Results 4,341-4,360 of 4,773 for speaker:Paudie Coffey

Seanad: Affordable Housing: Statements (8 Apr 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I had personal experience of cases where houses were repossessed; they are what I spoke about.

Seanad: Affordable Housing: Statements (8 Apr 2009)

Paudie Coffey: The figures are way up.

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Apr 2009)

Paudie Coffey: All Members understand the dire state of the public finances and that a budget was required. However, Members expected a more fair and balanced budget. Although there was an opportunity to address seriously the huge hole that has emerged in the public finances, it has transpired that this was an opportunity lost. Heretofore, the Government had no plan but now that it has one, unfortunately...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Apr 2009)

Paudie Coffey: If one considers exactly what the budget will do to families, it will remove any discretionary spending they had and will take away any disposable income they had. The net effect will be that shops, restaurants, public houses and taxi services will close. The day-to-day businesses on which people depend to run their small business and for services will be seriously affected. I call on the...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Apr 2009)

Paudie Coffey: Young people and young families are suffering. Those on this side of the House will defend them to the best of our ability.

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Apr 2009)

Paudie Coffey: The Government is bailing out developers with apartments in Bulgaria, duplexes in Dubai and luxury apartments in New York while it expects the young people to take over that.

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Apr 2009)

Paudie Coffey: People are angry, I am angry and the Leader must listen. He is shaking his head and I do not like that. It is patronising.

Seanad: Tourism Industry: Statements (25 Mar 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I welcome the Minister back to the House to hear this debate. I listened closely to the contributions of the Minister and Senators. I agree with most speakers that tourism is one area that has huge potential, even in the difficult economic climate. Tourism is one area that can be recession-proof if, as previous speakers stated, people contribute in a positive way. However, they will need...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Mar 2009)

Paudie Coffey: On a point of clarification and before we finalise this part of the legislation, when I asked the Minister of State a question on Committee Stage regarding the 10% incurred by the party, he said it was a percentage of the combined total. Is that 10% of the total of the town council and the county council or all of the county council and one quarter of the town council? The Bill states:...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Mar 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I thank the Minister of State for that clarification but it is a pity that it is not clearer in legislation. If it is 10% of the limit, why not state that in the legislation? I would have thought that would be a fairly simple thing to do and it would remove much of the lack of clarity about which we are talking. I thank the Minister of State for his clarification on it. I am aware the...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Mar 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I acknowledge the fact that Fine Gael supports the Bill. We thank the Minister of State for bringing it before the House and the officials who assisted in drafting it. It is welcome that we now have election spending limits on local election candidates. As I said on Second Stage and on a number of occasions, I admire any candidate who puts their name forward for election, whether it be a...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Mar 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I welcome the fact the social partners will re-enter talks with Government and that the Government has left the door open for this. It would be a huge blow to the economy if the general strike went ahead next Monday but, hopefully, that will be diverted. There are many opposing forces in the country, whether in the social partnership or political system or among the general public, as a...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Mar 2009)

Paudie Coffey: Notwithstanding that we are taking all remaining Stages of the Bill today, will the Minister of State consider asking his officials to draft an amendment to try to streamline the Bill and make it more user-friendly? This is the reason I make the request and to remove any ambiguity. There is a reference in section 4 to a date not less than 50 days and not more than 60 days. Will the...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Mar 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I move amendment No. 1: In page 5, line 4, to delete "shall incur" and substitute "may apply to their election expenses". The amendment has been tabled to remove any ambiguity with regard to the wording of the section, which states that where a political party authenticates the candidature of a candidate at a local election, the party shall incur ten per cent of the amount of the election...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Mar 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I thank the Minister of State for his response. While I understand his position, clarity is required on this issue. For example, in the event of a candidate standing for election to both a town and a county council, how will the 10% figure be calculated? Will the candidate allocate to the national agent 10% of the total expenditure limit or 10% of the larger of the two limits?

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Mar 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I move amendment No. 2: In page 8, line 3, to delete "7" and substitute "10". The purpose of the amendment is to extend from seven to ten days the period within which candidates must remove election posters to avoid prosecution under the Litter Pollution Act. Polling usually takes place on a Friday or at the weekend and is immediately followed by the count. Many staff and supporters of...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2009 [Dáil]: Second Stage (24 Mar 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I welcome the Minister of State and thank him for a comprehensive outline of the provisions of the Bill. It was almost longer than the Bill itself but it spells out clearly the intention of the Bill. Fine Gael supports the general thrust to introduce spending limits for candidates in local elections. The Bill comes late to the House, however, because it has not yet passed into law and we...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2009 [Dáil]: Second Stage (24 Mar 2009)

Paudie Coffey: They were all my own posters, not to mind my party's. The Bill could have missed an opportunity to standardise poster sizes. The standard posters are 8 ft. by 4 ft., or 4 ft. by 2 ft., but the legislation could have been used to stop much of the unusual material one sees during election campaigns. It may have complicated the Bill but I feel we may have missed an opportunity to standardise...

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (11 Mar 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I ask permission to share time with Senator Norris.

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (11 Mar 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I welcome the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy John Gormley, to the House to listen to a very important debate. I commend the Independent Senators on what I and Fine Gael believe is a very reasonable motion asking for urgent reform of the Seanad. We must all act as soon as possible on this. Even today media mandarins and commentators were on national radio...