Results 381-400 of 5,754 for speaker:Gerard Craughwell

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I welcome all the delegates. I want to turn first to the IRG, which is the foundation upon which the oversight body is established. Like Ms King, I have spent most of my life representing workers. A key element of representing workers is the principle that no man is guilty until proven so. As a former serving soldier, I was deeply upset to find the IRG was published as fact rather than...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: Another issue relates to the independence of the board. It is vital that the board be independent but also that there be balance. I am following on from the Deputy's point about the appointment of the Secretary General of the Department. I understand what the professor said about this being a matter for the Government, and it is something our committee will have to take up. Whatever about...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: The matter of independence has often arisen in situations such as this. I am mindful of a Supreme Court ruling that it is not good enough just to say you are independent. Rather, you must be seen to be independent, and I think all members of the board would agree with that. Ms Sinnamon is chair of the implementation group. I have had conversations with some very senior people throughout...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: My colleague spoke about heads 25 and 26 of the proposed Bill, which set out to silence the representative bodies and prevent them from making public comment. Surely one issue that is going to be really important for cultural change within the organisation is that if complaints are brought to the representative bodies and are not dealt with correctly, they should have the power as...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: Can I come in on that point? Looking back at ombudsman reports over a number of years, some of the issues that arose in the IRG report never materialised in the ombudsman’s report.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: If ever you could give me a reason for having the representation bodies as ex officio members of the oversight body’s committee, you have just given it to me there.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: My point is they would learn.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I want to go back to the good old days when I served. The First Battalion in Galway paraded every day at 9 a.m. The battalion commander took the parade and the second in command was on parade, as were the sergeant major and the company commanders. Each platoon had a lieutenant, sergeants and corporals. Not so terribly long ago, I had to raise an issue whereby an entire battalion was being...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: It has been in the media. It has also been said to me internationally that something people were surprised to find was this very difficult relationship between the civilian side and those in uniform. This needs to be looked at. If we are going to have cultural change it has to go the whole way and down through the Department. It has to be looked at.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: One of the things we did was increase the pay of private soldiers. As a result, the incentive to become a corporal for an extra €20 a week or whatever has gone out the window. In fairness, we did it to see low-paid workers improve their lot. It was a great idea at the time but now the latent aspect is beginning to kick in and the incentive to take on the additional responsibility...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I think we need to look at the departmental relationship as well when we discuss this legislation further.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: In industrial relations, if I lodge a grievance against my employer, there is a system I must go through. It is no different to what Ms Feehily is portraying in the Defence Forces.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: They can, but by and large, one has to go through the system and if one does not, one will be sent back from time to time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: It is not a unique military thing that there is a hierarchy to go through. There is a hierarchy in most IR systems.

Seanad: Gnó an tSeanaid - Business of Seanad (22 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: The Leas-Chathaoirleach has extended the no-homework rule. It used to be for just one night.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I, too, welcome the Estonian ambassador. I note for the record the amount of work she has done in supporting an initiative I launched approximately two years ago in the area of cybersecurity, including awareness and training. The assistance we have had from Tallinn has been second to none. I thank her very much for her efforts. It is interesting that we have members of the European Court...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: Well, the Court of Justice will do fine too.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: They might look at it, too. We might bring it to them there. My apologies. The information leaflet for the referendum arrived in my house yesterday. I am absolutely disgusted by it. It gives no clear indication of what is involved. Minister after Minister has gone out telling the people about what it is going to do for families, yet the legal advice is that it will cause more confusion...

Seanad: Second Anniversary of Russian Invasion of Ukraine: Statements (22 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: The Minister of State and the ambassadors of Ukraine and Lithuania are welcome to the House. The Ukraine war has been ongoing for two years now and we constantly see some images, but let us be honest, the Ukraine war has slipped down in media importance, if you like. We are seeing more from Gaza now than from Ukraine and one wonders whether we swing to the latest, greatest war, wherever it...

Committee on Public Petitions: Petition on Justice and Marine Safety: Discussion (22 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: Mr. Gaffney and his delegation are very welcome. I have seen many presentations at Oireachtas committees over the past ten years. I have never seen so much misery in four pages. I cannot begin to understand how Mr. Gaffney must feel. I lost a business 30- or 40-odd years ago, but I was able to turn the page and move on. There is no page to turn here. What he is coping with is...