Results 261-280 of 2,017 for speaker:Paul Bradford

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Mar 2014)

Paul Bradford: I ask the Leader to inquire about the workings of a new European health directive called the cross-border health care directive. It appears that Irish citizens will be eligible under new terms and conditions to access health care abroad and to have such health care paid for by the HSE. Will the Leader raise this issue with the HSE and the Minister for Health? This is in the context of a...

Seanad: General Scheme of the Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Bill 2014: Statements (11 Mar 2014)

Paul Bradford: I welcome the Minister and the debate. It is positive that the heads of the Bill are being debated rather than the specific legislation. A couple of Ministers use the Oireachtas committees to present heads of Bills but we are using the Seanad, which is very appropriate. I listened with interest to my colleagues and my difficulty is that ten Governments since 1979 have refused to respect the...

Seanad: General Scheme of the Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Bill 2014: Statements (11 Mar 2014)

Paul Bradford: Mary Robinson, as the Senator should well know, was elected as an Independent Senator.

Seanad: General Scheme of the Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Bill 2014: Statements (11 Mar 2014)

Paul Bradford: She left it again. She stood as an Independent candidate in the presidential election. The debate needs to move on as soon as possible to the question of a universal election to Seanad Éireann. I have read various interventions to this debate by Ministers who seem to suggest - I am not sure whether they are deliberately attempting to misinform us or whether they have been...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Mar 2014)

Paul Bradford: I might be remiss, as my question may have been asked in the past day or two. Might the House consider replicating the positive debate in the Lower House on the next two years of the programme for Government? I am surprised that people have been critical of the Dáil for spending two or three days discussing the political and policy options that can be considered prior to the next...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Mar 2014)

Paul Bradford: It would be appropriate to hold a similar debate in this House. It is something for which I asked previously. At various times, each Senator has asked that a Minister attend the House to address one subject or another. It could be helpful to set aside a number of days, not necessarily consecutively, over the next month or so to debate the progress on the programme for Government so far and...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Mar 2014)

Paul Bradford: My information about the instigation of the conference differs somewhat from Senator Noone's, but I wish all of the delegates well and hope that they will reflect on the EPP's values and principles, in particular those set out in the document that it published in October.

Seanad: Reform of Further Education and Training: Statements (Resumed) (5 Mar 2014)

Paul Bradford: I welcome the Minister of State. I am sorry I missed his speech, but I read his script with interest. In particular, I have listened to the previous speakers, Senator Marie Louise O'Donnell and Senator Feargal Quinn. If the Minister had commissioned no report but simply took on board what those two Senators have outlined, we would be going in the right direction. The kernel of what both...

Seanad: Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy (4 Mar 2014)

Paul Bradford: I assure the House that no one would have laughed more than the late Senator O'Toole. I am pleased to have the opportunity to say a few words in tribute to the late Senator Martin J. O'Toole and to welcome his family to the Visitors Gallery. I had the pleasure of serving with him in both the Seanad and the Dáil. Naturally, that makes me feel almost as old as Senator Noone. I would...

Seanad: Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy (4 Mar 2014)

Paul Bradford: That is how the Seanad works. I recall in 1989 that he became almost an accidental Deputy and he would admit it himself. Suddenly, the late Denis Gallagher decided not to contest the Dáil election and Martin J, after being a lifetime councillor and Senator, had the opportunity of standing for the Dáil. He got great pleasure in achieving election to Dáil Éireann for Mayo...

Seanad: Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy (4 Mar 2014)

Paul Bradford: I was unaware that Senator Noone was born in 1955.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Mar 2014)

Paul Bradford: I join my colleagues who have expressed concern about the situation in Ukraine. I think the situation is worthy of a strong response from the European Union, the United Nations and all international agencies. When Senator Norris and I, among others, were elected to the Seanad for the first time in 1987, Ukraine was a province of the USSR, locked behind the Iron Curtain which divided the...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Feb 2014)

Paul Bradford: Last week, I called for an urgent debate on what was then the crisis on the streets and cities of the Ukraine. Obviously, events have moved on but, in a sense, they have become much more serious with threatening language from the Russian side. Will the Leader arrange, as soon as he can, that we hear from the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade on this matter and to...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Feb 2014)

Paul Bradford: Could the Deputy Leader arrange an urgent debate on two matters of international affairs? The first is the very serious crisis in Ukraine, the political ramifications arising from such a crisis and the interaction with the European Union and Russia. We need to hear the official Government position and response from the Tánaiste. In recent days the UN report issued a report on the...

Seanad: Greyhound Racing Industry: Statements (19 Feb 2014)

Paul Bradford: I thank Senator Heffernan for sharing time and I welcome the Minister of State to the House. Normally we have rather sedate debates in this House but there has been a disturbing vein of thought throughout this debate because people are concerned. There are positive and good aspects of the industry. The number of owners are still very strong and we have fine internationally renowned...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Feb 2014)

Paul Bradford: I support colleagues who are seeking a debate on energy. Such a debate should be open-ended and people should be open-minded in respect of it. We do not have all the answers and it is not possible for us to become experts overnight on the pros and cons of wind, wave, fracking or other methods of producing energy. We must all agree, however, that in order for our country and its economy to...

Seanad: Standing Orders: Motion (5 Feb 2014)

Paul Bradford: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Kehoe. I also welcome the legal clarification provided by Senator Bacik because it is important to ensure we get this issue right in as far as it is legally possible to do so. There is a strong prospect of a legal challenge being mounted to any banking inquiry. For this reason, we must seek to ensure there are no doubts or blemishes in that regard....

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (29 Jan 2014)

Paul Bradford: I thank Senator Zappone and the other Senators who have driven this matter to the top of the political agenda. I look forward to the response of the Minister of State. However, we all know in advance that the response of the Government will be a continuation of Government policy towards the Seanad, which is one of deep and utter cynicism. Fortunately, the people thought differently. It is...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Jan 2014)

Paul Bradford: The Leader attempted to facilitate us last week by having a further debate on Irish Water. It must be recorded also that, unlike in the Dáil, where the legislation on Irish Water was rushed through the House in a matter of hours, we had a substantial debate here in the Seanad over a number of sessions. Looking back, many of us would raise issues now that we did not raise on that...

Seanad: European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Bill 2013: Second Stage (23 Jan 2014)

Paul Bradford: I welcome the Minister to the House. I appreciate his hands are effectively tied in respect of the legislation before us. The date is set for the European elections and we are not going to do a complete U-turn at this stage in terms of how our Members will be elected on this occasion. I hope, however, that the Minister will take on board the points raised by colleagues today, particularly...