Results 41-60 of 5,754 for speaker:Gerard Craughwell

Seanad: Response to Storm Éowyn: Statements (26 Feb 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: The Minister is welcome to the House. I congratulate him on his elevation. I believe there is now a requirement for a statutorily based overarching emergency management structure in Ireland. Storm Éowyn had a devastating impact throughout Ireland. It had a destructive impact on our critical national infrastructure, especially our electricity grid and water resources. Three weeks...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Feb 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: There has been a newfound interest in defence in this country. This weekend, there was not one publication that did not have an opinion piece of some sort expressing a view on where defence should be at. They were written by various people. It is a matter of serious concern to me that people in this House and the Lower House find themselves speaking on such things as the triple lock and...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (19 Feb 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: Over the past four years, I have spent considerable time expressing my concerns about the search and rescue, SAR, contract that was being negotiated at that time. The Leader will be aware as a Galwegian that the former GP from the Aran Islands has expressed her deep concern that Shannon is now not able to provide 24-hour, 365 day, SAR services.It is only open from 8 o'clock in the morning...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (19 Feb 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: I would ask Members when they speak, to speak into the microphones. I am deaf and we put in a loop hearing system here, which is very good, but if a Member holds notes in front of the microphone, I cannot hear the Member. I ask colleagues to bear in mind that there may be more people deaf in here, not just me.

Seanad: Election of Leas-Chathaoirleach (19 Feb 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: I too will take the same position as my colleagues and will not participate in today's election. I find it deeply regrettable that we find ourselves in this situation. We have two excellent candidates. I was not aware of Senator Flynn's emergence into the competition until this morning. I had committed to Senator Byrne, a very fine Senator and a wonderful parliamentarian; both of them...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (13 Feb 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: Hear, hear.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (13 Feb 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: There has been some discussion here of the storm and the response to it. I published a document some time ago that I also circulated to Members of the House. I will circulate it to Members again. It is about the requirement to have a statutory-based, overarching emergency management system in the State. We are one of the few states in Europe that does not have a statutory emergency...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries and Ministerial, Parliamentary, Judicial and Court Offices (Amendment) Bill 2025: Second Stage (13 Feb 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: The Minister State is welcome to the House. I am aware of the fact that, on one side, we have a parallel process going on where we have a number of judicial cases on this issue and, on the other side, we have a transparent process being entered into by the Government. On the basis that it is transparent and open, I welcome that. As to my colleagues who have cases down in the High Court, I...

Seanad: Cathaoirleach a Thoghadh - Election of Cathaoirleach (12 Feb 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: Go raibh maith agat, a Chathaoirligh. Congratulations to you. You served well as Cathaoirleach in your last term and I expect you will serve equally as well in this term. I understand you had stiff competition. That is always healthy. I am delighted that you made it across the board. The father of the House who introduced you today is a wonderful parliamentarian and a great friend. I...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (7 Nov 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I, too, join all my colleagues in thanking Martin Groves and his staff for their professionalism and their support at times when we need it. I think we all echo that. We are entering into an electoral cycle. I wish all my colleagues well as they go forward for election. Many of our colleagues have been hounded out of office by disinformation and misinformation and by the venom that is...

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (Amendment) Bill 2024 [Certified Money Bill]: Second and Subsequent Stages (7 Nov 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I welcome the Minister to the House. We are in an electoral cycle now. One of the things I regard as very poor form from this House is the information provided to candidates on the implications that may affect them on election to the Parliament, whether it is to the Dáil or the Seanad. In my case, when I got elected to this House I took a salary hit of €10,000 annually....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Service Performance Report 2023: Department of Transport (6 Nov 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: The Minister is welcome to the committee. We did not always have a great relationship over the last Dáil period but I have to put something on the record today. There was a discussion at the weekend among some friends of mine regarding an assessment of Ministers' performance in the previous Government or the current Government and the Minister came out on top as the person who achieved...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Service Performance Report 2023: Department of Transport (6 Nov 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: Fixed-wing aircraft. If a helicopter is travelling over a certain distance, the natural curve of the earth means it will lose radio communication so a rebroadcast station will be needed between the helicopter and land. For this reason, top cover goes up and has line of sight with Ireland, if you like. That is the function and the Air Corps used to fulfil that. I agree with the Minister...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Service Performance Report 2023: Department of Transport (6 Nov 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: The Luas runs outside my door and I think the station is going to be renamed Craughwell Station. I am not sure about that one. The Luas was fantastic when it started but it is now absolute bedlam by the time the trams get to beside the ambassador's house. For example, coming in on the Luas this morning there were four Luas trams nose to tail the whole way into town.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Service Performance Report 2023: Department of Transport (6 Nov 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: Out where I am, there is a large amount of building taking place. There are hundreds and hundreds of houses.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Service Performance Report 2023: Department of Transport (6 Nov 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: Probably not, no.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Service Performance Report 2023: Department of Transport (6 Nov 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I will finish on this. I look forward to Eamon Ryan 3.0. Eamon Ryan 1.0 and 2.0 made their mark on the country. I am sure the Minister is moving on to something exciting and I look forward to seeing where he goes. I wish him the very best of luck and thank him.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Nov 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: On the issue of weapons passing through our sky, until such a time as we have an airforce that can intercept and interdict we can do sweet damn all about it. Talking about it is of little value, action is what is needed. The Leader will know that I have spent quite a lot of the period of this Seanad working in the area of cybersecurity. I brought a number of delegations to Talinn in...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2024: Second Stage (6 Nov 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I welcome the Minister. This is the first time I have addressed him since he became Minister for Finance and I offer my congratulations. I am not here to give the Bill a hammering but there are a couple of points I would like to make. First and foremost, I want to raise the issue of the USC, on which Senator Boyhan made a speech this morning. It came in as a short-term tax to help with...