Results 781-800 of 2,017 for speaker:Paul Bradford

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2012)

Paul Bradford: Certainly not.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2012)

Paul Bradford: I am sure the Minister wishes to reply to some of the comments made. While my presentation might have been simplistic, he might wish to express his views on the constitutionality or otherwise of the legislation.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2012)

Paul Bradford: Has the matter been discussed and debated?

Seanad: Child Abuse: Motion (29 Feb 2012)

Paul Bradford: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Seanad Éireann" and substitute the following: " notes the adoption by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, on 13 December 2011, of the Directive on combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child pornography, and replacing Council Framework Decision 2004/68/JHA; welcomes the new Directive,...

Seanad: Child Abuse: Motion (29 Feb 2012)

Paul Bradford: Tomorrow morning at 10.30.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Feb 2012)

Paul Bradford: I join with my colleagues in welcoming the decision by the Government to hold a referendum on the EU fiscal treaty. This is a decision by the Government to allow the democratic process to take place fully and to allow the people to vote on our future relationship with the European Union. Since 1973, as a result of our involvement with the European Union, our country has been transformed....

Seanad: Standing Order 18: Motion (23 Feb 2012)

Paul Bradford: I suspect Senator Coghlan's prediction of the result of such a vote is correct. We had a mature discussion. Senator Mullen proposed a compromise and it was accepted by all. It strikes a balance. Let us call a spade a spade and say it is only a small minority that has had difficulty with the formal recognition of religion. As the most recent census clearly shows, the vast majority of...

Seanad: Standing Order 18: Motion (23 Feb 2012)

Paul Bradford: When I was a child, I remember 30 seconds of silence was brought to us on television by Guinness. We are now introducing 30 seconds of silence to the mornings' proceedings. Senator Bacik outlined the background to the proposal before us, which involves a compromise. The Senator proposed to the CPP that the prayer be removed or abolished. Had the proposal come to a vote, it would have been...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Feb 2012)

Paul Bradford: I will comment briefly on a subject that has been raised by a number of colleagues, namely, the sale of State assets. The rewriting of history, which is called revisionism, generally sees a few decades pass before people reflect and perform significant U-turns in print or spoken word. This morning, I listened to the Dáil Leader of the Opposition, Deputy Martin. It was the quickest piece...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Feb 2012)

Paul Bradford: It was a pathetic attempt by a party leader to pretend that the past had not happened. He pretended that the former Government, of which he was a member for many years, did not commission the McCarthy report on the possible sale of State assets. He attempted to rewrite the fact that Fianna Fáil in government sold Telecom Éireann, TSB and three quarters of Aer Lingus, raided the Central...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Feb 2012)

Paul Bradford: -----and would have sold its members' mothers to keep itself in political power for another day. Let us be realistic in the debate on State assets. The Government announced a proposal yesterday. Let us have a reasonable and mature debate on it. State assets are owned by the people, but they are not State antiques and do not need to remain in situ forever. They must be put to their best...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Feb 2012)

Paul Bradford: He is.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment)(Political Funding) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Feb 2012)

Paul Bradford: I welcome the Minister to the House. The debate has moved onto whether the quota should be 40% or 30%. Thank God we are back to item No. 1 on the Irish political agenda; namely, the split. The former Fine Gael leader and Taoiseach, Dr. Garret FitzGerald, once suggested that a piece of political research might work in practice, but questioned whether it would work in theory. We are...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment)(Political Funding) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Feb 2012)

Paul Bradford: It should include a review of the operation of the Dáil, the Seanad and local government. All of that will have to feed into the development of perfect politics. We are addressing a small portion of it. This debate has been concluded in the sense that this legislation will be voted through and the 30% candidate quota will come into effect. I understand that amendments proposing that the...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment)(Political Funding) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Feb 2012)

Paul Bradford: -----survived as long as we have with the sort of political system we have. If one wants to be a success as a national politician and to remain a national politician, one has to practise as a local politician. If a business was run in the way we try to run the political system in this country, it would not survive for very long. We do not have good politics. We do not have thinking...

Seanad: Veterinary Practice (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (21 Feb 2012)

Paul Bradford: I am glad to have an opportunity to comment on the Bill. I was at the CPP meeting and missed the Minister's speech but I have read his script. For once the explanation note on the back of the Bill is accurate when it states it is an Act to enable persons other than veterinary practitioners and veterinary nurses to carry out certain procedures. That is what the Bill must be about and I...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Feb 2012)

Paul Bradford: Is the Senator in favour of pollution?

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Feb 2012)

Paul Bradford: Will the Senator register? Has he registered?

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Feb 2012)

Paul Bradford: I join with my colleagues who welcomed the successful visit by the Chinese Vice President. From an economic perspective, it was a very successful visit from which Ireland will benefit. So too will China because business is a two-way road. I also support my colleagues who expressed the view that we cannot remain silent or ignore the question of human rights abuses in China. Members are...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Feb 2012)

Paul Bradford: This country has always had a strong record in that regard. Perhaps it is time for us to renew some of the issues we have taken up heretofore. There would be a strong all-party view on human rights. The Seanad is the ideal place to have such a debate.