Results 5,461-5,480 of 5,767 for speaker:Gerard Craughwell

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on Kiltimagh Water Scheme: Discussion (25 Apr 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I thank the Department for making its position clear in all of this. I am sorry for interrupting Mr. Kelly. I really do not know why he is here. As regards Mayo County Council and Uisce Éireann, another committee on which I sit heard from Iarnród Éireann. I asked witnesses from Iarnród Éireann about putting in a spur line from Swords to Dublin Airport. They told...

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on Kiltimagh Water Scheme: Discussion (25 Apr 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: No.

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on Kiltimagh Water Scheme: Discussion (25 Apr 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I thank the Cathaoirleach. I want to go back to Mr. Kelly, who has a lot of experience in these situations, for a moment. Is this one of the longest projects he has on his books or are there similar ones scattered around the country?

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on Kiltimagh Water Scheme: Discussion (25 Apr 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I do not want to get into the reasons as the answers from all the witnesses have been quite comprehensive. Mr. Kelly and Ms Bourke have come in for great praise from the community as I believe has Mr. McDermott. It is a good thing that they are engaging with members of the community. Perhaps I could ask Mr. Condon and Mayo County Council to engage with the Department of Social Protection...

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on Kiltimagh Water Scheme: Discussion (25 Apr 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I thank Mr. Condon for that.

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on Kiltimagh Water Scheme: Discussion (25 Apr 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: From a council perspective, is there a way of staging the payments? If there is a significant cost involved can it be paid over a period or must it all be paid in one lump sum? Who is responsible for that? Is it Irish Water?

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on Kiltimagh Water Scheme: Discussion (25 Apr 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I am sure it is not Mr. McDermott's responsibility, maybe it is the responsibility of a local TD or somebody like that, but maybe a scheme can be worked out with a local credit union for those who would find themselves in hardship by having to meet a large sum of money.

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on Kiltimagh Water Scheme: Discussion (25 Apr 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: That is really good.

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on Kiltimagh Water Scheme: Discussion (25 Apr 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I accept that everybody in this room is struggling to try to keep things going. The one thing I would say to Irish Water is that things keep coming to us where local authorities are trying to do something and somewhere along the line, the relationship with Irish Water does not seem to gel at a particular time. Should it not be the case that if Irish Water is the primary decision maker in a...

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on Kiltimagh Water Scheme: Discussion (25 Apr 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: Irish Water has planning? So it could deliver in six months if everybody got their act together?

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on Kiltimagh Water Scheme: Discussion (25 Apr 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: All I can do is thank the witnesses for their time. I am sorry if we sometimes are a bit difficult in the questions that we ask but my heart goes out to these people. I have only been without water the odd day in my life and it is very hard to live without it.

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on Kiltimagh Water Scheme: Discussion (25 Apr 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I am mindful of a solicitor friend of mine who said to me that when he takes on a case, the client sleeps the case, eats the case and wakes up with the case and thinks everybody else involved in it should do exactly the same thing. I understand that 60 projects and 15,000 houses is major. I understand what the witnesses are trying to do. I also understand the people of Kiltimagh and the...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: The Future of Local Democracy: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Apr 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I appreciate the Cathaoirleach facilitating me. I am not member of the committee but I am a Member of the Seanad and I depend on councillors, just like every other Member of the Seanad. I was never a city or county councillor, but I wish to address the issue of pay. I first brought up the issue of pay in 2015, when I first came in here. I cannot for the life of me understand why...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 May 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: We are in election mode, and will be for the next 12 months as far as I can see. Regarding overseas development aid, Ireland must be the most generous country in the world or home to the greatest shower of idiots who ever walked the earth. Let me talk about Ethiopia receiving €552 million from this State in overseas development aid. Its military budget is $1.58 billion. It has a...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (2 May 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I, too, would like to be associated with the sympathies to Michael's family. I welcome the Polish ambassador. I could not trump the Cathaoirleach's words. He said everything we needed to say. The ambassador is always welcome in the House. Yesterday, I mentioned overseas development aid and the moneys flowing out of Ireland to other countries. We have to start asking a question. If...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 May 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I join the Cathaoirleach in offering my condolences to the D'Arcy family. Today we had the annual Defence Forces 1916 ceremony. The Cathaoirleach did us proud by reading a prayer as Gaeilge, which, as a former sáirsint from An Chéad Cathlán Coisithe, Gaillimh, was lovely to hear. I thank him for that. It is ironic that we were honouring the Defence Forces and the founding...

Seanad: Europe Day: Statements (9 May 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I also congratulate the Minister of State on her elevation to Minister of State with responsibility for defence and European Affairs. As a proud European, I would love to be here speaking on the great things membership of the EU has delivered for Ireland. Sadly, I must devote time to the growing perception of Ireland as a nation of freeloaders weakening Europe and seen as the open back door...

Seanad: Europe Day: Statements (9 May 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I did not interrupt Senator Ward.

Seanad: Europe Day: Statements (9 May 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: We need to back away from our Paddy neutrality and become serious about real neutrality. Our negligence in all matters of defence and security will in the heel of the hunt damage Ireland's attractiveness for FDI and, once lost, it will take years to retrieve. I regret having to point out that the Minister of State's portfolio includes defence yet we are told that she has no role in...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 May 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: The marine services serving Ireland are a vitally important part of our import and export trade.Our major harbours are served by pilots. Our pilots have no set of qualifications that they must adhere to. They have been looking for qualifications and training commensurate with what is available at other European ports but there is nobody interested in driving forward the professionalism of...