Results 601-620 of 5,754 for speaker:Gerard Craughwell

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Jul 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: For the past number of days I have asked for an amendment to the Order of Business to the effect that the Minister for Social Protection be brought to the House to discuss the issue of lone parents. Yesterday I received a message from a supporter of one of the Government's parties, stating, "I think you want a culture of schoolgirls in gym frocks pushing prams and on social welfare for...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Jul 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: On a point of order, will a press release be issued to inform those who have not been paid? They will not have money for the weekend.

Seanad: Report of Working Group on Seanad Reform 2015: Statements (8 Jul 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: It is great to be able to read the minds of millions of people.

Seanad: Report of Working Group on Seanad Reform 2015: Statements (8 Jul 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: The Senator can e-mail them tonight.

Seanad: Report of Working Group on Seanad Reform 2015: Statements (8 Jul 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: I thank the Leader for setting aside the amount of time he has set aside today to discuss this. In thanking him, I cannot but express some disappointment over the number of people who have turned up in the Chamber today to add their voices to the debate. Many people in this House will be running around the country over the next few months trying to secure their seat for the next term, but...

Seanad: Report of Working Group on Seanad Reform 2015: Statements (8 Jul 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: A person might get the nomination, get out and meet whoever, but he or she will not get elected. It is that simple. I see the role of this House as assessing legislation and not representing local constituency issues. I do not see how there can be a constituency. There is no funding for a constituency and no suggestion that one is in any way representing any constituency at a local level....

Seanad: Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Second Stage (8 Jul 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: I will not go back over the same ground that most of my colleagues have covered. The Government had the essence of a good Bill and then somebody somewhere took the smart move to throw Irish Water and everything about it into the middle of it. As such, I do not believe anybody on this side of the House will support it, although I have no doubt that if we produce 100 amendments, it will be...

Seanad: Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Second Stage (8 Jul 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: Where in the world would one get it? I have written to the European Commission about the issue being transferred to Irish Water through the Department of Social Protection. It is a transfer of capital to a private utility company and is wrong in every sense of the word. I agree with what Senator Hayden had to say. I see nothing but problems when we try to deal with the issue of tenants....

Seanad: Conditions of Work: Motion (8 Jul 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: I welcome the Minister to the House. I congratulate him on some of the work he has done in recent times. There is no doubt that he is bringing employment into the country. I am concerned that we constantly look for big-ticket employment announcements by large companies, such as the Vodafone one today, which is, of course, tremendous.However, sometimes, particularly in rural Ireland, we...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Jul 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: In fairness, the Labour Party Whip does not see that.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Jul 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: We are getting ourselves into a bit of a mess in this House. We now have a policy to drive lone parents into poverty and the Whip of the smaller party in the coalition Government is opposed to that policy, yet we cannot get the Minister to attend the House-----

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Jul 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: ----- to support that. In view of this I second Senator David Norris's proposal.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Jul 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: I will third it to make sure it gets over the line. I am sure Members are aware that yesterday the Irish Congress of Trade Unions decided to oppose the imposition of additional water charges. We are trying to ram legislation through this House which started last night. I ask members to reflect on that. It is opposed by 600,000 members of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. I appreciate...

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: I support what is being said, although in approximately 20 years in the staffroom, nobody ever asked me if I was married. Maybe they thought I was not worth hitting on at the time.

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: I worked with a colleague who was in a same-sex relationship and she frequently spoke in the staffroom about the weekend they had and what they did and did not do. Sometimes, we can be afraid of things that are not there. However, I take the point that is being made, and maybe we need to make sure. Teachers do not care one way or another, and students could not care less.

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: No, she should not.

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Jul 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: With Senator Leyden in mind.

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Jul 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: I hope.

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Jul 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: Did it move?

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Jul 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: That is why there is no one here today. They are lost.