Results 341-360 of 23,109 for speaker:Paddy Burke

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 (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 (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 (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 (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: Finance Bill 2021: Second Stage (7 Dec 2021)

Paddy Burke: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. The Finance Bill comes around fairly quickly. It does not feel like it has been 12 months since the last Finance Bill. I have a few questions for the Minister of State. I missed the opportunity to ask some of them of the Tánaiste when he was in the House earlier. The Department of Finance estimates that we will have spent €48...

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 (1 Dec 2021)

Paddy Burke: Like Senator Blaney, I welcome the scheme in regard to the mica and pyrite issue and I hope it can be finalised. We are close to putting in place a good scheme. I hope that the Minister and all those involved can find a resolution that is suitable to everybody. I note that the Deputy Leader, Senator Chambers, was involved in this and that she is hopeful that we can get a final solution to...

Seanad: Human Rights in China: Motion (1 Dec 2021)

Paddy Burke: I welcome the opportunity to say a few words on this Private Members’ motion. It is almost 12 months since this House unanimously agreed a motion in regard to the unlawful detention of Richard O'Halloran, an Irish citizen in detention in China. As Senator Craughwell said, Richard O'Halloran should be at home and if diplomatic relations were working properly, he would be at home....

Seanad: Covid-19 and the New Measures (Health): Statements (1 Dec 2021)

Paddy Burke: I welcome the opportunity to say a few words on this issue. I welcome the Minister to the House and congratulate him. He has had a very difficult period over the last two years as the Minister for Health. No Minister for Health in the history of the State has suffered as much he has or encountered so many difficult situations. It is a great task to get on top of this pandemic that befell...

Seanad: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Statements (30 Nov 2021)

Paddy Burke: I welcome the Minister of State. I have two issues to raise. I think that we should regionalise our energy production. On the west coast, we had the finest wind speeds in the world, yet there is not a single pylon or wind turbine along the west coast. If we regionalised the production of wind energy along the west coast, then we could move our data centres and big energy users to the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Nov 2021)

Paddy Burke: I support the case made on behalf of secretarial assistants. If a level in the Department must be agreed with then secretarial assistants should be moved to a different level of pay within the structure of the Department because we all know that the work done by them is without question. I support the call made by Senator Buttimer yesterday for a debate on amateur boxing. The Senator...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Nov 2021)

Paddy Burke: I call for a debate at some stage in the near future with the Minister for Transport, Deputy Ryan, on roads infrastructure. I welcome the new contract awarded for the road from Frenchpark to Scramogue in the west. I hope that parts of the road will have a two and one design, where traffic can overtake safely on single lane roadways. A significant number of other single lane roads...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Nov 2021)

Paddy Burke: I second the proposed amendment, which is very important. I raise the issue of the high cost of road diesel. Tomorrow, the Irish Road Haulage Association will hold a demonstration outside Leinster House and will probably bring the city and the country to their knees. Many road hauliers' businesses are on the line. It is difficult for them to keep going in light of the high cost of road...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Agriculture Schemes (20 Oct 2021)

Paddy Burke: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I am sharing time on this with Senator Kyne, who comes from the same type of area as I do, as does the Cathaoirleach. There was a huge fire in Killarney during the summer. Fires pose great problems for many people and many farmers. A fire on commonage, in forestry or on any land can be started by fishers, campers, hillwalkers or various people...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Agriculture Schemes (20 Oct 2021)

Paddy Burke: What the Minister of State is saying is that if a fire takes place between 1 March and 31 August the farmer loses money unless the appeal is successful. Even at that, the farmer will have to go through the rigours of the appeal process. These appeals should be fast and simple. They should not be complicated. Farmers who are not responsible for the fires should be fully recompensed...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Oct 2021)

Paddy Burke: Like Senator Davitt, I wish to call for a debate in relation to climate change and climate action. There is so much work to be done over the next ten years to meet our targets that a debate in this Chamber would be most welcome. The budget for climate action is going to be €20 billion a year for the next ten years. Ten years ago, that figure of €20 billion represented half...