Results 1,301-1,320 of 2,017 for speaker:Paul Bradford

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Second Stage (3 May 2012)

Paul Bradford: I welcome the Minister and his officials. Once again we are having a very interesting debate on agri- and food related matters. The priority of the Minister's Department is to develop, enhance and expand our food industry and the jobs that flow from it. The whole question of animal husbandry and the care of animals physically and psychologically are very much part of that project. The...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 May 2012)

Paul Bradford: I am not an expert on the subject of groupthink. We certainly had groupthink in this country for a decade on the question of property prices and the development of an economy based on a property boom. We must acknowledge our current economic difficulty was caused by the property splurge. I raised this the House a couple of weeks of ago that once again we seem to be wishing a new property...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 May 2012)

Paul Bradford: Senator Cullinane raised the interesting and admittedly important topic of workers' rights. It would be very useful to have a broad spectrum debate on that subject, if the Leader can arrange it. We can never get away from the fact that the most important right for every worker is the right to have a job. Our entire political and economic debate must be about getting people back to work and...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 May 2012)

Paul Bradford: That issues needs to be reflected upon. The fact that many of the people begging on our streets receive social welfare benefits needs to be examined. The fact that people are drinking and are drunk on the streets needs to be examined. The answers to Senator Sheahan's worries are difficult, and perhaps not politically popular. However, the problem can be solved if we are willing to solve...

Seanad: EU Presidency: Statements, Questions and Answers (Resumed) (10 May 2012)

Paul Bradford: I, obviously, welcome the Minister of State. My question relates to the physical arrangements for the summits and other meetings. She indicated in her contribution that perhaps because of our economic difficulty the majority of meetings will be held in our capital. I appreciate that the holding of the Presidency must be economically efficient but it must also be effective. To be so, one...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Withholding of Information on Offences Against Children and Vulnerable Persons) Bill 2012: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 May 2012)

Paul Bradford: I welcome the legislation and thank the Minister for his balanced and nuanced presentation. Senator Denis O'Donovan has noted how surprising it is that in 2012 we still have to deal with such tragic circumstances. It is a sad reflection on Irish society that a significant minority of adults and, even more tragically, a significant minority of children have suffered or continue to suffer...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Withholding of Information on Offences Against Children and Vulnerable Persons) Bill 2012: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 May 2012)

Paul Bradford: I call Senator David Norris who has ten minutes of unshared time.

Seanad: Order of Business (15 May 2012)

Paul Bradford: The current situation in Europe is of concern to us all. Greece is the most visible example of a near collapse of politics and economics, but across the entire European Continent millions of citizens are worried about their futures. We must both empathise and sympathise with all of those people. From our perspective we must ask about our rate of reform and what the Government is doing to...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 May 2012)

Paul Bradford: People need to see that politics works, that change matters and that reform is actually happening. The Minister, whose job description includes the word "reform", should come to the House to give us a branch-by-branch account as to what is happening and how the reform agenda is progressing.

Seanad: Statute Law Revision Bill 2012: Second Stage (16 May 2012)

Paul Bradford: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. He was a Member of the Seanad during the debate on the 2007 Act.

Seanad: Statute Law Revision Bill 2012: Second Stage (16 May 2012)

Paul Bradford: There is life after the Seanad.

Seanad: Statute Law Revision Bill 2012: Second Stage (16 May 2012)

Paul Bradford: If I checked the Official Report, I am sure I would find my contribution to this process in 2007 and 2009. I will probably make the same meandering contribution now. It is an interesting item of legislation and, as the previous speaker said, a major amount of physical work goes into the compilation of the constituent elements of the Bill. There is a lesson here for parliamentary democracy,...

Seanad: British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly: Statements (17 May 2012)

Paul Bradford: I too welcome the opportunity to say a few words on the 44th meeting of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly. I am well acquainted with this group and had the privilege from 1995-1997 of being the Irish co-chairman of what was then known as the British-Irish Interparliamentary Body. My colleague on the British side at the time was the then Conservative MP, Peter Temple Morris. Now,...

Seanad: Treaty on Stability, Cooperation and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union: Statements (17 May 2012)

Paul Bradford: I join with the previous and other speakers in suggesting that Ireland's best interest will be served by a "Yes" vote on referendum day. We have discussed many of the issues pertinent to the debate during our discussion of the Referendum on the Thirtieth Amendment of the Constitution Bill. On that occasion, we expressed the hope that sufficient information would be made available to every...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (22 May 2012)

Paul Bradford: This is a matter that concerns Senator O'Neill and which he has partially addressed. The Minister indicated there could be a response down the line. Will the Minister clarify section 8(4), which relates to where a person having possession or control of a farm animal fails to comply with subsection (1) and that person is not the owner of the farm animal, then the owner shall also have...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (22 May 2012)

Paul Bradford: I appreciate the Minister's consideration of the issue. The section should read, "the owner shall have reason to believe all necessary measures are taken". That would provide for a reasonable balance. Under the current wording, the owner would almost have to have an audit undertaken of the place where his or her animal is kept. It would be better if the obligation on the owner was to have...

Seanad: Passenger Name Records: Motion (23 May 2012)

Paul Bradford: I welcome the Minister to the House and I welcome the introduction of this necessary legislation. If we lived in a perfect world, the Minister would not be here to make the announcement he has just made. If we lived in a perfect world, international disputes would be resolved by ballot rather than bullet. Democracy rather than dictatorship would reign throughout the world and we would not...

Seanad: Tribunal of Inquiry: Motion (23 May 2012)

Paul Bradford: I welcome the Minister. I do not wish to engage in a lengthy debate about the tribunals but it is fair to concede that many people, both in the House and outside, have expressed concerns about the duration and cost of some of them over the past decade. The Smithwick tribunal, dealing as it does with the peace process and North-South and east-west relations, must be considered differently....

Seanad: Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2012: Second Stage (6 Jun 2012)

Paul Bradford: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and have listened with interest to the contributions of my colleagues and in particular to those of the previous speaker, Senator Cullinane. As the Minister of State is aware, this is an interesting and expansive topic that certainly requires more then a limited five-minute slot in which to make a decent contribution. While this is a matter for...

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Jun 2012)

Paul Bradford: I thank Senator Mullen for teeing up my views on this matter. I agree with his request for a debate on the constitutional convention. While I am sure my views as to where it should go and what issues should be prioritised would differ from those of Senator Norris, it is urgent that we have a debate not only on the make up of the convention, but also on its purpose. I will repeat what I...