Results 81-100 of 23,052 for speaker:Paddy Burke

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

Paddy Burke: I am disappointed that the Minister has not introduced a package of local government reform with this Bill which abolishes the dual mandate. He said he wanted to cut the umbilical cord – the link between local and national government – as part of his plans to reform local government. Although he is willing to break the link, he does not seem to be prepared to introduce measures to reform...

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

Paddy Burke: That is exactly what the Minister said and I am disappointed by it. There are, at most, two, three or four dual mandate holders in each local authority. I cannot think of a Member of the Oireachtas who is holding back local government reform. The Minister's comments insinuated that local government reform would be hastened as soon as the link was broken. Why can local authorities not have the...

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

Paddy Burke: If the dual mandate is abolished, which will happen if this Bill is passed, the anomaly referred to will be evident. The Minister has said on many occasions that he would like the role of a local authority member to become full-time. Quite a number of councillors work full-time and have no other employment while the Government pushes the notion that proper pension provision must be made for...

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

Paddy Burke: I am speaking to the amendment, albeit with a little latitude.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

Paddy Burke: I am sure everybody will take an interest in this. I would like to hear the Minister elaborate on the way councillors can use the representational payment to provide themselves with pensions. Some of them have no other employment and no other funding which means they will receive no pension other than a gratuity payment when they retire from a local authority. How might they provide for their...

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

Paddy Burke: We seek proper reform.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

Paddy Burke: We seek that in the context of proper reform.

Seanad: Order of Business. (11 Mar 2003)

Paddy Burke: The Government is leaking all over the place.

Seanad: Order of Business. (11 Mar 2003)

Paddy Burke: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business. (11 Mar 2003)

Paddy Burke: I seek a debate on transport. I ask the Leader to arrange for the Minister for Transport to come before the House to debate the many overruns in major transport projects. These are having a serious effect on other projects in the queue for funding. The issue should be debated as a matter of urgency.

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (11 Mar 2003)

Paddy Burke: What Senator O'Rourke said would make great sense if it worked in practice. I made two 15-minute phone calls today to the Companies Office, but could not get through because of lack of staff in that office. The same is true in every Department and the problem is spreading to local authorities. It is not possible to ring without being put on hold for hours. We need some place where all those...

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (11 Mar 2003)

Paddy Burke: That is because we have to pay for them.

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (11 Mar 2003)

Paddy Burke: Did the Senator vote for it himself?

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (11 Mar 2003)

Paddy Burke: What advice is the Senator referring to?

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (11 Mar 2003)

Paddy Burke: The Minister of State gave the example of the newspaper and the journalist. What if one of them wants to withdraw the information request and the other does not? This is the key element of the section.

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (11 Mar 2003)

Paddy Burke: Does that not answer the first question? The legal owner of the information is the person who signed the request.

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (11 Mar 2003)

Paddy Burke: There is much ambiguity in this. However, the kernel of the issue in sections 2 and 5 is whether it is the newspaper that wants to withdraw the request or the person who originally sought the information. A newspaper cannot seek the information because somebody's name has to be put down on its behalf. I presume that when one puts in a freedom of information request, somebody's name is...

Seanad: Order of Business. (21 Mar 2003)

Paddy Burke: I support Senator O'Toole's call for funding to provide access from the mainland to Inishbiggle. I am saddened to hear of the death of another person while travelling to the island. On a number of occasions I have requested a debate on the overruns in spending on capital projects. This is one of the reasons funding has not been provided for the access project to Inishbiggle where a cable car...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Public Order) Bill 2002: Committee Stage. (20 May 2003)

Paddy Burke: This section deals with the closure of fast food and other food premises. I was involved in the fast food business for a number of years and I am familiar with most aspects of it. The Minister mentioned the level of noise, but who will be responsible for defining this? On one hand, some people will report matters out of vindictiveness or spite while, on the other, there will be genuine cases...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Public Order) Bill 2002: Committee Stage. (20 May 2003)

Paddy Burke: Rebel music.