Results 141-160 of 23,060 for speaker:Paddy Burke

Seanad: Public Water Connection Charges: Motion (26 Apr 2023)

Paddy Burke: I thank Senator Cummins for sharing time. I welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank our colleagues in the Green Party for bringing forward this motion. It is a great proposal from which communities will gain. People in communities have already paid for these types of services down through the years by way of bringing forward group water schemes. People in housing estates have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Draft Regulations on the Operation of the Social Welfare Appeals Office: Discussion (26 Apr 2023)

Paddy Burke: I welcome the witnesses. I agree with what most members have said. I will not go over ground that has been discussed by Deputy Ó Cuív and Senator Wall, but the Deputy was correct when he said that most of the appeals related to health issues. I would like to raise the matter of medical cards for people with cancer going to appeal. There is no great need for them to go to appeal....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Draft Regulations on the Operation of the Social Welfare Appeals Office: Discussion (26 Apr 2023)

Paddy Burke: Is the Department of Health dealing with that issue completely?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Draft Regulations on the Operation of the Social Welfare Appeals Office: Discussion (26 Apr 2023)

Paddy Burke: Okay. I am sorry. I am finished now.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Apr 2023)

Paddy Burke: The Cathaoirleach has taken me a bit by surprise. I congratulate everybody on last week's celebration of the visit of President Biden to Ireland and particularly to Ballina in my home county of Mayo. The Department of Foreign Affairs and the local authority did a wonderful job in respect of that visit. However, I will raise an issue with regard to the Passport Office. A number of weeks...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Mar 2023)

Paddy Burke: Senator O'Sullivan raised a very important question which could lead to a very important debate in this Chamber. We could have a very good debate. How many NGOs are there in the country? I would say there are hundreds of them. Are they all funded or fully funded by the Government? Is it the Department of the Taoiseach or the Department of Foreign Affairs which funds them or is every...

Seanad: Inland Fisheries Ireland: Statements (29 Mar 2023)

Paddy Burke: I welcome the Minister. I also welcome the opportunity to say a few words on this very serious situation. On a number of occasions, I had the privilege of being nominated to stand for the Seanad by the Central Fisheries Board and I represented it here. At the time, the central board was made up of regional boards. There were such boards in the north, the west, the south, the south east...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Mar 2023)

Paddy Burke: I welcome Councillor Adam Teskey to the Public Gallery. He is a hardworking councillor from Limerick and it is great to see him in the Chamber. I ask the Leader to arrange a debate at some stage with the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications on energy and retrofitting of homes.Retrofitting is a huge area. There are considerable grants given by the Government in regard to...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Report Stage (28 Mar 2023)

Paddy Burke: I welcome the opportunity to say a few words on the amendment tabled by Senator McDowell. I must say it has been very interesting to listen to him for the last number of minutes. I will vote for the Government, of course, whatever the Government decision is. I might be voting against my beliefs but I will vote with the Government. At the same time, as I have said, it has been very...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Report Stage (28 Mar 2023)

Paddy Burke: The machine will reduce it to 12 people.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Mar 2023)

Paddy Burke: I would like to ask the Deputy Leader to ask the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, to come before the House at some stage, because it has been brought to my attention that there are discrepancies in the testing of public service vehicles between one county and another. I have evidence of a small transport vehicle that was given the okay in the county where a man bought it. However,...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Mar 2023)

Paddy Burke: The Irish rugby team.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Mar 2023)

Paddy Burke: I would like the Deputy Leader to invite the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Eamon Ryan, to the House to discuss the creation of offshore energy, particularly on the west coast. It seems the Government has decided to put on the back foot any developments in respect of the creation of offshore wind energy along the west coast in favour of the east coast. All...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Implementation of Sustainable Development Goals: Discussion (1 Mar 2023)

Paddy Burke: I welcome and thank all the witnesses for their opening statements. Mr. Mulherin gave a practical example of how the Department of Rural and Community Development is liaising with the Tidy Towns committees in every county throughout the country. Has there been any communication with the Department of Education on schoolbooks? I think the Department changed the curriculum such that it would...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Feb 2023)

Paddy Burke: I condemn in the strongest possible way what happened in Northern Ireland last night. We have to condemn it at every available opportunity to us. I welcome the €1.2 billion cost-of-living package provided by the Government. I ask the Deputy Leader if we might organise a debate on the VAT rates in the House. I welcome the continuing 9% rate for the next number of months but...

Seanad: Rail Network: Statements (23 Feb 2023)

Paddy Burke: I welcome the Minister to the House and I thank Senator Doherty for sharing her time with me. I love the Minister's thinking about freight and passenger rail. I concur with Senator Kyne on the western rail corridor. I thank the Minister for his commitment to that. He is one of the first Ministers who has really come out strongly in favour of the western rail corridor. At this point it...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Feb 2023)

Paddy Burke: I raise the same issue Senator Kyne raised yesterday, namely, the vetting that has to be done for people taking up jobs in the HSE and teaching posts. Many of our young people travel all over the world for a number of years and, at some stage, many will come back and find work in Ireland. As a country, we are looking for a lot of people to work in the HSE, the health service, teaching and...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Feb 2023)

Paddy Burke: I support Senator Boyhan with regard to asking the Minister with responsibility for inland fisheries to come to the Chamber. I compliment Senator Kyne on the battle he has fought, going back to last May, in respect of IFI. I see a huge change in what is happening in IFI. I was nominated by IFI to stand for the Seanad on a number of occasions. It is very sad to see what is going on in our...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Feb 2023)

Paddy Burke: I wish to be associated with the expression of sympathy to the family of the former Minister for Education, Niamh Bhreathnach. She was a very good Minister for Education and she attended this House on a regular basis during her time in the other House. I ask that we bring the Minister for Justice to the House to discuss the drone issue at Dublin Airport. It is unbelievable to think that...