Results 321-340 of 2,017 for speaker:Paul Bradford

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (28 Nov 2013)

Paul Bradford: Calculations have been reflected on and, obviously, we are not going to agree. It is becoming more of a political argument than one based on interpretation and the law. The suggestion of the Senator that this is something which should be challenged legally is worthy of deep consideration because it is not the party's but taxpayers' money about which we are speaking.

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (28 Nov 2013)

Paul Bradford: It amounts to hundreds of thousands of euro per annum, €1 million plus between now and next general election; that is a great deal of money. We can return to Senator Martin Conway's point when we come to deal with later amendments. He has stated his view that parties should be funded directly by the taxpayer or the State. It is an interesting argument, one that has been made...

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (28 Nov 2013)

Paul Bradford: The argument was made by the Minister of State, Deputy Alex White.

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (28 Nov 2013)

Paul Bradford: I move amendment No. 1: In page 4, between lines 18 and 19, to insert the following:"(2) Where a member of a qualifying party ceases to be a member of the Parliamentary Party of that party, no allowance shall be payable in respect of that member and the allowance payable under this section shall be reduced proportionately.".I welcome the Minister to the House. This is the fourth time he has...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013: Second Stage (26 Nov 2013)

Paul Bradford: I welcome the Minister and the legislation. I listened to the previous speaker, and while I do not disagree with his comments on the former workers at Waterford Crystal, I appreciate this legislation is not the final set of proposals on the broader issue of pensions and pension schemes and I look forward to further progress in this regard. Senator Cullinane mentioned the Minister's views...

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Nov 2013)

Paul Bradford: Senator Byrne's question is fair enough and I hope it did not unduly discommode Senator Norris.

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Nov 2013)

Paul Bradford: I think we are all reasonably at one on this issue. The current allowance payable to us is called the parliamentary allowance.

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Nov 2013)

Paul Bradford: No, I am referring to the current allowance of which all Deputies and Senators are in receipt. The parliamentary allowance is vouched half-way through the subsequent year when 10% of Members are selected for auditing. I presume that arrangement will apply. From the perspective of fairness and transparency for Independent Members, I ask the Minister to ensure detailed guidelines will be...

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Nov 2013)

Paul Bradford: I will withdraw the amendment with the possibility of resubmitting it on Report Stage.

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Nov 2013)

Paul Bradford: I am saying that I had no such difficulty when the Minister's current leader, the Tánaiste, quit his political party a number of years ago and went on a long political journey. I did not suggest then that he should leave his Dáil seat and face a by-election. I did not say it about the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Rabbitte, the Minister of State...

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Nov 2013)

Paul Bradford: I did not and would not say it. I am sure that when the Minister sits down with his friends in the leadership of his party, he will find that they had their own reasons for leaving the Workers Party, joining New Agenda which became Democratic Left and finally joining the Labour Party. I did not question their motives or their validity as elected representatives or disagree with their...

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Nov 2013)

Paul Bradford: That makes no financial or political sense. It certainly makes no sense from a reform perspective. I will leave it at that. If the Minister wants to call my argument precious, fair enough. I think it is a very straightforward political argument and I hope we would be mature enough to accept that in the so-called new politics which we are trying to generate, we do not have to do things as...

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Nov 2013)

Paul Bradford: I have three brief observations. I agree with the Minister that we will not reach a consensus on this. I assure him that this debate is about the Bill and what is contained in it. As the Minister rightly said, the Bill is about saving money, approximately 10% of taxpayers' hard-earned cash. We have put forward a proposal that would save another small amount of money, €1.5 million...

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Nov 2013)

Paul Bradford: Thank you teacher.

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Nov 2013)

Paul Bradford: I thank the Minister for his contribution. It is interesting that we have had this debate over three meetings, although it has not been over a single five or six hour block. The Minister was here a fortnight ago and last week, and we welcome him once again today.

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Nov 2013)

Paul Bradford: We like to see the Minister here. I like in particular his subtle but interesting change of philosophy in response to our amendment. A fortnight ago he made a strong political argument that once people decide to leave a political party, and he referred particularly to the Dáil, it would be his personal preference that they resign their seats and put their names before the electorate....

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Nov 2013)

Paul Bradford: The Minister was in possession.

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (13 Nov 2013)

Paul Bradford: Senator Crown is our leader. He should get a leader’s allowance.

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (13 Nov 2013)

Paul Bradford: I appeal to the Minister to look beyond the bailout exit towards a new type of politics and economics based on the meaning of words holding true, with people saying what they will do. We must live up to the reform agenda and take on board a very simple amendment that a child in first class should be able to understand. It would mean an allowance would not be given for a group or person no...

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (13 Nov 2013)

Paul Bradford: I move amendment No. 4: In page 4, between lines 17 and 18, to insert the following:“(2) Where a member of a qualifying party ceases to be a member of the Parliamentary Party of that party, no allowance shall be payable in respect of that member and the allowance payable under this section shall be reduced proportionately.”.The word "fairness" has been used frequently in the...