Results 2,021-2,040 of 5,962 for speaker:Gerard Craughwell

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (20 Oct 2021)

Gerard Craughwell: Force commanders have a certain amount of control over our troops on the ground but a senior liaison officer from the Irish Defence Forces is always on the ground, and if a force commander is trying to bring us into something in which we should not be involved, the senior liaison has a route straight back to the Minister's office and it can be stopped at that point. I am not, therefore, sure...

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (20 Oct 2021)

Gerard Craughwell: I am a little concerned at what is being proposed. Force commanders, whether they are on a UN mission, EU mission or any other mission that has been jointly agreed, are constrained by the criteria set out in the mission. If, by some manner or means, we have a force commander who runs wild and decides to undertake something that was not in the mandate, then it falls to the senior Irish...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (19 Oct 2021)

Gerard Craughwell: I concur with the sympathies expressed by the Cathaoirleach to the family of Sir David Amess. On Thursday evening, I called to my grandchildren - I know the Leader has young children - and the excitement in my six-year-old granddaughter’s eyes when she sat me down to tell me she was going to read me a story and, as she read me the story, the excitement in the four-year-old sat beside...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 Oct 2021)

Gerard Craughwell: I welcome the addition of 800 gardaí announced in the budget and 400 civilian staff who are to be recruited by An Garda Síochána, however, this is in sharp contrast with the situation in the Defence Forces. The paltry €35 million allocation in the budget for the Defence Forces for next year will only cover the increase in salaries as result of the most recent round of...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Oct 2021)

Gerard Craughwell: At the outset, I wish to remember Paddy Moloney, who sadly passed away earlier today at the age of 83. Paddy was a great ambassador for Ireland and for Irish music. Chinese aggression towards the democratic island of Taiwan is intensifying and should be giving rise to concerns that China will try to take over the island by force. We have already seen how Beijing used a heavy-handed approach...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Oct 2021)

Gerard Craughwell: The Leader needs to take a bow. As Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, she motivated and led her Department through what must have been the greatest crisis it ever faced. We must recognise that as well.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Oct 2021)

Gerard Craughwell: On 28 May this year I brought a Private Member's motion to this House on Ireland's search and rescue service. During the debate on this motion, I raised a number of matters of great concern regarding the oversight and corporate governance of the current search and rescue, SAR, operator, CHC Ireland DAC.The recent report of the Comptroller and Auditor General has completely vindicated my...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Oct 2021)

Gerard Craughwell: I am a bit deaf, so you will have to speak up.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Oct 2021)

Gerard Craughwell: Everything I am putting out here is in the public domain.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Oct 2021)

Gerard Craughwell: I hate to say it, but I did not hear one word of what you said. I will have to plug myself in again.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Oct 2021)

Gerard Craughwell: I am fully aware of that. I am not referring to an individual; I am referring to a company.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Oct 2021)

Gerard Craughwell: I did not name him.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Oct 2021)

Gerard Craughwell: Okay, moving on. The next contract, the one to which I am now referring, was signed off at Cabinet at the last Cabinet meeting. The business case for that was put together by a company called KPMG, which is well known to us all. KPMG brought-----

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Oct 2021)

Gerard Craughwell: Listen, a Chathaoirligh. I tried to get this through on a Private Members' motion. I came with a well-prepared piece and the reply that was given by the Department of Transport addressed none of my concerns. The tender is about to go out for SAR. The business case was put together with KPMG, advised by Frazer-Nash. The important thing here is that there are only three or four companies...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Oct 2021)

Gerard Craughwell: But Frazer-Nash is owned by one of them.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Oct 2021)

Gerard Craughwell: I appreciate that; I was going as fast as I could.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Oct 2021)

Gerard Craughwell: The Senator deserves the extra time. Some things are important. We can sit back and pretend these things do not happen but they are happening.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Oct 2021)

Gerard Craughwell: I will finish with this. We need the Minister in here to discuss search and rescue services and the forthcoming contract. We cannot allow a contract to go out while the report on Rescue 116 has not been published. The pilot of that helicopter had been awake for 18 hours when she was sent over to Blacksod. For God's sake-----

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Oct 2021)

Gerard Craughwell: I appreciate that but we are here to hold the Government to account.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Oct 2021)

Gerard Craughwell: I have failed to bring this issue up anywhere.