Results 4,081-4,100 of 5,763 for speaker:Gerard Craughwell

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Jan 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: I wish everybody a happy new year. I tabled a Private Members’ motion in May 2021 regarding the search and rescue contract. At that time, I warned that the procurement process was certainly questionable. Since then, I have sought for the business case to be released in order that we would understand how we have moved from four helicopters to three, and why a fixed-wing aircraft is...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Jan 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: It is on the Order Paper and I will be talking about it next week.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Jan 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: As a former teacher I might say I admire the Leader’s leadership on this particular issue. She is to be complimented for it.

Committee on Public Petitions: Annual Reports from 2017 to 2020 and Related Matters: Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (20 Jan 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: Mr. Justice Mahon is very welcome to this afternoon's meeting. I also welcome the person in the ombudsman's office, Mr. Brian O'Neill, who prior to Mr. Justice Mahon's appointment was very responsive, together with the previous ombudsman, to any request my office put in. I am delighted to see Mr. O'Neill taking notes and keeping abreast of what goes on with the Oireachtas committee. I...

Committee on Public Petitions: Annual Reports from 2017 to 2020 and Related Matters: Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (20 Jan 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: Absolutely, and I am delighted to hear that. Mr. O'Neill is aware of the case I refer to, and he may discuss it with the ombudsman at a later stage.

Committee on Public Petitions: Annual Reports from 2017 to 2020 and Related Matters: Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (20 Jan 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: I believe it was settled before Mr. Justice Mahon's appointment or perhaps just afterwards, I cannot remember. It is always detrimental to the process if, having gone through all of the hoops and having had a favourable recommendation from the ombudsman's office, a person then must actually go through the legal system to get some sort of resolution. That is always bad and I am delighted to...

Committee on Public Petitions: Annual Reports from 2017 to 2020 and Related Matters: Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (20 Jan 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: That is excellent. Prior to the appointment of Mr. Justice Mahon, one of the first cases I encountered as a Senator was a complaint that had been brought to the ombudsman by an officer of the Defence Forces. The who or the where is irrelevant at this point. An extremely thorough investigation was carried out. Having gone through the entire Defence Forces appeals system and failed, the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Jan 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: I second the amendment to the Order of Business proposed by Senator Keogan. I was delighted to hear that Rescue 117 in Waterford has been saved. We now have four SAR bases in the country that are guaranteed by the Government. That is welcome and I thank all the Members of this House and the Lower House who got behind that campaign to ensure that we kept four helicopters. I have asked on a...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Jan 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: I thank the Leader.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Jan 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: There has been much discussion over the last few days about Ireland's neutrality and the Russian exercise off the south-west coast. I ask somebody to show me an Act of Parliament from this or any government that states that Ireland is a neutral country. Show me in the Constitution where it states that Ireland is a neutral country. Where can we find a reference to Ireland's neutrality...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (27 Jan 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: Last night there was a private discussion at the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party-----

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (27 Jan 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: -----and the work of the Defence Forces Chief of Staff was brought into disrepute. The matter was reported in the newspapers. It is absolutely outrageous that there would be any comment on the Chief of Staff, who is not in a position to respond.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (27 Jan 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: He is a servant of this State. The Minister must go further than he did in the Dáil this morning in making an apology to the Chief of Staff. I am not for a moment justifying anything the Chief of Staff did. The meeting with the Russians was scheduled and the photograph on Twitter was a mistake.The issue of the Russian fleet being off the south-west coast of this country in the next...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (27 Jan 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: No aircraft flies into Shannon with troops on board on a mission that has not been authorised under one of the chapters of the United Nations. This needs to stop. If we do not want these aircraft flying in and out of Shannon then we need to address this at UN headquarters and not in this House as it is not the place for it. We are a member of the United Nations and sometimes we have to be...

Seanad: Garda Síochána (Functions and Operational Areas) Bill 2021: Second Stage (27 Jan 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: I thank the Minister for being in the House. The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors has expressed some concern about the move or the direction in which we are moving. We are clearly going to move inspectors from their supervisory role into a management role as we move into this. That is not their function. We need supervision on the ground using both our sergeants and...

Seanad: Violence Against Women: Statements (27 Jan 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: She only went for a run, Ashling Murphy. We have all been talking about it ever since her poor body was found. All of this hype will pass but Ashling's mother, father, sister, brother and other relations will have to live with their grief forever. It is really sad that we have been brought to this. I am the brother of eight sisters, the son of a wonderful mother, the husband of a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Investment Framework for Transport in Ireland: Discussion (26 Jan 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: The Minister is very welcome. Planning is something with which we have had constant problems but one of the great examples of planning is the Luas line. As somebody asked me on the first day the Luas opened, is it not great that they have kept the old Harcourt Street line? Officials have been great down the years in that they recognised the line might have been needed again at some stage...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Investment Framework for Transport in Ireland: Discussion (26 Jan 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: On the charging points at hotels and the like, tourism is a major industry in this country. The Minister might look at grant-aiding to ensure that hotels in places like Clifden, Dingle, Dungarvan or west Cork have the wherewithal to put in charging points because it would be a huge advantage with regard to electric car rental for tourists and so on. I ask the Minister to look at that.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Feb 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: Hear, hear.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Feb 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: I wish a happy St. Brigid's Day to the Acting Leader and all her friends in Kildare. I second the amendment proposed by Senator Mullen to the Order of Business. I would like to second the amendment proposed by Senator Flynn but I am not in a position to do so. I ask one of my colleagues to do so for her because it is an excellent Bill. The case of Richard O'Halloran is over, thank God. I...