Results 701-720 of 2,017 for speaker:Paul Bradford

Seanad: Passenger Name Records: Motion (23 May 2012)

Paul Bradford: I welcome the Minister to the House and I welcome the introduction of this necessary legislation. If we lived in a perfect world, the Minister would not be here to make the announcement he has just made. If we lived in a perfect world, international disputes would be resolved by ballot rather than bullet. Democracy rather than dictatorship would reign throughout the world and we would not...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (22 May 2012)

Paul Bradford: This is a matter that concerns Senator O'Neill and which he has partially addressed. The Minister indicated there could be a response down the line. Will the Minister clarify section 8(4), which relates to where a person having possession or control of a farm animal fails to comply with subsection (1) and that person is not the owner of the farm animal, then the owner shall also have...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (22 May 2012)

Paul Bradford: I appreciate the Minister's consideration of the issue. The section should read, "the owner shall have reason to believe all necessary measures are taken". That would provide for a reasonable balance. Under the current wording, the owner would almost have to have an audit undertaken of the place where his or her animal is kept. It would be better if the obligation on the owner was to have...

Seanad: Treaty on Stability, Cooperation and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union: Statements (17 May 2012)

Paul Bradford: I join with the previous and other speakers in suggesting that Ireland's best interest will be served by a "Yes" vote on referendum day. We have discussed many of the issues pertinent to the debate during our discussion of the Referendum on the Thirtieth Amendment of the Constitution Bill. On that occasion, we expressed the hope that sufficient information would be made available to every...

Seanad: British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly: Statements (17 May 2012)

Paul Bradford: I too welcome the opportunity to say a few words on the 44th meeting of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly. I am well acquainted with this group and had the privilege from 1995-1997 of being the Irish co-chairman of what was then known as the British-Irish Interparliamentary Body. My colleague on the British side at the time was the then Conservative MP, Peter Temple Morris. Now,...

Seanad: Statute Law Revision Bill 2012: Second Stage (16 May 2012)

Paul Bradford: If I checked the Official Report, I am sure I would find my contribution to this process in 2007 and 2009. I will probably make the same meandering contribution now. It is an interesting item of legislation and, as the previous speaker said, a major amount of physical work goes into the compilation of the constituent elements of the Bill. There is a lesson here for parliamentary democracy,...

Seanad: Statute Law Revision Bill 2012: Second Stage (16 May 2012)

Paul Bradford: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. He was a Member of the Seanad during the debate on the 2007 Act.

Seanad: Statute Law Revision Bill 2012: Second Stage (16 May 2012)

Paul Bradford: There is life after the Seanad.

Seanad: Order of Business (15 May 2012)

Paul Bradford: The current situation in Europe is of concern to us all. Greece is the most visible example of a near collapse of politics and economics, but across the entire European Continent millions of citizens are worried about their futures. We must both empathise and sympathise with all of those people. From our perspective we must ask about our rate of reform and what the Government is doing to...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 May 2012)

Paul Bradford: People need to see that politics works, that change matters and that reform is actually happening. The Minister, whose job description includes the word "reform", should come to the House to give us a branch-by-branch account as to what is happening and how the reform agenda is progressing.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 May 2012)

Paul Bradford: Senator Cullinane raised the interesting and admittedly important topic of workers' rights. It would be very useful to have a broad spectrum debate on that subject, if the Leader can arrange it. We can never get away from the fact that the most important right for every worker is the right to have a job. Our entire political and economic debate must be about getting people back to work and...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 May 2012)

Paul Bradford: That issues needs to be reflected upon. The fact that many of the people begging on our streets receive social welfare benefits needs to be examined. The fact that people are drinking and are drunk on the streets needs to be examined. The answers to Senator Sheahan's worries are difficult, and perhaps not politically popular. However, the problem can be solved if we are willing to solve...

Seanad: EU Presidency: Statements, Questions and Answers (Resumed) (10 May 2012)

Paul Bradford: I, obviously, welcome the Minister of State. My question relates to the physical arrangements for the summits and other meetings. She indicated in her contribution that perhaps because of our economic difficulty the majority of meetings will be held in our capital. I appreciate that the holding of the Presidency must be economically efficient but it must also be effective. To be so, one...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Withholding of Information on Offences Against Children and Vulnerable Persons) Bill 2012: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 May 2012)

Paul Bradford: I welcome the legislation and thank the Minister for his balanced and nuanced presentation. Senator Denis O'Donovan has noted how surprising it is that in 2012 we still have to deal with such tragic circumstances. It is a sad reflection on Irish society that a significant minority of adults and, even more tragically, a significant minority of children have suffered or continue to suffer...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Withholding of Information on Offences Against Children and Vulnerable Persons) Bill 2012: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 May 2012)

Paul Bradford: I call Senator David Norris who has ten minutes of unshared time.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 May 2012)

Paul Bradford: I am not an expert on the subject of groupthink. We certainly had groupthink in this country for a decade on the question of property prices and the development of an economy based on a property boom. We must acknowledge our current economic difficulty was caused by the property splurge. I raised this the House a couple of weeks of ago that once again we seem to be wishing a new property...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Second Stage (3 May 2012)

Paul Bradford: I welcome the Minister and his officials. Once again we are having a very interesting debate on agri- and food related matters. The priority of the Minister's Department is to develop, enhance and expand our food industry and the jobs that flow from it. The whole question of animal husbandry and the care of animals physically and psychologically are very much part of that project. The...

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) Bill 2012: Second Stage (2 May 2012)

Paul Bradford: I wish to share my limited time slot with Senator Jim D'Arcy.

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) Bill 2012: Second Stage (2 May 2012)

Paul Bradford: I thank Senator Power for tabling the Bill before us this afternoon. Certainly it raises a challenge for all of us. I did not come here with a prepared script or defined views but I listened with interest to the speakers. Senator Power's challenge to us is high and demanding and the bar has been raised by the very interesting questions and concerns raised by Senator Zappone. The initial...

Seanad: Report of Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector: Statements, Questions and Answers (1 May 2012)

Paul Bradford: Senator Mullen, the Minister, without interruption.