Results 3,981-4,000 of 5,763 for speaker:Gerard Craughwell

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Nov 2021)

Gerard Craughwell: Okay.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (10 Nov 2021)

Gerard Craughwell: I am grateful to the Cathaoirleach for allowing me in even though I was not scheduled to speak. The death of Austin Currie, as many of my colleagues have said, is a tremendous loss to Ireland. My sympathies go to his family. It is a pity we do not have more people like Austin Currie now working in Northern Ireland, people with nothing but peace in their minds, hearts and everything they...

Seanad: Vacancy in Membership of Seanad Éireann: Motion (10 Nov 2021)

Gerard Craughwell: I second the motion.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Revised National Development Plan: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Gerard Craughwell: I apologise for being late; I was engaged in something else. What I want to deal with is almost a parish pump issue. It comes from Galway, but I do not live there anymore so I cannot be accused of parish pump politics. It turns out the BusConnects service for the villages of Corrandulla and Annaghdown, as laid out in the NDP, seem to be at least 1 km away from Corrandulla and 10 km away...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Revised National Development Plan: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Gerard Craughwell: This is a serious issue in respect of the Annaghdown and Corrandulla areas, especially if we are trying to get people from what I call minor population areas just outside Galway city into the city itself. Getting buses into those two villages is important if we want to achieve that objective. In his letter, Councillor James Charity refers to the proposed 22A and 21A bus routes serving...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Revised National Development Plan: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Gerard Craughwell: Yes, but I am not going to put Ms Graham on the spot about this today, because that would be grossly unfair. A problem that might exist elsewhere in the system is identified. I refer to a proposed route that is supposed to hit a particular village but that is some-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Revised National Development Plan: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Gerard Craughwell: We have been a long time trying to get Corrandulla and Annaghdown catered for. They had a bus service previously but then lost it. There was some discussion about bypassing Galway or putting a ring-road around the city. I wish that project well. My point, though, is that it is important to get people into the city. I am sorry that I was late arriving and that I missed the witnesses'...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Revised National Development Plan: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Gerard Craughwell: No, I am not going to put Ms Graham on the carpet today to talk about one micro issue. I just wanted to highlight it as an issue that must be examined. Ms Graham has been forthcoming in saying that she is willing, as part of the public consultation, to take these things on board. I will also share this document with her, and she might then respond to me directly with an answer.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Revised National Development Plan: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Gerard Craughwell: We mentioned the Galway ring road a while ago. It has been an issue for a long time. A group in Galway has spent an incredible amount of time looking at light rail systems. One issue that I have as we move forward with plans is that, for example, a bridge is being put over the Corrib using the old Clifden line pillars. I understand that it will be a footbridge. My question for Mr. Walsh...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Revised National Development Plan: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Gerard Craughwell: I am happy for the witnesses to argue over it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Revised National Development Plan: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Gerard Craughwell: Would Ms Graham be happy to take a presentation from the committee which has been working on this for a number of years? I am not an expert; Ms Graham is the expert. What has been come up with is imaginative and, from a carbon-neutral point of view, it offers the country an opportunity. Galway city is too narrow in every sense for any sort of transport.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Revised National Development Plan: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Gerard Craughwell: I appreciate that. I thank Ms Graham.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Recent Meetings of the Foreign Affairs Council and the UN Security Council: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (9 Nov 2021)

Gerard Craughwell: The Minister is welcome to the House. At the outset, I want to say that our officials throughout the world, anywhere I have ever been, have been amazing people doing an amazing job. The Minister, and indeed his forerunners as Minister for Foreign Affairs, have had high profiles internationally and have served the country well. However, let us start with Iran. I cannot understand why,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Recent Meetings of the Foreign Affairs Council and the UN Security Council: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (9 Nov 2021)

Gerard Craughwell: Well that is okay, Chair.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Recent Meetings of the Foreign Affairs Council and the UN Security Council: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (9 Nov 2021)

Gerard Craughwell: Certainly, I would agree with you wholeheartedly. However, I am talking about the public perception. People think the Security Council is just a talking shop. I looked at resolutions going before the Security Council between 1946 and 2011. I think those were the dates. There were something like 11 pages of resolutions that had been vetoed by the big five. It makes people wonder what...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Recent Meetings of the Foreign Affairs Council and the UN Security Council: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (9 Nov 2021)

Gerard Craughwell: It is the second or third paragraph-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Recent Meetings of the Foreign Affairs Council and the UN Security Council: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (9 Nov 2021)

Gerard Craughwell: This is the one on climate. I understand the way we get around the problem of having resolutions vetoed is that we do not publish the resolution until we are sure we have everybody on side. If that is the way the Security Council works, it is really only a talking shop. We have to be brave and we have to publish whatever resolutions we want. We should let them veto it if they want....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Recent Meetings of the Foreign Affairs Council and the UN Security Council: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (9 Nov 2021)

Gerard Craughwell: I want to put two things on the record. One is the Minister's responsiveness when I have called on him for assistance outside this forum. I recall contacting him during the Kabul evacuation and within moments he came back to me. I know he did everything he could for the individual involved. The other matter relates to the Security Council. My concern is more about the frustration the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Nov 2021)

Gerard Craughwell: Ireland set up in recent years technological universities throughout the country and we are very proud of that. I was present of the Teachers Union of Ireland during the initial stages of that and I was struck by the commitment of staff in all of the former institutes of technology to get behind the drive to bring the technological universities about. There were difficulties, which we...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (16 Nov 2021)

Gerard Craughwell: I will be brief. The amendments tabled collectively by me and Senators Keogan and Boyhan have been requested by the Association of Irish Local Government which is a cross-party group. It involves all parties and none. I must bow to its members' knowledge. They are the people on the ground who must oversee planning in their areas.I accept the Minister's bona fides and I do understand the...