Results 281-300 of 738 for speaker:Cyprian Brady

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (30 Nov 2006)

Cyprian Brady: I thank the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government for coming to the House to introduce this important Bill and I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science who has replaced him. Simplistic solutions have been proposed to address the electoral register issue with the previous contribution being the most simplistic. If it were that easy, it...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (30 Nov 2006)

Cyprian Brady: I did not interrupt the Senator. No electoral register in the world is 100% accurate. Successive Governments have had to deal with individuals who attempted to alter the effectiveness of the register. However, we are in Government and we must take responsibility. Taxpayers' money must be spent and we cannot throw it around.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (30 Nov 2006)

Cyprian Brady: The Minister has put in place a framework, which will result in the most accurate register in the history of the State. This will not happen by accident because significant work has gone into this. Local authorities must take responsibility under the law for the electoral register and councillors have a role in this regard but that point has been lost in the debate. The Minister and the...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (30 Nov 2006)

Cyprian Brady: Anybody who has been involved in a local, national or European election or a referendum will know the electoral register has become increasingly inaccurate for many reasons, the primary reason being the significant increase in our population. It was suggested the census enumerators should have been used to gather statistics for the electoral register but the census is a sensitive operation.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (30 Nov 2006)

Cyprian Brady: People do not provide information lightly and it was not sustainable to ask them whether that information could be used for a different purpose. Individuals, therefore, could not be asked to provide that information. This was one of the simplistic solutions suggested.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (30 Nov 2006)

Cyprian Brady: The most positive aspect of this debate is it has highlighted the importance of being on the register for the wider population. Transition year students in inner city schools in Dublin are discussing why they should register and vote and what happens when they register. The turnout at local and national level has reduced over successive elections and education is an issue. People must be...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (30 Nov 2006)

Cyprian Brady: The enumerators did great work. They have proven they are capable of ensuring the register is correct. The census was a huge success with the majority of addresses being reached and we can build on that in the future. The extension of the deadline to register by two weeks to 9 December, which was called for by Fine Gael at a meeting of the Joint Committee on the Environment, Heritage and...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (30 Nov 2006)

Cyprian Brady: Linking the register to the PPS system would not work. The Senator is discussing resources and expenditure. Linking the PPS system to the register would be a considerable technological undertaking.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (30 Nov 2006)

Cyprian Brady: For a long time, I have made an argument concerning prisoners in this regard. Through visits, I have first-hand experience of Mountjoy Prison. According to a number of people, including the prison's visiting committee, voting has always been an issue. While it is not always an issue for the prisoners, it may be for their families. Many studies and surveys reveal that the majority of...

Seanad: Prisons Bill 2006: Committee Stage (28 Nov 2006)

Cyprian Brady: Amendments Nos. 64 and 66 are related and may be discussed together by agreement.

Seanad: Prisons Bill 2006: Committee Stage (28 Nov 2006)

Cyprian Brady: Amendments Nos. 65 and 67 to 70, inclusive, are related and may be discussed together by agreement.

Seanad: Prisons Bill 2006: Committee Stage (28 Nov 2006)

Cyprian Brady: Amendments Nos. 72, 73 and 75 are related to amendment No. 71 and all may be discussed together by agreement.

Seanad: Prisons Bill 2006: Committee Stage (28 Nov 2006)

Cyprian Brady: Amendments Nos. 77 to 79, inclusive, are related to amendment No. 76 and all may be discussed together by agreement.

Seanad: Prisons Bill 2006: Committee Stage (28 Nov 2006)

Cyprian Brady: When is it proposed to take Report Stage?

Seanad: Estimates for Public Services 2007: Statements (Resumed) (23 Nov 2006)

Cyprian Brady: I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Parlon, to the House and congratulate the Minister for Finance on what is another step along a very successful path he has followed during his time in the Department of Finance. Probably the most obvious and quantifiable sign of the success of the policies that have been followed to date is employment and the changes we...

Seanad: Estimates for Public Services 2007: Statements (Resumed) (23 Nov 2006)

Cyprian Brady: The Minister has a good record in this respect. People employed in the education sector would say the difference in education now compared with ten years ago is huge.

Seanad: Estimates for Public Services 2007: Statements (Resumed) (23 Nov 2006)

Cyprian Brady: An additional 800 teachers will be allocated next year, which will bring to 1,900 the number of new teachers who will have been allocated in the past two years. Those additional teachers will reduce class sizes. We have to start somewhere. Successive Governments have ignored this area. The Minister pointed out when she took office that to reverse the trend of the policies in place and to...

Seanad: Estimates for Public Services 2007: Statements (Resumed) (23 Nov 2006)

Cyprian Brady: More must be done but we had to start somewhere and great progress has been made. The Minister will continue to increase capitation funding for special schools and more special needs assistants will be allocated. The home-school-community liaison scheme, which has been a great success——

Seanad: Estimates for Public Services 2007: Statements (Resumed) (23 Nov 2006)

Cyprian Brady: Many parents may not have been in a position to complete their schooling, as a result of which many of them have a difficulty with reading and writing. Those parents cannot help their children in sixth year in secondary school with their homework, but the home-school-community liaison scheme is in place, which is greatly supported. That scheme is available to those students and it has made...

Seanad: Estimates for Public Services 2007: Statements (Resumed) (23 Nov 2006)

Cyprian Brady: I wish also to raise the matter of the security of communities. We have had many debates on people's sense of insecurity, an issue that is raised regularly in advice centres and when talking to people. With the changes that have occurred in society and having regard to the vulnerable members of our communities such as older people, it is welcome that a 10% increase in Garda resources alone...