Results 4,221-4,240 of 5,763 for speaker:Gerard Craughwell

Committee on Public Petitions: Annual Reports of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman: Press Ombudsman (17 Feb 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: I will submit this quickly. A Scottish newspaper sued a person, either on the person's website or Facebook, I am not sure which, for republishing its article by putting up a link to it. I guess there is a role for Mr. Feeney's office there. I would hope that the Press Ombudsman's office would be used as a precursor to any litigation for defamation and that that in some way would mitigate...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: All-Island Strategic Rail Review: Iarnród Éireann (17 Feb 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: I welcome the witnesses. One of the most profound statements they made is that railway planning usually covers several generations. The destruction of our railways around this country has impacted on several generations. That brings me to a question from a dear friend and colleague in the west, Mark Duffy, who is a councillor in Ballina. He speaks about the western rail corridor. He...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: All-Island Strategic Rail Review: Iarnród Éireann (17 Feb 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: Has Irish Rail ever considered a Ryanair approach to rail travel? If I travel by public transport, I like to travel on a train because I have the freedom to move about and I can get a meal on many trains, which suits me nicely. I am looking at fares. From Galway to Dublin costs €20 on a train and €12 on a bus. Killarney to Dublin costs €43 on the train and €25...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: All-Island Strategic Rail Review: Iarnród Éireann (17 Feb 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: There are two more points I want to put to Mr. Meade quickly. I drive quite a lot across the country as well. For example, when I would arrive in Cork, I might want to go out to west Cork or somewhere like that, and I take my car instead. Senator Horkan made the point that he would love to be able to drive onto a train and drive off at the other end. Similarly, as I drive across the...

Seanad: Situation in Ukraine: Statements (1 Mar 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: Ireland and its Governments have basked in the mistaken belief that as a small island nation no one would ever want to hurt us, with the mantra of how we box above our weight and our marvellous reputation as peacekeepers from a neutral state allowing us to take the high moral ground on the international stage. Countless Ministers over the years have spoken of our neutrality. Indeed, some...

Seanad: Situation in Ukraine: Statements (1 Mar 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: Hear, hear. Well said.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Israel's Apartheid against Palestinians: Amnesty International (22 Feb 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: Deputy Berry is tied up in the Dáil this afternoon and asked me to convey his apologies.

Seanad: Gnó an tSeanaid - Business of Seanad (3 Mar 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: The Cathaoirleach's mastery of language never ceases to amaze.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (3 Mar 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: The ambassador is welcome to the House today. It is amazing that it took a war in Ukraine to bring us all so close together. I hope that closeness continues. I express my thanks to the Irish Air Corps for going the extra mile and flying to Romania yesterday to bring home parents and their surrogate children. People have said things about the Air Corps in this place, about it not being...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Mar 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: In recent days, I have written to all Members of the House considering the issue of neutrality and the discussion on neutrality that has raged in this House for as long as I have been a Member. I have never accepted that Ireland is a neutral country and, although there is never a good time to have this discussion, we must have it now. For the moment, we decided to provide assistance to one...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (10 Mar 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: I want to raise two things this morning. The first one is my long-suffering search and rescue tender process that is under way. The pre-qualification questionnaire, PQQ, has been issued and the PQQ date has passed. However, I believe an entirely new PQQ has to be issued because the Irish Aviation Authority, IAA, issued an instruction to CHC, the current incumbent, to change its shift cycle...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (10 Mar 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: Hear, hear. Well said.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Update on the Crisis in Ukraine: Engagement with Minister for Foreign Affairs (10 Mar 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: I congratulate the Minister and his Department and, as Deputy Brady said, all of the Departments. It is amazing how quickly this country can react to a crisis. The Minister is to be commended on his leadership in this matter on the international stage. Credit where credit is due. Our position on neutrality was stated in a White Paper by the Department of Foreign Affairs in 1995. Is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Update on the Crisis in Ukraine: Engagement with Minister for Foreign Affairs (10 Mar 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: That is fair enough. My last point concerns the representations I have had from people in Georgia and Moldova. Both of those countries are really concerned about the likelihood that Russia will make a move on their borders. Are there any plans to being them into the EU family?

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Mar 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: Hear, hear.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Mar 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: The Deputy Leader will be aware of the fact that I wrote to all Members of the House yesterday regarding the need for a debate on Ireland's status in terms of whether we are neutral, militarily non-aligned or militarily aligned. It is time that the debate took place and I appreciate that the middle of a worldwide crisis in Ukraine is not the best time to have it. I was rather disappointed...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Mar 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: I have been requesting it now for over a year.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Mar 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: So did care workers.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Mar 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: Maybe the officials were coming off a 12-hour shift.

Seanad: Garda Síochána (Compensation) Bill 2021: Second Stage (22 Mar 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: I thank the Minister of State for coming to the Seanad for the debate. There are very few occupations in this country where a person goes out to work and is never sure whether he or she will come home or, as my colleague, Senator McDowell, has pointed out, whether he or she may come home with a broken leg and that may only be the outward symbol of what happened. There are vicious attacks...