Results 1-20 of 220 for speaker:Martin Brady

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Dec 2010)

Martin Brady: On Senator Fitzgerald's point, I was speaking to a city council official this morning about social housing. One of the complaints of the city council is that offers of housing are refused. In the case in question, three offers of housing were made to an individual on three occasions and refused because the houses in question were not in the location desired by the individual. He or she...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Dec 2010)

Martin Brady: I just want to clarify the matter. Let me address the points raised by Senator Buttimer. There are landlords, particularly in Dublin's city centre, who are acting the blackguard with tenants. During the flooding, we came across a house with approximately 30 people living in it. It was a dangerous place in which to be living. This problem has not been rectified and still arises in the city...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2010: Second Stage (15 Dec 2010)

Martin Brady: I welcome the necessary changes provided for in this Bill. I refer to a point raised by Senator Prendergast relating to landlords and tenants. She is quite correct that there is a stigma attached to being a recipient of social welfare. Some landlords regard social welfare recipients as being different and troublesome. It is stated there are 150,000 claims for rent supplement and only...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2010: Second Stage (15 Dec 2010)

Martin Brady: There are babysitters as well. Overall the Bill is very welcome and considerable work went into it. It is well thought out and I look forward to its adoption.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2010: Second Stage (14 Dec 2010)

Martin Brady: I hear a lot about the wealthy. I recall an interview with Vincent Browne in which a self-appointed politician made a point about the wealthy. What are we speaking about here? Who are these wealthy people, where are they and how do we get at them? Is a wealthy person one who set up his or her own business and has now become a billionaire? I would like some definition of how many of these...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2010: Second Stage (14 Dec 2010)

Martin Brady: As Senator Quinn said, it is very difficult to explain to a household where all the members are unemployed why the banks are getting big handouts, given the thievery they were involved in. The public in general believe very little heed is being paid to them by those in authority. We saw the recent skirmish on the bank bonuses but that is minute in comparison to the overall situation. We...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2010: Second Stage (14 Dec 2010)

Martin Brady: They are. If one gives handouts to people, it is very difficult to police this. Handouts were given for free food, including butter, and in some cases people who got vouchers bought bottles of whiskey with them. Overall, there is much tidying up to be done in this area. There is no point throwing money at people if it is not being utilised properly, which is not happening in many cases at...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2010: Second Stage (14 Dec 2010)

Martin Brady: This is populist stuff again.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2010: Second Stage (14 Dec 2010)

Martin Brady: This is election stuff.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2010: Second Stage (14 Dec 2010)

Martin Brady: I am not smiling and laughing.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2010: Second Stage (14 Dec 2010)

Martin Brady: I am not laughing at all.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2010: Second Stage (14 Dec 2010)

Martin Brady: The Senator's party had a few developers at its fundraiser.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2010: Second Stage (14 Dec 2010)

Martin Brady: The Senator's party had a few developers at its fundraiser.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2010: Second Stage (14 Dec 2010)

Martin Brady: I will speak for myself.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2010: Second Stage (14 Dec 2010)

Martin Brady: Deputy Enda Kenny was embarrassed about the builders attending the function.

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Dec 2010)

Martin Brady: Tomorrow morning.

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Dec 2010)

Martin Brady: I agree with Senator O'Toole and others that seven years is a short time. Eircom provides a good example of what has happened with all these new regulations. The service provided to the customer by Eircom has diminished drastically when compared with the service it provided ten years ago. It is very difficult to get a telephone fixed. It is very difficult to get a telephone in some parts...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2010)

Martin Brady: Ingenious.

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2010)

Martin Brady: I agree that trade unions should be included in the section. I was involved in the postal and telecommunications union and was president of one of the union branches. We had a scheme of worker participation which encouraged workers who were not trade union activists to participate in decision making, and there were suggestion schemes and so on. I am sure all that still exists. Since I...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2010)

Martin Brady: The Senator should name the postman.