Results 21-40 of 12,658 for and speaker:Paddy Burke

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Feb 2024)

Paddy Burke: ...friendly, the Department of Finance's arrangements for benefit-in-kind, particularly for company cars, are ridiculous. I have been contacted about this issue by a number of business owners and employees who drive company cars. In the case of hybrid cars, people can get the VAT back on diesel but not on petrol. This means companies will purchase diesel cars in order to reclaim the VAT....

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (30 Jan 2024)

Paddy Burke: I rise to support the motion for John Connor. I was saddened when I heard the news that John Connor had been involved in an accident and sadly passed away. I served in this Chamber with John Connor from 1997, I think, to 2002. As previous Senators said, he was one of the finest orators who graced these Chambers. He had a way with the English language and he had a great ability to put his...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Jan 2024)

Paddy Burke: There is no need to highlight that, a Chathaoirleach. I congratulate Senators Carrigy, Ardagh and Wall and the Cathaoirleach with regard to the great work done on the committee in raising awareness of autistic people and the work they did to make this an autism-friendly Parliament. I raise the issue of the severe storms in recent days that have resulted in a lot of damage to property and...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Jan 2024)

Paddy Burke: ...absent as she is in Brussels. I was shocked when I heard that Senator Norris was resigning because since I came into this House many moons ago, he was always here. He was always a friend and somebody that you could get advice from. The Senator was captured completely in the words of the Cathaoirleach when he referred to the letter from the President and Taoiseach. In my view, that...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (13 Dec 2023)

Paddy Burke: The Comptroller and Auditor General makes observations annually on State bodies for one reason or another. Recently, we saw that he made some observations concerning Inland Fisheries Ireland, IFI. The issue in respect of IFI has been raised by several Senators in this House, including by me, Senator Kyne and others, over the last 12 months. When the Comptroller and Auditor General raises...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Dec 2023)

Paddy Burke: ...wind industry, particularly small, domestic wind turbines. We have seen huge growth in the area of solar panels for rooftops for houses. We could have small, domestic wind turbines in use by thousands of households, farms and small businesses. So many people would take them up. I wonder in some cases if the solar panels are suitable for the Irish climate. For five to six months of the...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2023)

Paddy Burke: I thank the Acting Chairman. I have to agree with Senator Craughwell. I have raised class K on numerous occasions also. It affects every Member of this House and others. After the last election, the majority of people who lost their seats or retired were not even able to collect the jobseeker's benefit after doing so. This is a considerable indictment of the political system. Some of...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2023)

Paddy Burke: ...is where a person who is between jobs is called for jury service. I hope the Minister will be able to address the matter in the Bill. The case I raise involves a girl who was changing jobs and found there was no onus on her previous employer to pay. She did jury duty for a week, during which there was no obligation on her previous or new employer to pay, meaning she fell through the...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2023)

Paddy Burke: How will this work on the ground? I will outline a couple of scenarios. The first relates to people who may wish to retire at the age of 66 and draw a pension and maybe work two or three days a week. Will such people pay PRSI on their earnings afterwards? Is there no PRSI on it? Can they opt to pay PRSI on earnings and then get a higher pension when they stop work completely? On the...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2023)

Paddy Burke: I wish to raise an issue with the Minster. It is not entirely in her Department but the job seeker part of it is and is under this schedule. The Minister for public expenditure comes into it as well, but it relates to members of An Garda Síochána who joined the force after 1995. They do not retire on the same pension as gardaí who joined prior to 1995. They can make up the...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2023)

Paddy Burke: This is very generous legislation which makes very generous contributions to people. I congratulate the Minister on it and wish her will with it.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (7 Dec 2023)

Paddy Burke: The Road Safety Authority is responsible for compiling official statistics on road traffic accidents. It receives collision data from An Garda Síochána and produces official statistics to help to develop evidence-based road safety interventions. The statistics it produces in respect of accidents detail the time the accident occurred, the day of the week on which it occurred, the...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Second Stage (7 Dec 2023)

Paddy Burke: ...would like to pick up on the Minister of State's last point. Regardless of the age at which a person draws down his or her pension - it may be 66 or 70 - if a person has ten years of contributions and draws the minimum at pension age, is his or her ten years calculated when he or she is 70 years of age? Is that pension based on the age of 66 years or is it based on the age of 70 years at...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Water and Energy Connections in Rural Areas: Discussion (6 Dec 2023)

Paddy Burke: This is a very helpful debate and has been so for the past two and a half hours. Heretofore, years ago, if there was a need for an extension to a wastewater treatment plant or water services, the local authority put forward a plan and the Department funded it, if it saw fit to do so. The Minister probably signed off on that. How is it possible to now get an extension to the wastewater...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Water and Energy Connections in Rural Areas: Discussion (6 Dec 2023)

Paddy Burke: I am still mystified, I think. Does the local authority have any say in this? Does the local authority put a plan or proposal to Uisce Éireann? If a developer wants to develop an area and the water and wastewater services needed are not available, does he go to Uisce Éireann or does he go through the local authority? How does the whole process work?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Water and Energy Connections in Rural Areas: Discussion (6 Dec 2023)

Paddy Burke: ...provision, who would put forward a proposal in that regard? Would it be the local authorities? How does Uisce Éireann receive the inquiry? Who then decides if the work should go ahead and who should bear the cost of it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Water and Energy Connections in Rural Areas: Discussion (6 Dec 2023)

Paddy Burke: To Mr. Joyce, I pose a question concerning the likes of the situation in Murrisk and Louisburgh. When the extension to Murrisk is done, Louisburgh comes in after that. Is that what is being said? It is in the pipeline now. Is it the Government that funds that, is it the local authority, or how is it funded?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Water and Energy Connections in Rural Areas: Discussion (6 Dec 2023)

Paddy Burke: The other part of that issue is domestic wind turbines. There are very few in Ireland. It should be an area of growth, but it does not seem to be. I wonder why no one has taken the bull by the horns and said we have an abundance of wind and we do not have any small domestic wind turbines.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 Nov 2023)

Paddy Burke: ...this Chamber will see the likes of him again. He is unbelievable. I compliment the Government on bringing forward an increased cost of business grant. I hope it will be brought in efficiently and will go directly to businesspeople. Many small businesses are in a lot of difficulty and going through a very difficult period. Significant extra costs have been imposed on small businesses...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Oct 2023)

Paddy Burke: I support what Senators Lombard and Kyne said about sending of animals to slaughter that are in calf. I strongly support the strong sentiments expressed by both Senators. I would like to raise an issue that concerns fishing. We have received a communication from the public on the fishing industry over the past number of days and, in particular, the overfishing by huge trawlers from Belgium...