Results 141-160 of 12,658 for and speaker:Paddy Burke

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Oct 2022)

Paddy Burke: There was a meeting last Saturday in Tuam on balanced regional development. Unfortunately I was not able to make it but I agree wholeheartedly with many of the decisions and the sentiments expressed at the meeting. I fully support the West on Track campaign for the extension of the rail line from Athenry to Claremorris. It is needed. I come from Castlebar which is 45 miles from Galway...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Oct 2022)

Paddy Burke: ...eventually have no taxi service if things keep going as they are currently. When a person has a taxi, the plate dies with that person if he or she retires or passes away. The plate cannot be handed over to a son, daughter or other family member and it cannot be sold on or given to anybody. We must remember that those taxi people have built up a business and have built up goodwill. They...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (19 Oct 2022)

Paddy Burke: I support Senator Craughwell on the issue of local authority members who, in many cases, have to use their leave to attend local authority meetings. In this day and age, it is not good enough. People who are working in the public service or Civil Service, in particular, should get time off to attend meetings, especially when they are elected by the public. I also support the calls today...

Seanad: VAT Rate for Tourism and Hospitality Sectors: Statements (19 Oct 2022)

Paddy Burke: I welcome the Minister. I want to speak about the 9% VAT rate. The tourism and hospitality sector is labour-intensive. It is a seven-day-per-week industry that runs from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. The proprietors of those premises and the people who run those businesses have several shifts a week to cover for, and it is not easy. In lots of sizable towns, you will see that other than in a...

Seanad: Poverty and Social Exclusion: Motion (19 Oct 2022)

Paddy Burke: ...to do everything we can to take everybody out of poverty. Anybody who is in poverty should be taken out of it if at all possible. When one listens to the speakers on poverty, what can cause it and what brings people into it, one can see this country has made great strides. Over the past 20 years or so, there has never been better sports facilities. There has never been more money put...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Oct 2022)

Paddy Burke: I also welcome the Spanish ambassador to the Chamber. I join the Senators who yesterday paid tribute to the families, friends and neighbours of the people of Creeslough following the tragic loss of ten human lives. I extend the sympathies and condolences of the House to them on their tragic loss. What happened was unbelievable. I raise an issue in regard to some organisations that are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: General Scheme of the Charities (Amendment) Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (12 Oct 2022)

Paddy Burke: I welcome the Minister of State and his staff and I thank them for their contributions. There are 11,500 registered charities, which is a considerable number. Is the office of the Charities Regulator sufficiently staffed and resourced to carry out the required oversight that is laid down by the legislation, including the new legislation, to cover all those charities?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: General Scheme of the Charities (Amendment) Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (12 Oct 2022)

Paddy Burke: The Minister of State mentioned the human rights provision there and rightly so. What about the area of crowdfunding for disasters or charitable purposes? In a lot of areas you will see crowdfunding when significant things might have happened. Do they have to register for charitable status or is up to themselves? If they do, are they investigated straight away because some of them raise...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Oct 2022)

Paddy Burke: ...Leader invite into the House the European Commissioner with responsibility for regulation of the medtech area. Most Members of the House had a meeting yesterday with the Irish Medtech Association and IBEC regarding the approval of medical devices in Europe. There is a huge backlog in respect of the approval of all these medical devices.It will have a major effect on the European...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (4 Oct 2022)

Paddy Burke: Will the Leader arrange a debate on the cost of energy in the country and how we might be able to educate the public on how to change from one energy supplier to another? Significant advantage is being taken of some customers. One would have to wonder if deregulation has done anything for the market and whether we would have been much better off if we had stayed with the one supplier, the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Sep 2022)

Paddy Burke: I support Senator Kyne's comments on the Department's report carried out into the board of Inland Fisheries Ireland. I ask that the report be published as a matter of urgency and that the Minister lays it before the Houses of the Oireachtas. We could and should discuss the report in this House, and everything that is happening now regarding Inland Fisheries Ireland, where the Department is...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (27 Sep 2022)

Paddy Burke: I welcome the cost-of-living measures in the budget. They are very welcome at this difficult time for hard-pressed consumers and families. I also welcome the reduction in VAT for the media.This issue has been raised on several occasions in this House by various Members over recent years. The measure is very welcome, particularly for local media, which provide a great service throughout the...

Seanad: Budget 2023 (Finance): Statements (27 Sep 2022)

Paddy Burke: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I also welcome budget 2023. I have been a Member of the Seanad for quite a few budgets and this is the best budget I have ever witnessed in these Houses. Great credit is due to Governments over recent years that we are in such a great financial situation in which the current Government can give out such an amount at this time. It is greatly...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Sep 2022)

Paddy Burke: ...transport. I ask the Deputy Leader to get the Minister for Education to come before the House as a matter of urgency. The Minister was before the education committee earlier. People understand the flexibility that was adopted by the Department of Health during the health crisis caused by the pandemic. People cannot understand why we cannot have that same flexibility within the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 Sep 2022)

Paddy Burke: ...also to acknowledge the presence of the British ambassador in the Chamber. I express my condolences as well to the Royal Family on the death of Queen Elizabeth II. I congratulate King Charles III and wish him well. I would also like to be associated with the other expressions of sympathy to the families that have been tragically lost over the past week. We had one in County Mayo as...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Employment Schemes (6 Jul 2022)

Paddy Burke: I thank Senator Chambers for sharing her time. I welcome the Minister of State to the House. Senator Chambers has outlined in detail the case and what took place at the very large meeting in Castlebar last Monday. There is no need to go over the case that Senator Chambers made. The Minister of State is only too well aware of the work carried out by the schemes on football, hurling and...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Employment Schemes (6 Jul 2022)

Paddy Burke: These jobs are vital to communities and the Minister of State will be aware of the benefits that accrue to the community due to the work people do. We again ask him to seriously consider what we are looking for. They are not big demands in the great scheme of events. The money that is involved is in the region of €2.5 million, which is very little in the overall budget of the...

Seanad: EirGrid, Electricity and Turf (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second Stage (5 Jul 2022)

Paddy Burke: ...to the House. I am grateful for the opportunity to say a few words on this important Bill. I, too, would like to voice my opinion on the rushing of this legislation. It happens every summer and at Christmas time and I often wonder why. In relation to data centres, the biggest companies in the world are employing thousands of people in this country and the vast majority of them are...

Seanad: EirGrid, Electricity and Turf (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second Stage (5 Jul 2022)

Paddy Burke: ...the current fines until we reach maximum energy production in this country. At a time when we are not self-sufficient in energy, it is daft that we are about to dismantle a wind farm at great cost and replace it with gas generation. The Minister should, therefore, seek a derogation from the European Commission in relation to the fines. The Bill does not provide for joint ventures. The...