Results 121-140 of 738 for speaker:Cyprian Brady

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Second Stage. (23 Mar 2004)

Cyprian Brady: I welcome the Minister of State. I warmly welcome the Bill and I congratulate the Minister for Social and Family Affairs and her Department on continuing to build on the solid foundation stones laid by the previous Government. While there were restrictions on budgets, the Minister managed to secure a 7% increase across the board, which is a phenomenal achievement. Many lives are touched by...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Second Stage. (23 Mar 2004)

Cyprian Brady: The Department's budget for 2004 is €11.26 billion, which is a significant amount, and it will be directed at children, pensioners and people who for whatever reasons cannot gain employment. I refer to the widow's pension. The Government and its predecessor have been the only ones to take on the concept of social inclusion. A Cabinet sub-committee on social inclusion is in place, which is...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Second Stage. (23 Mar 2004)

Cyprian Brady: The people appreciated the increase and in 2002 they renewed the mandate given to us in 1997.

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Second Stage. (23 Mar 2004)

Cyprian Brady: The people who benefit from these schemes decide who is in Government and they made a statement two years ago. I refer to changes in work permit provisions and people entering Ireland from the accession states. A total of 16,500 of the 47,000 permits granted last year were issued to EU citizens. Following enlargement on 1 May, the population of the EU will expand significantly and it is...

Seanad: Smoking Ban: Motion (31 Mar 2004)

Cyprian Brady: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Lenihan. Although a confirmed smoker, I warmly welcome this measure. It is excellent legislation which will stand the test of time. Since the debate began we have heard all sorts of rhetoric from smokers and non-smokers alike as to how the ban would not or could not work. People said it was nonsense. What happened on Monday proved that the...

Seanad: CLÁR Programme: Statements. (7 Apr 2004)

Cyprian Brady: I would like to share my time with Senator Brennan.

Seanad: CLÁR Programme: Statements. (7 Apr 2004)

Cyprian Brady: Cuirim fáilte roimh an tAire. Gabhaim comhgáirdeas dó as ucht an slí in a bhfuil sé ag stiúradh an programme tábhachtach seo. I have not been in the House for very long today, but the reaction of the Opposition leads me to conclude that the Minister is doing something right. The treatment meted out to him during the past ten or 15 minutes has been disgraceful. I had no intention of...

Seanad: Order of Business. (8 Apr 2004)

Cyprian Brady: I wish to highlight a worrying development in some areas of Dublin whereby a number of GPs in the city have requested the health board to fund security men for their surgeries. There has been an upsurge in violent attacks on GPs and their staff. According to the GPs, this is as a result of the numbers on methadone treatment and is at its worst during long weekends and holiday time. I ask the...

Seanad: Report of National Advisory Committee on Drugs: Statements. (28 Apr 2004)

Cyprian Brady: Ba mhaith liom fáilte a chur roimh an Aire Stáit and I thank him for his interest in this issue. It is clear from his opening words that he has a good grasp of the comprehensiveness and complexity of the drug problem in his constituency. He has also visited a number of drug treatment projects in my area and has seen at first hand how the national drugs strategy is working and its effects on...

Seanad: Road Safety: Statements. (29 Apr 2004)

Cyprian Brady: I congratulate the Minister for Transport. This has been a very interesting debate on a particularly important subject. Since I came into this House there have been a number of calls for a debate on this matter. Despite the recent upsurge in road deaths, I congratulate the Minister and his Department on the marked improvement in road safety in general throughout the country. They have managed...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2004: Second Stage. (7 May 2004)

Cyprian Brady: He is out doing his work.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2004: Second Stage. (7 May 2004)

Cyprian Brady: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank him for his introductory remarks. I also welcome the opportunity to debate this Bill. We must consider the reason we want electronic voting and what is the point of it. We want it because over successive referendums and local and European elections there has been a decline in the number of people taking up their option to vote. It is our...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2004: Second Stage. (7 May 2004)

Cyprian Brady: The system has been proven. Approximately 70 million people throughout Europe have used the system. India, like Ireland, is a huge producer of software and technology. When we know people can vote electronically from a remote desert or mountain area and we have a result within an hour, we must ask ourselves why we are resisting, especially considering our current system. We have all been...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2004: Second Stage. (7 May 2004)

Cyprian Brady: I said I have not met anybody who does not like electronic voting.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage (Resumed). (11 May 2004)

Cyprian Brady: As with all legislation, the Bill is about planning for the future. I do not see why we should, as a country, bury our heads in the sand and feel ashamed of leading the way in a particular area. I am surprised that Senator Bannon claimed credit for starting the debate. As he is well aware, given that he is a member of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Environment, Heritage and Local...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage (Resumed). (11 May 2004)

Cyprian Brady: Everybody supports electronic voting and the framework for it must be put in place, for which the Bill provides.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage (Resumed). (11 May 2004)

Cyprian Brady: Contrary to the perception that may exist, when an individual takes on the mantle of Minister, he does not automatically lose his other talents. Given that this Administration and its predecessor introduced what is probably the most stringent ethics code in the world, I find it unbelievable——

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage (Resumed). (11 May 2004)

Cyprian Brady: We will not mention Mr. Lowry but keep going instead. As Senator Bannon has pointed out, the legislation has been extended to the councillors, which is only proper. If one examined the records I am sure one would realise it is not the first time a Minister, from either side of the House, has been a director of elections. This would be an interesting study to undertake.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage (Resumed). (11 May 2004)

Cyprian Brady: Does that not tell the Senator something?

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage (Resumed). (11 May 2004)

Cyprian Brady: We have listened to the arguments for a voter-verified audit trail but when one examines the current system one will note that we do not get a receipt for the votes we cast. When the voter puts——