Results 961-980 of 2,017 for speaker:Paul Bradford

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Second Stage (23 Jun 2011)

Paul Bradford: As it is now 2.20 p.m., I call on the Minister to reply.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Second Stage (23 Jun 2011)

Paul Bradford: When is it proposed to sit again?

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Second Stage (23 Jun 2011)

Paul Bradford: I welcome the Minister to the House and I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill. Having listened to some of the previous speakers and also having listened to the Dáil debate on recent social welfare Bills, there seems to be a departure in thinking on social welfare. Given the extent of the social welfare budget, the numbers of people claiming it and that the country is in a very...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Second Stage (23 Jun 2011)

Paul Bradford: Is that agreed? Agreed.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Second Stage (23 Jun 2011)

Paul Bradford: While I hesitate to interrupt the Senator in the middle of his defence of community welfare officers, one of his colleagues, Senator Hayden, is also due to speak in this slot.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Second Stage (23 Jun 2011)

Paul Bradford: I will allow Senators Kelly and Hayden to resolve their internal dispute later. Rather than speaking now, Senator Hayden may make a contribution following the next two slots. She can pick a private row with Senator Kelly afterwards. We have socialism everywhere except in the Chamber.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Jun 2011)

Paul Bradford: In the previous Seanad we had a number of rolling debates on the Croke Park agreement. They were very useful as they allowed us to debate the various options. We must acknowledge that our former colleague, the then Senator Joe O'Toole, was a strong advocate of the Croke Park agreement. When we articulated our doubts, he assured us the agreement could work and would be helpful in redressing...

Seanad: Local Authority Charges (16 Jun 2011)

Paul Bradford: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Perry, to the House. While my motion requires a response from the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, in a sense it is appropriate that the Minister of State is present because he has responsibility for small business and my motion is directed at giving some degree of flexibility to local authorities and their officials to...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jun 2011)

Paul Bradford: I find the comments of Senator Walsh interesting. Over the past five or six years he has made many predictions. We thought those predictions dire and overly pessimistic at the time, but sadly they came to pass. He has maintained a consistent line with regard to the need to reform the economy and the public service and to keep costs down. I take on board what he has said. However, with...

Seanad: Fair Deal Nursing Home Scheme: Statements (Resumed) (16 Jun 2011)

Paul Bradford: As some of the my colleagues from the previous Seanad will know, this area has been one of grave concern to me in recent years and I have become something of a long-playing record on the matter of care for the elderly. I have no difficulty with the concept of the fair deal scheme and, in so far as it can be used, I welcome it. However, the broader issue of care of the elderly in all its...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009: Motion (15 Jun 2011)

Paul Bradford: I welcome the Minister, Deputy Shatter, back to the House, his second time in a 24-hour period. He is before us to seek the renewal of what one must describe as rather stringent and almost draconian legislation. These times, from a criminal gang point of view, mean that we have little option but to accede to the Minister's request. We had a substantive debate in the House on the original...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage (15 Jun 2011)

Paul Bradford: I welcome the Minister of State to the House.

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage (15 Jun 2011)

Paul Bradford: I welcome the legislation, which affords us an opportunity to say a few words about what should be the main concern of the House and the body politic for the crucial coming years, that is, job creation. We are moving towards an unemployment level of almost 500,000 people, a scale of human misery we cannot sustain and cannot allow. During one of the House's debates on job creation 12 months...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage (15 Jun 2011)

Paul Bradford: Is that agreed? Agreed.

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage (15 Jun 2011)

Paul Bradford: All presents will be gratefully accepted.

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage (15 Jun 2011)

Paul Bradford: The Senator to continue without interruption, please.

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage (15 Jun 2011)

Paul Bradford: Is that agreed? Agreed.

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage (15 Jun 2011)

Paul Bradford: I would not consider that a point of order. It is an observation which I am sure the Senator will pursue further on Committee Stage. Perhaps it was not the Senator's desire to be in this House-----

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage (15 Jun 2011)

Paul Bradford: -----but there is a tradition of debate here whereby we allow Members to be rather expansive in their views. It has always been a valid and respected tradition in this House and I am certainly not going to bring it to an end.

Seanad: Offences against the State (Amendment) Act 1998: Motion (14 Jun 2011)

Paul Bradford: I, too, welcome the Minister to the House. I listened with interest to what he had to say. I appreciate that coming from a legal background and given the many issues raised by him across the political spectrum he would love to be in a position to tell Members that these sections of the legislation are no longer necessary. As he pointed out, however, we do not live in an ideal world. I...