the lack of clarity about which we are talking. I thank the Minister of State for his clarification on it. I am aware the...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Mar 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I acknowledge the fact that Fine Gael supports the Bill. We thank the Minister of State for bringing it before the House and the officials who assisted in drafting it. It is welcome that we now have election spending limits on local election candidates. As I said on Second Stage and on a number of occasions, I admire any candidate who puts their name forward for election, whether it be a...

Seanad: Tourism Industry: Statements (25 Mar 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I welcome the Minister back to the House to hear this debate. I listened closely to the contributions of the Minister and Senators. I agree with most speakers that tourism is one area that has huge potential, even in the difficult economic climate. Tourism is one area that can be recession-proof if, as previous speakers stated, people contribute in a positive way. However, they will need...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Apr 2009)

Paudie Coffey: All Members understand the dire state of the public finances and that a budget was required. However, Members expected a more fair and balanced budget. Although there was an opportunity to address seriously the huge hole that has emerged in the public finances, it has transpired that this was an opportunity lost. Heretofore, the Government had no plan but now that it has one, unfortunately...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Apr 2009)

Paudie Coffey: If one considers exactly what the budget will do to families, it will remove any discretionary spending they had and will take away any disposable income they had. The net effect will be that shops, restaurants, public houses and taxi services will close. The day-to-day businesses on which people depend to run their small business and for services will be seriously affected. I call on the...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Apr 2009)

Paudie Coffey: Young people and young families are suffering. Those on this side of the House will defend them to the best of our ability.

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Apr 2009)

Paudie Coffey: The Government is bailing out developers with apartments in Bulgaria, duplexes in Dubai and luxury apartments in New York while it expects the young people to take over that.

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Apr 2009)

Paudie Coffey: People are angry, I am angry and the Leader must listen. He is shaking his head and I do not like that. It is patronising.

Seanad: Affordable Housing: Statements (8 Apr 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I welcome the Minister of State to the House to debate this very important issue. It not only concerns affordable housing but also housing in general. When concluding, the Minister of State claimed we are now in radically different circumstances than those we were 18 months ago or even 12 months ago. I certainly concur with this but remind him that his predecessor, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, was...

Seanad: Affordable Housing: Statements (8 Apr 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I had personal experience of cases where houses were repossessed; they are what I spoke about.

Seanad: Affordable Housing: Statements (8 Apr 2009)

Paudie Coffey: The figures are way up.

Seanad: Affordable Housing: Statements (8 Apr 2009)

Paudie Coffey: The Government Senators would not listen, they did not want to listen.

Seanad: Order of Business. (28 Apr 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I agree with the calls from my colleagues for a debate on health care. Fine Gael has proposed an alternative policy which deserves debate in this House and I ask the Leader to facilitate this at an early stage. The Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, came to the House some time ago to discuss the cancer strategy. She proposed at that time that we would have centres of...

Seanad: Order of Business. (28 Apr 2009)

Paudie Coffey: We do not have it in Donegal.

Seanad: Order of Business. (28 Apr 2009)

Paudie Coffey: We did not have it in Waterford until a few months ago.

Seanad: Order of Business. (28 Apr 2009)

Paudie Coffey: It is not nationwide, as was promised.

Seanad: Order of Business. (28 Apr 2009)

Paudie Coffey: Who has been in power for most of the past 20 years? The answer is Fianna Fáil.