Results 341-360 of 5,754 for speaker:Gerard Craughwell

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Mar 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Mar 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: Like previous speakers, I compliment both Irish national rugby teams on their victories, but I was saddened to see such a small turnout on Sunday for the excellent display of rugby by our female team. I congratulate them, given that it must have been difficult for the players to experience such a small turnout following the hype surrounding the men's team. They deserve great credit....

Seanad: Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Second Stage (24 Mar 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: I compliment the Minister and her staff on this extremely complex Bill. I will not deliver an eloquent speech. There have been enough of those already. We have seen the two sides of the coin and heard the sort of debate that will come from this Bill. I want to take up Senator Crown’s last point on anonymity. I was blessed to be born into a family of 11. I came in the middle and...

Seanad: An Bille um an gCeathrú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Comhionannas Pósta) 2015: An Dara Céim - Thirty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution (Marriage Equality) Bill 2015: Second Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: The Minister's day is coming to an end given that I am on my feet. I welcome the Minister and congratulate her on bringing before the House the Bill to put a referendum on marriage equality to the people in May. The legislation has been a long time coming and we might not have been here today but for the courage and conviction of Senator Zappone and her partner Ann Louise Gilligan, who...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Mar 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: First and foremost, I support the call this morning with respect to the IMPACT special needs workers in schools. Slowly but surely, we have watched the education system being run down to a point where zero-hour contracts and contracts by the minute are almost the order of the day, and I would support IMPACT. I rise this morning in support of the call by the Dyslexia Association of Ireland...

Seanad: Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Committee Stage (26 Mar 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: I am totally opposed to the notion of being able to trace the original donor. I am thinking of the child because from the moment of conception using this system, the parents will be the mother and father, couple or mother to whom the child is born. I see the reason for being able to trace the genetic issues surrounding the donor.I can see no justifiable reason for being able to identify the...

Seanad: Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Committee Stage (26 Mar 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: On a point of order, the Minister and her staff have been sitting here for the past four hours. In light of the fact that we have extended the debate by an hour, it would not be terrible to adjourn for ten minutes for a cup of tea.

Seanad: Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Committee Stage (26 Mar 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: I know, but we could have a break to allow the Minister to leave altogether.

Seanad: Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Committee Stage (26 Mar 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: I will take my flogging.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Mar 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: First, I compliment Senators Hayden and Barrett on bringing forward the request for a debate on the transatlantic trade and investment partnership, TTIP. While I support both calls, I am not sure that I am as enthusiastic as is my colleague, Senator Barrett. I also wish to support Senator van Turnhout on the issue of children's mental health. In particular, if Members are to have a debate...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Mar 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: People are being a little previous in coming up with what caused this event. The other thing I find most disturbing today is that questions now are being asked about the religion of the pilot. Religion is a lifestyle choice. We now live in our multiethnic multireligious society and how dare anybody try to pin this on one particular religious belief or another. Consequently, I ask the...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Mar 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: That is correct.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Mar 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: Yes.

Seanad: An Bille um an gCeathrú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Comhionannas Pósta) 2015: Céim an Choiste - Thirty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution (Marriage Equality) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: Like Senator Averil Power I have been sitting in my office for the past hour watching this debate. I am coming to the conclusion that there is a lack of tolerance by some of my colleagues. There is a lack of understanding of what equality is and what it means. I was fortunate enough in my own life to find somebody I loved and I have lived with that somebody for 37 years. It might just as...

Seanad: An Bille um an gCeathrú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Comhionannas Pósta) 2015: Céim an Choiste - Thirty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution (Marriage Equality) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: I am glad the Acting Chairman said he would put the question. It has come to the time to put the question. I have the greatest respect for my colleagues and their position but there comes a time when one has to stop flogging a dead horse and find a new one. Now is the time to do that.

Seanad: An Bille um an gCeathrú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Comhionannas Pósta) 2015: Céim an Choiste - Thirty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution (Marriage Equality) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: On a point of order. To ask the Minister to provide legal opinion today is nonsense.

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Mar 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: I, too, support Senator Ivana Bacik and the call for a debate on drugs, particularly biosimilars, relatively new drugs which would save the country tens of thousands, if not millions, of euro. As a new grandfather, I also support the call for the making available of the meningitis vaccine. At €300 a pop in a private capacity, it seems ridiculous that the State will not step. ...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Mar 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: Hear, hear. We support that fully.

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Mar 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: I think he was looking for a date.

Seanad: Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Report and Final Stages (30 Mar 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: I take grave exception to the constant reference to money.