Results 4,381-4,400 of 4,773 for speaker:Paudie Coffey

Seanad: National Insulation Programme: Motion (18 Feb 2009)

Paudie Coffey: Senator O'Malley is covering up for 20 years of mistakes.

Seanad: National Insulation Programme: Motion (18 Feb 2009)

Paudie Coffey: A certificate is required before one gets the grant.

Seanad: National Insulation Programme: Motion (18 Feb 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I second the amendment and I reserve the right to speak later.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (18 Feb 2009)

Paudie Coffey: One knows how many one has.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (18 Feb 2009)

Paudie Coffey: On a point of order, we held a useful debate on this Bill, but the way in which it was guillotined through the House is an affront to democracy. This is a parliamentary democracy and Senators were on their feet when this Bill was guillotined from Committee Stage to its finish. It is a shame that the Government is practising democracy in this way. This is about the fundamentals of democracy...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (18 Feb 2009)

Paudie Coffey: The Senator's party is nearly on top now.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (18 Feb 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I add to what Senator Ellis said and speak to the Bill in general. I do not doubt the independence of the commission as it is recommended in the Bill. My party takes the view that each individual on the commission is totally independent and is entitled to be on the commission. A section of the Bill refers to the Central Statistics Office, CSO, and the staff who will assist the commission...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (18 Feb 2009)

Paudie Coffey: Section 15 is very topical with the local elections coming up in June. There are regulations set down here which we will not oppose. They are recommended and Fine Gael will support them. If an individual wants to offer his or her candidature for local elections, it should be encouraged by all political parties. The elected representative reflects society and the public which he or she...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (18 Feb 2009)

Paudie Coffey: Section 5 states: A constituency specified in the Schedule shall return the number of members set out in respect thereof in the third column of that Schedule. There has been much debate about constituency boundaries but we are familiar with the buzz words 'balanced regional development' in the national spatial strategy and other reports planning Ireland's progress. The emphasis in other EU...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (18 Feb 2009)

Paudie Coffey: It is important to debate all these issues, because we are certainly getting views from different representatives. I do not agree with everything Senator Hannigan has said, and I suspect he represents essentially a largely urban area. It is quite logical to understand that in places like Dublin and large urban centres, there are huge population densities, which is stated in the commission's...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (18 Feb 2009)

Paudie Coffey: He sounds like one.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (18 Feb 2009)

Paudie Coffey: As I said on Second Stage, I sympathise with Senator Ellis and the people of Leitrim. In the Irish psyche there is a huge affinity with county boundaries. People in a county who do not have a public representative from within the county to represent them at a forum consider themselves at a disadvantage and disenfranchised. If any other county did not have a public representative in the...

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (resumed) (11 Feb 2009)

Paudie Coffey: Like the Dublin Docklands Development Authority.

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Feb 2009)

Paudie Coffey: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Education Matters: Statements (10 Feb 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I welcome the Minister and the debate on his very important portfolio, education. We should never underestimate the potential of education for children and adults, and I am sure the Minister does not do so. I will not quote reports but will refer to real-life experiences I have had as a pupil and a parent. I am chairperson of a board of management of a national school and am a former...

Seanad: Education Matters: Statements (10 Feb 2009)

Paudie Coffey: That is okay but I want attention because I have the floor. The gaelscoil in Tramore is fully prefabricated. The staff are doing great work introducing the Irish language to an area in which it has never been before. The board of management, staff and parents are very frustrated because there is no progress. Even if there were accountability and transparency and the school were told where...

Seanad: Electoral Amendment Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (4 Feb 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the Second Stage debate on this Bill. The Bill applies fundamentally to our democracy and how this Parliament and the European Parliament are established. The provisions of the Bill will affect the number of representatives we elect to Dáil Éireann and to the European Parliament. It is essential that the Bill is in place and that it reflects the...

Seanad: Electoral Amendment Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (4 Feb 2009)

Paudie Coffey: Good man.

Seanad: Electoral Amendment Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (4 Feb 2009)

Paudie Coffey: The Senator is very welcome.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Feb 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I fully support Senator Prendergast's concerns about the closure of St. Brigid's ward at St. Patrick's Hospital in Waterford. This is being closed for the dubious reason that it does not reach the high standards required by HIQA. I call the HSE's bluff today. I call on HIQA to go into St. Brigid's ward in St. Patrick's Hospital and investigate all allegations made by the HSE. Let the...