Results 181-200 of 2,017 for speaker:Paul Bradford

Seanad: Report of Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areas: Statements (19 Nov 2014)

Paul Bradford: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I support the comments of my colleagues about this report. How could anyone oppose a genuine effort to promote and expand rural Ireland? However, we must concede that we have heard it all before. This might be a newly-commissioned report but all these suggestions have been made down the years but sadly, most have not been acted upon. I will...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Vocational Education Committees Expenditure (18 Nov 2014)

Paul Bradford: I thank the Minister of State for his reply and I note his comments. It is not news to me that the Minister, having given detailed consideration to matters raised by the correspondent, determined that an investigation was not warranted at this stage. I trust, however, that once the Comptroller and Auditor General's report is published and if it is deemed necessary, or if certain facts are...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Vocational Education Committees Expenditure (18 Nov 2014)

Paul Bradford: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Harris, to the House. Obviously, my preference would have been to have the Minister for Education and Skills respond to my query. However, it is appropriate in one sense that the Minister of State, Deputy Harris, is here because issues such as good governance in terms of the spending of taxpayers money is at the core of this matter and, in particular,...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Nov 2014)

Paul Bradford: We must not give into the mob rule now of extreme, left-wing socialists who look to the Soviet Union and North Korea for a panacea. That is their aspiration for our island. It is not an aspiration that I, or the vast majority of people on this land, share.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Nov 2014)

Paul Bradford: I support Senator Healy Eames in her call for a debate on the taxation system. She echoed what I said here a fortnight ago to the Minister for Finance when we debated the universal social charge. I raised the matter with him on the basis that I vividly recall, both the Government when introducing the USC and the Opposition in responding to its introduction, all saying that the tax would be...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Nov 2014)

Paul Bradford: I join colleagues from all sides who expressed concern about the current crisis in the beef industry. It is putting livelihoods and jobs at risk both in the short and long term. The forum will meet tomorrow and we are hopeful progress can be made. There are certainly profound questions concerning competition and cartel issues that can be deliberated. Perhaps if there cannot be a domestic...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Nov 2014)

Paul Bradford: This is a week of commemoration and we have mentioned war death commemorations and those who died on the roads. On Sunday, the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall was marked, and this was surely part of the most momentous political development in the past 50 years. We should remember all those people who in the decades before the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Iron Curtain lost...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Nov 2014)

Paul Bradford: In the aftermath of the release of the Trichet letter - the contents should not come as a surprise to anybody - there will be further recollection of the events of the summer and autumn of 2010 when the country reached its lowest economic point in many decades. It should lead us to reflect on what caused the problems in the period from 2006 to 2010, which was not caused by Europe, it was...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Nov 2014)

Paul Bradford: If I could be allowed, I will try to make a constructive point rather than a silly political point.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Nov 2014)

Paul Bradford: We must try to learn from past mistakes. Anybody who read one of the main banner headlines in one of yesterday's daily newspapers in which we were informed that the Government coffers are being boosted once again by a property boom should think carefully as to whether that is good or bad news.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Nov 2014)

Paul Bradford: One could ask whether we are going to repeat the same mistakes again. I will not refer to short-term political advantage as the electorate has copped on but the question is whether we will seek to devise a short-term economic model incorrectly manufactured by a property boom. I previously called for the Minister of State with responsibility for housing to come to the House. We urgently...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (5 Nov 2014)

Paul Bradford: I welcome the Minister of State. I apologise for missing most of his contribution but I was present for the concluding part. I wish to express my strong objection to the amendment before the House and I was glad to hear the Minister of State indicate it will not be accepted. The phrase "data protection" is nice but protection of citizens and their security and that of the State is what the...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (5 Nov 2014)

Paul Bradford: I thank my colleague for bestowing a legal qualification upon me. His action might open up the possibility of my entering onto a new career path.

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (5 Nov 2014)

Paul Bradford: At the core of this legislation and similar legislation introduced by the Government is the framework for keeping, in so far as is ever possible, our citizens, society and country safe. We should never apologise for that. I would be the first to concede that at times there have been tragic miscarriages of justice and that major errors have been made. There has been in such instances,...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Nov 2014)

Paul Bradford: Will the Leader request the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to come to the House to discuss his ongoing efforts to assist the undocumented Irish in the United States? It is appropriate that the Government would renew its efforts because the political map of the United States changed very significantly last night due to a significant swing to the Republican Party, which means the Obama...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Universal Social Charge Payments (23 Oct 2014)

Paul Bradford: I thank the Minister for his comprehensive reply, which speaks for itself. As stated earlier, a levy, charge or tax which is generating in excess of €4 billion each year can certainly not be made to just disappear overnight. The streamlining and effective administration of our taxation system is extremely important. It is possible to have a progressive taxation system without, of...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Universal Social Charge Payments (23 Oct 2014)

Paul Bradford: I welcome the Minister to the House. This is not particularly a motion but simply a question for the Minister that is not for today or tomorrow but is long term in nature. We all acknowledge and recognise the very significant funding is brought into the State's coffers by the universal social charge. Reflecting back on its introduction, we are also aware that it replaced the health and...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Oct 2014)

Paul Bradford: The good management and governance of the House requires a little common sense, flexibility and goodwill. Appropriate and genuine Order of Business requests have been presented by Senator O'Donnell in respect of the water charges fiasco, as it could be called at this stage, and Senator Crown in respect of the pension crisis. However, we should accept that if we are to have a meaningful...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Oct 2014)

Paul Bradford: That is not particularly helpful.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Oct 2014)

Paul Bradford: I look forward to the Leader coming back to Senator O'Donnell and Senator Crown. I am keen to have the respective Ministers before the House and a meaningful debate. Certainly, this should be arranged for no later than early next week, if it cannot happen today or tomorrow. I wish to address No. 58, motion No. 9, and motion No. 10 refers. Senator Averil Power has proposed that No. 58,...