Results 501-520 of 2,017 for speaker:Paul Bradford

Seanad: Seanad Electoral Reform Bill 2013: Second Stage (6 Mar 2013)

Paul Bradford: If we in this House do not believe in the necessity for a second Chamber why should the people? This is a truly important test of what we believe as politicians and what value we place not on ourselves but on the work of all the generations who have worked here, from Yeats, to Hyde, to Robinson, FitzGerald, Dooge and Wilson. Do we value those people's traditions and work? I certainly do....

Seanad: Seanad Electoral Reform Bill 2013: Second Stage (6 Mar 2013)

Paul Bradford: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, to the House. I am sorry that the Minister, Deputy Phil Hogan, has left but I presume we will have the chance to discuss the matter with him again at an early date. I thank Senator Crown for the work he has undertaken in producing the Bill. It certainly adds to the political debate on the future. I look forward with keen interest to...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Bill 2012: Second Stage (5 Mar 2013)

Paul Bradford: I welcome the Minister and the opportunity to say a few words on this legislation. This legislation does not particularly excite me but the Minister's hands are tied in that he must respond to the census results and is constrained as to how many seats can be provided within the population structure. I listened with interest to what Senator Barrett said. He set me thinking and I think we...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Mar 2013)

Paul Bradford: Approximately two years have passed since the Government was elected. The natural course of politics means it is likely that the Government's halfway line is approaching. It would be useful to invite each of the Ministers in the Government to come to this House over the next few weeks and up until the summer recess. We should ask them to debate their work in their Departments over the last...

Seanad: Magdalen Laundries Report: Statements (27 Feb 2013)

Paul Bradford: I welcome the Minister of State and I thank her for her contribution, interest and commitment to these women and this sad chapter of our national history. I thank the Taoiseach for his contribution and his speech of apology in Dáil Éireann last week and I thank our former colleague, Martin McAleese, for his calm, balanced and thorough chairing of the committee, which did such an effective...

Seanad: Confidence in Minister for Justice and Equality and Defence: Motion (27 Feb 2013)

Paul Bradford: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after ??Seanad Éireann?? and substitute the following:"has confidence in the Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, Alan Shatter T.D., and commends him for the effective manner in which he is discharging his Ministerial functions.".I am disappointed the motion has been put in this fashion before the House. Seanad Éireann has always been at...

Seanad: Confidence in Minister for Justice and Equality and Defence: Motion (27 Feb 2013)

Paul Bradford: Such as?

Seanad: Confidence in Minister for Justice and Equality and Defence: Motion (27 Feb 2013)

Paul Bradford: This is a motion about the management of our Department of Defence and Department of Justice and Equality, and I have every confidence in the current Minister, Deputy Alan Shatter. We should request the Opposition to engage in a policy debate rather than an attack on the Minister's personality. When we first discussed these matters a number of weeks ago, the challenge was laid down to the...

Seanad: Confidence in Minister for Justice and Equality and Defence: Motion (27 Feb 2013)

Paul Bradford: With the most recent recruitment programme, a significant number of those inquiring about becoming full members of the Garda are currently seeking to serve the Garda Reserve. It is an interesting factor and the behaviour should be encouraged. Deputy Shatter as Minister for Defence has also faced difficult decisions relating to closures. Closures of Garda stations and Army barracks are...

Seanad: Ireland's Presidency of the European Council: Statements (26 Feb 2013)

Paul Bradford: I welcome this debate. We have already had a number of debates on Ireland's Presidency of the European Council, one third of which has almost passed. We look forward to progress being made. This is the year of the European citizen. What will be the response of Irish and European citizens when the Irish Presidency ends? Irish Presidencies, since the first headed up by former Taoiseach,...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Social Entrepreneurship: Discussion (21 Feb 2013)

Paul Bradford: It is all Fianna Fáil's fault.

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Feb 2013)

Paul Bradford: I support the comments made by Senator Ó Murchú on the undocumented Irish in the United States. I heard the Tánaiste indicate yesterday that in the course of his forthcoming visit to the United States this issue will be at the top of his agenda and that he will work with the US authorities and Government to try to make progress on the matter. There appears to be a window of opportunity...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse Racing Ireland: Discussion with Chairman Designate (14 Feb 2013)

Paul Bradford: I wish to follow up on and support what Senator O'Neill said about attendances. Mr. Dempsey spoke from a breeding perspective. For the industry to thrive, one needs owners but also spectators and fans because without crowds, one does not have excitement. It has become a profound problem. It is not just the lack of numbers. It also relates to the profile of racing fans. As Senator...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Irish National Stud: Discussion with Chairman Designate (14 Feb 2013)

Paul Bradford: On the stallion purchase policy, racing is cyclical in that one could have three absolute champions for several years and then there would be more modest stallions. The National Stud has a flagship stallion and if it could have two or three, all the better. Using a phrase from a former colleague of ours, there is a gap in the market so is there a market in the gap? If there happened in a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Irish National Stud: Discussion with Chairman Designate (14 Feb 2013)

Paul Bradford: Are the fees all €60,000?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Irish National Stud: Discussion with Chairman Designate (14 Feb 2013)

Paul Bradford: I welcome the two guests. I am not a member of the committee but when I saw that both delegates were presenting their case and cause this morning, I said I had to come along. As the Chairman stated, this is not an exam. We are not giving the delegates marks. Mr. Dempsey is probably safe enough regarding the job. Knowing Mr. Dempsey's background and his innovations in agriculture in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Irish National Stud: Discussion with Chairman Designate (14 Feb 2013)

Paul Bradford: All politics is local.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Feb 2013)

Paul Bradford: Could we have a genuine debate on a genuine topic of policing? Let us not start with a silly vote here on the Order of Business. Let us have a mature discussion.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Feb 2013)

Paul Bradford: I agree with my colleague, Senator Mary Ann O'Brien, on the need to debate the subject of Irish Aid and how we spend money in the developing world. We should not be debarred by political correctness from asking hard questions as posed by Senator O'Brien because we must ensure that the money we spend, which is not the Government's but the taxpayer's money, is put to genuine developmental...

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Feb 2013)

Paul Bradford: We certainly had interesting political drama in Leinster House yesterday and the proceedings continued long into the night. Senator Mary White referred to the long session on 30 September 2008. On that night, perhaps through nobody's fault or everybody's, we entered a very long tunnel of economic despair. Let us hope last night's late sitting in the Houses will be the beginning of the exit...