Results 321-340 of 5,746 for speaker:Gerard Craughwell

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (21 Mar 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I am deeply unhappy with that. The Cathaoirleach was quite taken with the family when they came in, as were Deputy Buckley and various other members. I do not know what we can do.

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (21 Mar 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I have no difficulty bringing in representatives of those two Departments but before we do that, we should seek to be provided with the marine inspector's report that gave the licence to that boat. We should be provided with all the documentation that led to the licence being awarded. Thereafter, and the secretariat may tell me we do not have the power to do this, we should get an...

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (21 Mar 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: Yes, I am saying the two marine engineers we heard from during the discussion on the petition have all the information, but they have all the information as contracted by the family. That, in itself, would cause it to be biased, in my view, and necessitates the prospect of an independent engineer to advise us. Maybe I am pushing the committee beyond its limits.

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (21 Mar 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: This complaint runs to millions of euro. We are not talking about pennies here. We are talking about millions, so we need to be certain about it.

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (21 Mar 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: We should bear in mind that this is a family who cared so much about their employees that they sank their own business. The man could have kept going on a risk and a wing and a prayer that nothing might ever happen. He put the safety of his crew above everything else. I lost a business and my house and I know what it is like, but it was my fault. This was not his fault. The man has...

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (21 Mar 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: She is one of our own.

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (21 Mar 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: This State has negotiated with people on their deathbed to resolve an issue having fought them for years while they still had some bit of health. In this case, the man who appeared before the committee was calm and was very focused in what he had to say. To my mind, he came across as an extremely credible witness. I do not want this committee in any way to provide an out for a Department...

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (21 Mar 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: If hundreds more cases will come after it, we need to look at our marine inspectorate and see what it is doing in licensing boats that are not worthy.

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (21 Mar 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I think we are all in agreement as to where we need to go. I thank the Chair for his willingness to allow this to be discussed in the way it is being, and I thank the secretariat for getting us an answer so quickly from the OPLA.

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (21 Mar 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: Neither can I.

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (21 Mar 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: On that, we should directly contact the European side on this and get it to identify where those boats are and take them out of service while lives are at risk. Moreover, in preparation for what we are doing, we should write immediately to the Departments involved and ask for all the documentation they have on this case. If we allow this to go on, holes will be found and stuff will be...

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (21 Mar 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I might just come in on that. From a personal point of view, I might as well state my own position. I am against the notorious hate speech Bill. However, we constantly get requests in this House that, when legislation goes through, we would have the President refer it to the Supreme Court, but that is the most dangerous thing we could do. Once legislation has gone through the Supreme...

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (21 Mar 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: Actually, it passed the 90-day limit, as well as the 180-day limit.

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (21 Mar 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: It has passed that limit altogether. There is a misconception among the public that once it passes the 270 days, the Bill falls. I believe that the Bill passed 322 days, with effect from yesterday. However, it remains on the Order Paper in the Seanad, and as long as it is on the Order Paper, it can be debated. The only way it could fall is the way the judicial appointments Bill fell. It...

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (21 Mar 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: For clarity, the route is that the Bill has passed the Dáil and it has come to the Seanad. If it is amended in the Seanad, it will go back to the Dáil. If those amendments are accepted in the Dáil, the Bill then passes the Houses of the Oireachtas. It does not come back to the Seanad for a second time. It goes to the President for signing. I am not sure whether the OPLA...

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (21 Mar 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I am not sure whether the OPLA would want its advice published, but at least it may give us a formula of words to use.

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (21 Mar 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I thank the Chair.

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (21 Mar 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: This is a really sensitive matter. For me, the site where the bodies lie today is a sanctuary. These men were executed and were buried in situ. I can understand the desire to move them elsewhere, the complexities involved, the fact that there may be other bodies there, the quicklime and everything else, but I also understand that the group has the full backing of every county council in...

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (21 Mar 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: On the Chairman's point about the relatives, if the relatives are supportive of this, nobody should prevent it. We should be arguing as to how big a deal we make of this. It is huge in our history, and it might refocus this country in the context of where we came from.

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (21 Mar 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: It is the Minister for local government, surely.