Results 21-40 of 23,109 for speaker:Paddy Burke

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: General Scheme of the Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner's Pension) Bill 2024: Discussion (2 Jul 2024)

Paddy Burke: Did the court establish whether it is the kids who get the money or is it the parents or the couple who get it? If the payments are made, is it because of the couple or is it because they have kids? Who is entitled to the money? Is it the kids who get the money?

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Second Stage (2 Jul 2024)

Paddy Burke: I welcome the Minister back to the House. I also welcome this very important legislation. As the Minister indicated, it will be important going forward because it is a foundation stone in the context of pay-related benefit. She said it all when she said that it will establish the principle of pay-related benefit in this country. As she also stated, this can lead developments in areas such...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Hospital Services (25 Jun 2024)

Paddy Burke: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, to the House. I raise this issue in regard to the provision of respite beds at the Sacred Heart Hospital, Castlebar. As the Minister of State will know, the Sacred Heart Hospital, Castlebar, was renovated in the past ten years. St. Joseph's ward, where the respite beds are, was renovated during the Covid-19 pandemic. There is a respite bed...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Hospital Services (25 Jun 2024)

Paddy Burke: It is all related.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Hospital Services (25 Jun 2024)

Paddy Burke: I thank the Minister of State for her response but I do not think it will go down that well with the population in Castlebar. It seems the HSE will provide a bed anywhere except in Castlebar, which is the county town and which has a huge hinterland and a big population. All the routes lead in to Castlebar. It is much easier for people to visit a relative or a loved one in Castlebar. To be...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Jun 2024)

Paddy Burke: I raise an issue that I raised before on the OPW making submissions to planning authorities on floodplains. It has made several submissions related to areas where housing has been built and where planning permission may be required or due. This has consequences for both. It has consequences for people who have houses built because they will not get insurance if the OPW has said that they...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Jun 2024)

Paddy Burke: I also wish to be associated with the vote of confidence to Deputy Michael McGrath. He will make an excellent Commissioner. I wish him the best of luck, as well as Deputy Jack Chambers, who will become Minister for Finance.

Seanad: Charities (Amendment) Bill 2023: Second Stage (25 Jun 2024)

Paddy Burke: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I presume it is safe to say this Bill was quite a number of years in gestation. I hope that when it comes to fruition, it will do exactly what he said, namely bring much confidence to the charitable organisations and the sector. People kindly give to many charities. As he said, there are 11,500 charities. This is a large number in a small...

Seanad: Charities (Amendment) Bill 2023: Second Stage (25 Jun 2024)

Paddy Burke: Next Tuesday.

Seanad: Charities (Amendment) Bill 2023: Second Stage (25 Jun 2024)

Paddy Burke: Tomorrow at 10.30 a.m.

Seanad: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jun 2024)

Paddy Burke: Senator McDowell qualified what he said. Nobody said it is wrong, but it has not been tested, which is the problem. We are looking into the future. I agree with the Minister in this case. We need to get this up and running. It has been going on for 30 years. I hope, as Senator McDowell said, that the Minister will get on with this Bill immediately. In some cases, many people may have...

Seanad: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jun 2024)

Paddy Burke: I am disappointed with the contribution from Senator Higgins because the State makes a contribution to people's pensions. At the same time, the Senator is saying that we should remove the tax relief from small business owners and small self-employed people. These individuals are probably the biggest employers in the country. They are small employers but taken together, they represent one...

Seanad: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jun 2024)

Paddy Burke: I am sure common sense will come into play when the legislation is up and running. I am certain the questions posed by Senator Higgins will be answered. Section 33 makes provision for appearances by members of the board of the authority before the Committee of Public Accounts. I am sure the CEO, chairperson and whoever else will be brought in at several stages, either at the request of the...

Seanad: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jun 2024)

Paddy Burke: Section 36 is a section that gives to the authority the power to borrow. Under what circumstances would this authority be borrowing money? I did not think it would have a requirement for borrowing given that the Bill provides for the Oireachtas to make provision for setting up the whole structure. Under what circumstances would the authority be borrowing and why do we have to give it, in...

Seanad: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jun 2024)

Paddy Burke: On section 43, is there an age where it may not be suitable for a person to join the auto-enrolment scheme? If a someone is due to retire at 66 or 70 years of age and he or she is 50 or 60 years of age is there an age where he or she should not join the auto-enrolment scheme or where it would not be advisable or worthwhile to invest in? If this is the start of the auto-enrolment scheme and...

Seanad: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jun 2024)

Paddy Burke: At what age does the scheme finish? Can a person go on until he or she is 70 years old? The Minister said people can join at the age of 66.

Seanad: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jun 2024)

Paddy Burke: A person cannot join after the age of 66 but could join the scheme any year before that so would avail of the €1 for the pension pot from the Government and the employer. A person cannot join the scheme after the age of 66 but could join at the age of 65.

Seanad: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jun 2024)

Paddy Burke: For my own information I want to inquire about casual workers in restaurant and bar businesses. With summer work for, say, students who are less than 23 years of age, where does automatic enrolment kick in? Can casual workers avail of AE? They might decide to join because they would get the top-up from the Government and the employer's contribution, and people can cash in after a year or...

Seanad: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jun 2024)

Paddy Burke: So they do not get it back.

Seanad: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jun 2024)

Paddy Burke: Section 70 prescribes the different risk levels. The Minister spoke about three risk levels. Unless I read it incorrectly, it states in one part that the Minister can set out the risk levels, or is it a board that sets out the risk levels as well? Who has the ultimate authority in deciding low-, medium- or high-risk levels? How low do you go or how high of a risk do you take? How will...