Results 5,941-5,960 of 5,982 for speaker:Gerard Craughwell

Committee on Defence and National Security: Update on Issues in the Reserve Defence Force: Discussion (25 Sep 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: Speaking of the cyber area, during the lifetime of the last committee the Taoiseach made the point that the Reserve Defence Force was going to have to change with respect to recruitment. He envisaged a situation, particularly in areas like cyber, where a rather follically challenged rotund gentleman or lady could serve in uniform. They would not pass fitness tests but they would bring a...

Committee on Defence and National Security: Update on Issues in the Reserve Defence Force: Discussion (25 Sep 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: From the HSE cyberattack, we learnt that there is a front-line cyber defence through the An Garda Síochána and through the Communications and Information Services, CIS, Corps, of the Defence Forces. The second tier, namely, the Second Line Reserve - and this requires the employment legislation we are talking about - are people who are working in the cyber industry. They could be...

Committee on Defence and National Security: Update on Issues in the Reserve Defence Force: Discussion (25 Sep 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: On that issue of instructors, the policy practised over the last number of years has run the Defence Forces into the ground. We are now in a position where we need to recruit both in RDF and PDF. It is fair to say that there is a significant interest among recruits who want to be a part of either the RDF or PDF. However, one of the problems we are now running into is we cannot take in the...

Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen: Engagement with the Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (23 Sep 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: I am just interested that Mr. Justice Mahon spoke of officers investigating and of the need for greater training. Has he had a positive response to that? I do not want to go into the actual issue.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs: Inshore Fishing: National Inshore Fishermen's Association (23 Sep 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: Might I come in there, Chair?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs: Inshore Fishing: National Inshore Fishermen's Association (23 Sep 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: Sure. I agree with Deputy Mac Lochlainn, but if we are having the Department in - it should come before the Minister - then we should be provided with empirical evidence from the past five years on how quotas have been divided. We need to have empirical evidence that we can work from, so I ask that we seek that information.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs: Inshore Fishing: National Inshore Fishermen's Association (23 Sep 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: Could I come in again, Chair?

Seanad: Budget 2026 (Finance): Statements (7 Oct 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: The Minister of State is welcome to the House. In his opening comments, he addressed the uncertainty in the world we currently live in and the problems that exist on our eastern flank and in various other parts of the world. It is only right and proper that, as a member of the security and defence committee and a former member of the Irish Defence Forces, I concentrate my comments on...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Oct 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: As someone who lives in Kildare, I know the Deputy Leader is very much aware of the Defence Forces and everything to do with them. It is a matter of concern to me that Ireland is one of the few countries that did not apply for the funding that was made available through the EU SAFE fund, with €150 billion set aside to assist countries to bring their militaries up to speed given the...

Seanad: Supports and Services for Patients with Head and Neck Cancers: Motion (8 Oct 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: I move: That Seanad Éireann: acknowledges that: - Ireland's current approach to pre-radiation oncology dental care and post-surgical dental rehabilitation is under-resourced, under-staffed and unsafe. Adequate pre-radiation and post-surgical dental services are essential components of cancer care; - immediate investment and legislative action are necessary to ensure that patients...

Seanad: Supports and Services for Patients with Head and Neck Cancers: Motion (8 Oct 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Murnane O'Connor. This is the first time I have addressed her since her elevation, on which I congratulate her. We are joined in the Distinguished Visitors Gallery by the chairman and the CEO of Dublin Dental University Hospital, along with staff involved in the treatment of head and neck cancer. I speak on this matter not only as a legislator but...

Seanad: Supports and Services for Patients with Head and Neck Cancers: Motion (8 Oct 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: I know the Minister of State has a meeting to go to and deferred that to be here. I thank her for that. Somewhere in Ireland today, tomorrow or next week a family will get the same message we got. I remember Rebecca was 19 at the time and her maxillofacial surgeon did not want to tell her what the diagnosis was after the biopsy. He rang me. I went home to Helen, my wife, and said we had...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Oct 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: I would like a debate on Iran. We are in election mode. The way we deal with elections here and the way they are dealt with in Iran are very different. I visited Iran with a delegation from this House and I can say that the people are just like us. They drink coffee, laugh, joke and enjoy life, but if you come the wrong side of the regime, they hang you. In 14 months, 1,850 people have...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó – Order of Business (15 Oct 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: Last week, the House debated a motion on head and neck cancer. Much of what was in that motion revolved around my daughter Rebecca's experience. Colleagues from within the House and the Government supported the motion. Somehow or other, however, a story seems to have developed around the House to the effect that my daughter is very unwell. She is not. Rebecca has a wonderful life when...

Seanad: Defamation (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Oct 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: Section 11 is not agreed. I said "not agreed".

Seanad: Defamation (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Oct 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: I am sorry, but I said, "Not agreed".

Seanad: Defamation (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Oct 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: It is not agreed.

Seanad: Defamation (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Oct 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: I am sorry that I did not speak loudly enough for the Cathaoirleach.

Seanad: Defamation (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Oct 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: As the Cathaoirleach knows, I do not hear him all the time either. I was trying to adjust my hearing to hear what was going on. Section 11 amends section 26 of the principal Act. In looking at this amending section, it strikes me that all of the safeguards that were included in the 2009 Act, which was introduced by my colleague Senator McDowell, are gone. It strikes me that this...

Seanad: Defamation (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Oct 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: The Minister's ears are probably being burnt off him at this stage. We have a serious problem, and this amendment will actually make it worse. We have talked about the article in the Irish Independent today. It quotes sources from An Garda Síochána. Why is there not a criminal investigation today into the source that leaked that story to the Irish Independent? Journalists,...