Results 481-500 of 4,773 for speaker:Paudie Coffey

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Jun 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I agree with the sentiments of previous speakers on isolation and the importance of the rural bus network. Last week we heard how Bus Éireann, the national bus provider, will also cut networks in and around the country. Rural isolation will have a significant social impact, and we must remember that Ireland is predominantly rural. Much of the time politicians in Dublin forget that beyond...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Jun 2009)

Paudie Coffey: Rural isolation is one of the highest priorities in rural areas. I commend the Government on rolling out the rural bus network over recent years, but now it will undo all that work and leave in the lurch the people who have been using this service, which is unacceptable. I support the call of my colleague, Senator Healy Eames, for a debate on mortgages. Many home owners are under severe...

Seanad: Information and Communications Technologies: Motion (17 Jun 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I second the Fine Gael amendment to the motion. I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate. On many occasions since I became a Member of the House, Senators have called for debates on broadband infrastructure and information and communications technology. Next generation broadband will be essential in the economic recovery of Ireland. The amount of information being created,...

Seanad: Dairy Industry: Motion (24 Jun 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I welcome the opportunity to formally second the Fine Gael motion which is timely in the light of the crisis facing the diary sector. I welcome the Minister to listen to the debate and hear the musings and thoughts of Senators on all sides of the House in reflecting on the reality on the ground. Like us, I am sure he has met many farmers who are suffering on a daily basis in the current...

Seanad: Hospitals Building Programme (24 Jun 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I welcome this opportunity to raise this matter. It relates to the replacement of the existing St. Vincent's District Hospital on the grounds of St. Joseph's Hospital in Dungarvan, County Waterford with a new 32-bed community hospital, providing GP access beds, convalescent, respite and terminal care and short-term accommodation for dependent young chronically ill people. This new unit is...

Seanad: Hospitals Building Programme (24 Jun 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I am disappointed that a commitment has not been provided in respect of the opening of the unit. A major investment has already been made in the context of the unit's construction. This again displays the lack of joined-up thinking within the HSE. There is a lack of co-ordination within the executive in the context of budgets. The building section has already overseen the construction of...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Jun 2009)

Paudie Coffey: One of the main points of the IMF report is that unemployment will reach 15.5% by 2010. This morning, while we began speaking in the Chamber from 10.30 a.m., 178 workers in the ABB transformers plant in Waterford city were called into an emergency meeting to be told their jobs will be gone by this time next year. All Senators should reflect on this devastating news for workers and families;...

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Jul 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I do not know whether that is a tactic to deflect the deficit to this side of the House. There is a Government and it should dealing with the issue.

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Jul 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I wish to raise a very important statistic, namely, the live register figure announced by the Central Statistics Office this morning. Unemployment increased by 197,781 since June 2008, which represents an increase of 90%. Rather than having crossfire regarding €20 billion deficits and all kinds of other accusations about this side of the House, it would be more in line for Senators on the...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I welcome the Minister and his officials to the House for the debate on the Bill. The Fine Gael Party in principle supports the general tenor and thrust of the Bill, in which the Minister proposes to broaden the revenue base for local authorities. It is a widely debated issue, not only in this Chamber and the Lower House but also in many local authority chambers throughout the country....

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Paudie Coffey: We support the Government amendment on mobile homes. However, some questions and queries were raised on Second Stage regarding the definition of mobile home. I presume a mobile home is a home that is mobile and is something with wheels on it, but in many cases mobile homes are installed in a semi-permanent manner on a foundation with access to services such as electricity, sewerage and...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I move amendment No. 3: In page 4, to delete lines 20 to 24. I will try to clarify our thinking on this. We are trying to be helpful with regard to the administration of the scheme and how moneys can be collected without putting a further burden on local authorities. Some Members suggested earlier they would prefer local authorities to collect the moneys. I understand that view, but that...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I re-emphasise Fine Gael's concerns. The Minister has confirmed he cannot give an undertaking that local authorities can take on additional staff to deal with this extra workload despite the burden it will create. The Bill states that the Department estimates that in excess of €40 million can be raised through this local authority charging system. However, the Oireachtas Library and...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I fully agree with the Minister's comments on information technology, IT, systems and that we should encourage all opportunities to improve efficiency and registration. I simply pointed out that local authorities will be very dependent on agencies such as the Private Residential Tenancies Board, PRTB, for its database of registered properties which are not principal residences. Despite the...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Paudie Coffey: The Revenue has a system but the PRTB does not.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I move amendment No. 3a: In page 5, subsection (1), between lines 10 and 11, to insert the following: "(i) a building which is occupied as a dwelling by a parent or both parents of the owner, (j) a mobile home, (k) a building which is the subject of a dispute in relation to probate for a period of five years or more.". We propose this amendment to section 2 regarding the meaning of...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Paudie Coffey: Having listened to Senators from all sides of the House, it is down to interpretation. We must be clear about how the legislation should be interpreted by those in authority, be it a county manager or the final arbitrator on whether a building is liable for this charge. The Minister's assessment is too vague. I can offer another example that is widespread throughout the country. Consider...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Paudie Coffey: Semi-detached.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Paudie Coffey: The Minister has offered to clarify many of the issues raised by Senators in good faith. We will not push the amendment on Committee Stage, but we reserve the right to resubmit it on Report Stage pending further clarification. An important matter is that of the granny flat. Even the ESB has separate meters for granny flats where they are annexes that used to be part of the original...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I can revert to my next comment.