Results 321-340 of 23,053 for speaker:Paddy Burke

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Jun 2021)

Paddy Burke: I congratulate the Cathaoirleach on his first year as Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann. I wish to raise the issue of driver theory tests. The way they are being treated is disgraceful. People who are scheduled for tests go to the testing centre to find out it is closed. They have not been notified that their test has been rescheduled although they should be. I am calling on the...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (28 Jun 2021)

Paddy Burke: I welcome the Minister of State. I refer to amendments Nos. 16 and 17 and variations of county development plans. There is no great flexibility in county development plans. The national development plan is running at the moment and trying to grow the regions by cities. Some smaller towns may have zoning for development land for enterprise or industry which is no longer required but it is...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (28 Jun 2021)

Paddy Burke: Some counties have their development plans finished and they may not come up again for another four or five years. In the meantime, this land may well be suitable for housing. How can they go about it rather than the local authority CEO bringing forward a variation of the plan? Would the Department have an input into it?

Seanad: Residential Tenancies (No. 2) Bill 2021: Second Stage (25 Jun 2021)

Paddy Burke: I welcome the Minister back to the House and I wish him well with this legislation. It is very welcome and it will give some certainty to people who find themselves renting. It also has safeguards for students. I agree with Senator Byrne on student accommodation and the need for campus accommodation. I would hope new campuses would be built in all of the new technological universities....

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Jun 2021)

Paddy Burke: On the day the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, said we will not meet our 2013 to 2020 emissions reduction targets, I would like to support my colleagues, Senators Chambers, Blaney and Dooley, in calling for people whose homes are affected by pyrite or mica to be able claim Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland grants. It is ridiculous to think they should take out the windows and...

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (21 Jun 2021)

Paddy Burke: Two minutes is a short time to speak on anything.

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (21 Jun 2021)

Paddy Burke: The Minister stated that every place and person matters. If he takes that sentiment with him, it will be a great place to start from with this Bill. If he meets the farming organisations, I have no doubt he will bring them with him and win the day. They know there is going to be change. It is ironic that we are debating this on a day when two important reports came out. One is a report...

Seanad: Aviation Sector: Statements (21 Jun 2021)

Paddy Burke: I wish to share my time with Senator Ahearn. I welcome the Minister of State to the House and welcome this opportunity to say a few words on this important topic. There is no need for me to explain to her the impact that the pandemic has had on the aviation business. There is also no need for me to tell her how important Ireland West Airport Knock is to our region of the west. The airport...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2021: Second Stage (18 Jun 2021)

Paddy Burke: I welcome the Minister back to the House and thank him for appearing before us so often. I agree with the Bill. It is important legislation, which I suppose is the reason it is being rushed through both Houses. I agree with Senator Fitzpatrick that a simple majority is required. A two thirds majority would be difficult. As other Senators have stated, considering a development plan over...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (18 Jun 2021)

Paddy Burke: I welcome the Minister back to the House. I welcome his statement that affordable and cost rental will be in place this year, with the passage of this Bill. That is great news and the quicker we can get this Bill through, the better. It is great news to see that will be in place. There were people who fell through the net before this. I refer to people who were working and did not...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Perjury and Related Offences) Bill 2018: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (15 Jun 2021)

Paddy Burke: I join other Members of the House in congratulating the former Senator, Pádraig Ó Céidigh, for starting and bringing forward this legislation, which has gone through the other House with amendments, which are now before us. I would like to ask the Minister of State about some of the issues that were mentioned by Senator Martin. I agree with the Senator that perjury is already...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Perjury and Related Offences) Bill 2018: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (15 Jun 2021)

Paddy Burke: Does this deal with Schedule 1? That is in the next one.

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Perjury and Related Offences) Bill 2018: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (15 Jun 2021)

Paddy Burke: I welcome what the Minister of State has said and I welcome him to the House as well. A number of Acts relating to bodies are listed under Schedule 1 in respect of which there may be proceedings. Some years ago the Government proceeded with a referendum to give more power to Oireachtas committees to carry out inquiries. Are Oireachtas inquiries covered under this Bill? The banking inquiry...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 Jun 2021)

Paddy Burke: I ask the Leader to arrange for the Taoiseach to come to the House to discuss the pyrite and mica crisis. This issue was raised in this House by former Senator, Michelle Mulherin, week after week for four or five years. The current scheme is not adequate and as others have said, it does not even cover people's costs. We must meet 100% of the costs involved. A number of other issues must...

Seanad: Public Service Pay Bill 2020: Second Stage (14 Jun 2021)

Paddy Burke: I welcome the Minister of State and wish him well with this legislation. It is a very short Bill but it is very important. I am disappointed by some aspects. It does not go into great detail on benchmarking. I was a Member of this House when benchmarking was introduced. It was supposed to be the bee's knees for the way forward but we have not done any analysis of where we are with...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2021)

Paddy Burke: I presume the question Senator Warfield is asking is will the houses in question be sold in a turnkey state, as opposed to dwellings without any furniture or fittings. However, there are different levels of turnkey. There could be an upgraded turnkey or a lower standard of turnkey. Additional costs could amount to €10,000 or €100,000, if we are talking about an exclusive...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2021)

Paddy Burke: I agree with Senator Cummins. It is very clear from section 12 of the Bill that amendment No. 47 would not be suitable at all. It refers to a 20% equity stake. Who decides on the equity stake? In a housing estate of 100 houses, some houses may be slightly more valuable than others. They could be end houses, corner houses, houses with bigger gardens or houses that face south, for example....

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2021)

Paddy Burke: Section 34 is the kernel of the Bill.It goes to the heart of it all. I fully support everything Senator Cummins has said. He has explained in great detail why we have gone down the route of cost-rental dwellings. The kernel of all of this is taxation. When the crash happened, developers and builders were demonised. We arrived at a situation in which we had no builders and no developers....

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2021)

Paddy Burke: I do not think anything I am saying is outrageous. What I am saying is a fact. Some people find themselves as landlords accidentally.

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2021)

Paddy Burke: To the amendment, I support everything my colleague, Senator Cummins, has said in respect of cost rental.