Results 1,061-1,080 of 5,754 for speaker:Gerard Craughwell

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Jun 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: I wish to raise the issue of the treatment of workers in this country. There was a lot of discussion in the House when Clerys vanished off the face of the earth leaving hundreds of workers unemployed. Indeed, my colleague, Senator Nash, introduced some fairly good legislation in this area when he was a Minister of State. Members of the IMPACT trade union who worked for Childminding Ireland...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Jun 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: I thank the Leader.

Seanad: Death of Jo Cox, MP: Expressions of Sympathy (21 Jun 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: It is with a heavy heart that I rise today to offer my sympathy to the family of the late Jo Cox. Sadly, neither her five year old son nor her three year old daughter will ever know the great humanitarian who was their mother. Sadly, her children will not experience the woman who believed that motherhood was the greatest joy and surpassed all political ambition. We must ask what crime this...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Jun 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: I am disappointed that we continue to engage in debates that are classed as statements. Surely we must have some work that we could be doing other than standing here. The House has long been accused of hot air, and statements do not do much to move anything forward. Legislation has been lying over since the previous Seanad, and we could probably examine it. Yesterday morning I listened to...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Jun 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: Does the Senator want legislation?

Seanad: Mental Health: Statements (22 Jun 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: The Minister of State is welcome. This is my first time to address her in the Chamber. As I told her privately yesterday, she has taken on a tough portfolio and I wish her the best with it. Research produced by the ESRI last year indicated that workers exposed to bullying and harassment showed high levels of mental distress, anxiety and ill health.There is ample anecdotal evidence that at...

Seanad: EU-UK Relations: Statements (22 Jun 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: I am not going to speak about the grand United Kingdom nor am I going to try to influence anyone in the UK - I do not think they are watching Oireachtas television today. What concerns me is the loss of corporate knowledge on the management of the Border in the event of a Brexit. We once had the military patrolling our Borders. We had customs on our Borders and we had Garda stations...

Seanad: EU-UK Relations: Statements (22 Jun 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: Senator Ó Donnghaile is welcome to the House. They might stop him coming and he might have to bring his passport.

Seanad: EU-UK Relations: Statements (22 Jun 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: I am delighted the Minister has been reappointed to his position - I meant to say that at the start.

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Jun 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: I second the request made by my colleague, Senator David Norris, that No. 6, Immigration (Reform) (Regularisation of Residency Status) Bill 2016, be taken before No. 1. In recent days I have suffered from a condition of almost sudden deafness in one ear. The other one was never good. Yesterday afternoon I came into the House to participate in a debate on waste disposal and was appalled by...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Jun 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: -----but we should do so in a respectful way. I ask the Leader to call the leaders of groups and the Whips together to discuss the issue of discipline and how we behave in the House. We are Members of the Upper House of the Oireachtas, Seanad Éireann. We are supposed to be grand old advisers to the young guns in the Lower House to calm their ire and slow them down a little, but last...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Jun 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach.

Seanad: Immigration (Reform) (Regularisation of Residency Status) Bill 2016: First Stage (23 Jun 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: I second the proposal.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Jun 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: I call on the Leader to organise a debate on competition, particularly in aviation. I had reason to book a flight to Paris with Ryanair which cost €285.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Jun 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: I could not leave on the day requested and, subsequently, booked a flight for one month later for exactly the same period. I sought credit for the flight that I could not take and Ryanair did so. Were I to book the flight for 30 July it would have cost me €287. As I had already paid €287 for a flight in June, Ryanair credited me for the money I had spent on the flight and...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Jun 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: Hear, hear.

Seanad: United Kingdom Referendum on European Union Membership: Statements (28 Jun 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: Aire, tá fáilte romhat. If ever we needed a steady hand at the tiller, we need one now, and the Minister is the right man for that. I am delighted to see him back in his current position. There have been many calls for a second referendum following the decision of 52% of the 72% of the UK electorate that cast their votes. This is a matter for the Government of the UK and I do...

Seanad: United Kingdom Referendum on European Union Membership: Statements (28 Jun 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: An all-island control with checkpoints established on entry to the UK would prevent this disruption but also carry the risk that Northern Ireland would become an Ellis Island for people going to the UK or trying to get into the EU. We need resources to deal with this issue. Calm heads are required to see how this situation can be managed.

Seanad: United Kingdom Referendum on European Union Membership: Statements (28 Jun 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: It will require very careful planning, and the Government will need to move quickly if it is to position Ireland well. We need to get an agreed approach on the table quickly and lead discussions rather than letting them lead us. If we go to the European Union with a definite agenda of points to be addressed-----

Seanad: United Kingdom Referendum on European Union Membership: Statements (28 Jun 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: I thank the Acting Chairman.