Results 3,621-3,640 of 5,760 for speaker:Gerard Craughwell

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Apr 2018)

Gerard Craughwell: It is a disaster.

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Apr 2018)

Gerard Craughwell: It is a disaster.

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Apr 2018)

Gerard Craughwell: We are failing, failing, failing.

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Apr 2018)

Gerard Craughwell: Come on now.

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Apr 2018)

Gerard Craughwell: I am afraid part of it is.

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Apr 2018)

Gerard Craughwell: Experienced people cannot be replaced by recruits.

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Apr 2018)

Gerard Craughwell: In fairness, a Chathaoirligh, we asked for the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence to-----

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Apr 2018)

Gerard Craughwell: Let the Taoiseach come in and do so.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Mar 2018)

Gerard Craughwell: I was sitting in my office, minding my own business, preparing for the debate on councillors when Senator Norris got to his feet. He is one of my electorate. I am not afraid to talk about our terms and conditions of employment.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Mar 2018)

Gerard Craughwell: I published a rapporteur's report in February 2016 on the class K arrangements for pay related social insurance, PRSI. Along with five councillors, I also took a court case against the State for introducing class K PRSI, which is a tax on public service. I pay 4% of my salary to the PRSI fund and I get nothing for it. If I fall sick when I leave here, I get no entitlements. When I came...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Mar 2018)

Gerard Craughwell: I was forced. I took a pay cut of €8,000 a year to take my seat in the Seanad. I took it. We need to look at our own terms and conditions of employment.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Mar 2018)

Gerard Craughwell: We need to be brave. I make no apology whatsoever to the public for the job I do. Nobody in the public, apart from the extremely rich, pays class K PRSI contributions. My court case was settled a couple of weeks ago and the councillors that took that case with me were looked after. Ultimately, however, we did not succeed in having class K PRSI banned. It is all very well for us sitting...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Mar 2018)

Gerard Craughwell: I am not afraid to speak on our terms and conditions of employment and if the Leader is brave enough to call a debate on it, I will take it on head on.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (29 Mar 2018)

Gerard Craughwell: A town in the Leader's good county has decided to remain dry.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (29 Mar 2018)

Gerard Craughwell: None of us would.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (29 Mar 2018)

Gerard Craughwell: In fairness, the reporting of the trial that has just ended will deter many young women from coming forward, and that is really sad.

Seanad: Councillors' Conditions: Statements (29 Mar 2018)

Gerard Craughwell: I welcome the Minister of State. Before I get into what I have to say-----

Seanad: Councillors' Conditions: Statements (29 Mar 2018)

Gerard Craughwell: -----I have to say the Minister of State's commitment to this issue is honourable. I am not sure where the logjam is, but I believe that the Minister of State wants to solve it. It is important to put this debate on councillors' pay, terms, conditions and employment, or the lack thereof, in context. There is no master-servant relationship. They are not employees. It is the same with the...

Seanad: Councillors' Conditions: Statements (29 Mar 2018)

Gerard Craughwell: In the same debate, the then Minister of State acknowledged that the annual representational payment was not fully commensurate with the workload of councillors. Having been a local authority member, I am sure that the current Minister of State would agree with that. Indeed, we could not pay them. As my colleague just pointed out, it is a 24-7 job. One councillor told me that he could not...

Seanad: Councillors' Conditions: Statements (29 Mar 2018)

Gerard Craughwell: I realise that the Minister of State, as a Kilkennyman, might have a difficulty kicking a ball. However, what he can do is learn how to kick a ball. If he is not able to kick a ball, then we will give him a hurley and he can play the ball but, for God's sake, he must play the game and start to look after the people who get him elected. In a couple of months' time, when the Minister of...