Results 4,161-4,180 of 5,763 for speaker:Gerard Craughwell

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (3 Feb 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: I was really comfortable in my mind as to what I wanted to say until Deputy Higgins came in. She has now totally thrown my mind somewhere else. There is much in what Deputy Pat Buckley is saying in this particular case. I would see no difficulty whatsoever in this committee taking the lead on it and by all means inviting in the Committee on Health as well. It is one of those rare...

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (3 Feb 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: I support what Deputy Buckley is saying. I am in the beautiful position that I am an Independent here and answerable to nobody but God. At the end of the day, key to the Committee on Petitions is that the citizen has access to the Oireachtas and the citizen has the opportunity to bring his or her case here, when everything else has failed him or her. From that perspective, leaving party...

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (3 Feb 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: I will allow the member from the Lower House to speak first.

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (3 Feb 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: Thank you very much, Chairman. I ask Deputy Higgins to drop me a text before I speak in future so that I do not walk myself into trouble. The problem we have here is that Deputy Buckley on one side, and Deputies Higgins and Devlin on the other side, are all making perfect sense. What I would say about the Committee on Public Petitions is that it should be the last chance saloon for...

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (3 Feb 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: I reluctantly propose that we do not invite them in until we establish that all other avenues have been exhausted. That would be simple enough if Deputy Buckley were to bring a letter to the next private meeting indicating he has confirmation that the petitioners have exhausted all avenues open to them. In that case, then we would be in the last chance saloon and we could get them in...

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (3 Feb 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: I am completely shocked. I thank the Deputy very much. I apologise to Deputy Buckley but I think we need to do this quickly. These people are suffering and we should not do anything that would prolong that suffering. We should get to it quickly. I ask Deputy Buckley to explain that to them because I know he will be working with them. I know that colleagues in other places and members of...

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (3 Feb 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: I am saying we should tell them the matter has been deferred for the moment while we investigate what other committees are doing with respect to this issue. If we find no other committee is doing anything, then we must step in. That can surely be accomplished in a few days. It is not rocket science. I appreciate that the health committee is busy at the moment, with all that is going on,...

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (3 Feb 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: I will go with that suggestion.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Feb 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: My good friend and colleague, the late Senator, Feargal Quinn, welcomed my two grand-daughters, Ellie and Isabel, into the world when they were born. He is not here today so I have to welcome Alice, who was born into the world at 5 p.m. yesterday and wish her the best as she travels through the world.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Feb 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: The Commission on the Future of the Defence Forces has reported. I know the Acting Leader, Senator O'Loughlin, will have an interest in that today. One of the things that can happen straight away is that they can follow through on the recommendation that the Permanent Defence Forces Representative Association, PDFORRA, and the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers, RACO, if it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Education in Developing Countries: Discussion (8 Feb 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: I thank our guests for being with us today. Looking at the presentations that were made and the written work that was sent in, I have to say it is utterly depressing. As the brother of eight sisters, the father of a daughter and the grandfather of two beautiful granddaughters, it is utterly depressing to think that sexual violence is the way we fight wars and the way we deal with these...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Education in Developing Countries: Discussion (8 Feb 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: For the people who follow these debates, the last few words Ms Kennedy uttered on the impact that sanctions would have on Concern's programme are extremely important. If I heard right, she was asking that sanctions, particularly in the area of education, be lifted.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Education in Developing Countries: Discussion (8 Feb 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: I thank Ms Kennedy.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Education in Developing Countries: Discussion (8 Feb 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: On the security issue in schools, in parts of Africa we have seen young men as young as ten or 11 years running around the place with Kalashnikov rifles. Violence seems to be the name of the game for them. Does Mr. Casey envisage the possibility of needing to have armed guards around the school to allow for a safe environment? I know the two things are mutually repugnant but the important...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Education in Developing Countries: Discussion (8 Feb 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: On Ms Kennedy's point about sanctions, I ask that the committee write to the Department and ask that we make representation on the lifting of sanctions for education.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Review of Workplace Arrangements: Department of Foreign Affairs (8 Feb 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: I have some direct questions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Review of Workplace Arrangements: Department of Foreign Affairs (8 Feb 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: I did not intend asking anything about the Garda Síochána. On 24 August, it was reported in The Irish Timesthat the Minister, in an interview with 96FM in Cork, said that it does not matter if one is a Commissioner, a President, a Taoiseach, a Minister or anybody else for that matter, and the same rules should apply to everybody in Ireland. The Minister went on to say, "The idea...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Review of Workplace Arrangements: Department of Foreign Affairs (8 Feb 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: With regard to the United Nations Security Council, the Minister's statement starts off referring to 15 years work with a two-year intensive workload. Will the Minister accept we have had the United Nations Security Council every 20 years since 1960? The mathematics suggest we would have had it anyway, if not this year, then next year.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Review of Workplace Arrangements: Department of Foreign Affairs (8 Feb 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: With regard to the Secretary General's comprehensive report, he made the point in today's statement that stafff working in Iveagh House on 17 June 2020, many of whom had come to the office prepared to work through that night, were conducting essential business. By the way, it was unfair to ask the Secretary General to investigate his own staff and compile a report, having just taken over the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Review of Workplace Arrangements: Department of Foreign Affairs (8 Feb 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: It was most unfortunate there was a child there on the night, but anyway. Is the Secretary General familiar with this document?