Results 21-40 of 5,783 for speaker:Gerard Craughwell

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 May 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: There are two men in Iran today, Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani, both of whom are political prisoners, both of whom have been turned down for a judicial review for the third time and both of whom will be executed by the regime in Iran. Iran has murdered 1,100 political prisoners since the summer of last year. That tendency is beginning to increase. Iran is at the heart of supporting...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 May 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: I too am horrified by what is going on in Gaza. I am also horrified by the Israelis targeting members of our Defence Forces. In the previous conflict they parked tanks alongside one of our outposts to make the outpost a target. Recently they have been sighting members of the Irish Defence Forces, guys from Galway who are serving out there, using laser sights. I hate to bring it up in the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 May 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: All right, okay, but that is what they are. We are hearing about children. Every night of the week we watch children scrambling for food.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 May 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: All right. I withdraw it, but it is sickening. It is sickening that we trust these people to have any say over our troops who are keeping as many people safe as they can. Senator Francis Black has worn this Chamber to the last trying to get her occupied territories Bill passed. Most right-thinking people in Ireland think what is going on in Israel at the moment is absolutely abhorrent....

Seanad: Driving Test Waiting Times: Statements (20 May 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: I want to share time with Senator Keogan, if I may.

Seanad: Driving Test Waiting Times: Statements (20 May 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: I almost referred to the Minister of State as "Senator Buttimer". It is a pleasure to see him here. I congratulate him on his election to the Dáil and his elevation to a ministerial post. I know from my time with him on the transport committee during the previous Government that he has a personal commitment to addressing waiting times for the driving test and that he is committed to...

Committee on Defence and National Security: Business of Joint Committee (15 May 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: I congratulate the Cathaoirleach on her role and look forward to working with her. I am delighted that she started off today by talking about Ireland's status and the triple lock. I believe that we need to bring in expert opinion to identify precisely what Ireland is. There are different views such as neutrality versus militarily non-aligned. We need to sort that out once and for all. We...

Committee on Defence and National Security: Business of Joint Committee (15 May 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: Chair, if I could. The issue of the triple lock is really urgent. It is in the public domain all of the time. I ask that we set about identifying experts who can appear before the committee, including experts on the Constitution, because there is some question that the removal of the triple lock would require a constitutional change. It would also require some historians who understand,...

Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs: Business of Joint Committee (15 May 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: First and foremost, I congratulate the Chair on his appointment. His opening speech was very encouraging in that he is serious about doing a serious job. One of the issues that confronts coastal areas, particularly on the Atlantic side, is the inability of the harbours to support the wind industry should we start to develop wind and hydrogen generation in the Atlantic. The problem is...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 May 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: In recent days, AIB has repurchased quite a lot of its shares from the Government. On the one hand, we should be happy about this. On the other hand, it brings back to mind the misery that the financial crisis brought to this country. There are still tens of thousands of people who are severely in debt and have distressed mortgages. These distressed mortgages have been passed from banks...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 May 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: I wish to raise the case of Ryan Cornelius who has been in prison in Dubai for 17 years. He first went to prison when his youngest child was six years old and that child is now 23 years. Last Friday, I met his wife and relations. Initially, Ryan was sentenced to ten years in jail, but as he reached the end of that sentence, another set of trumped up charges were made and he was sentenced...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 May 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: I would like to be associated with the expressions of sympathy on the death of Garda Flatley to his wife, his two daughters and his extended family. As my colleagues have mentioned, 90 gardaí have left their homes to go on duty and never returned.There are also the gardaí who left their homes, went on duty and were injured while on duty. I am mindful of my young brother, who was...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 May 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: Are there sausage rolls on it?

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 May 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: The Leas-Chathaoirleach and the Acting Leader will know that I have spent the best part of five years - in fact, longer, if I think about it - examining search and rescue. They will also know that the contract that has been awarded is an absolute disaster. They will know further that the Irish Air Corps put forward a 480 page submission to take one base and possibly two. This would have...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (7 May 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: I congratulate the Defence Forces on the wonderful event at Arbour Hill. As always, it turned out excellently, with great guards of honour and indeed the Cathaoirleach did pretty well himself reading the prayer.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (7 May 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: There has been a lot of talk about the purchase of primary radar for the Defence Forces. As a result of the shambolic SAR contract that has been awarded to Bristow Ireland, which came to this country without the resources to take on the contract, the company has now poached four of the air traffic controllers from Baldonnel. We are going to find ourselves with a brand new Government jet...

Seanad: Higher Education: Motion (7 May 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: The Minister is welcome to the House. It was good to see him in Wexford last week addressing my former trade union. He got out alive, which has to say something for him. I was delighted to hear my colleague from Limerick speak about the education that was available there. I am a second-chance learner myself, and it was Limerick Senior College that opened the door for me to a degree from...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (10 Apr 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: The Leader will be aware that I have spent the past five years concerned about the search and rescue service that operates in this country. The award of a contract recently to Bristow was to bring with it all sorts of additional services. We have heard colleagues this morning talking about the lack of ambulance services. The legal battle between CHC and Bristow has been resolved, but part...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Apr 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: Last night, I spent my time switching between various news channels to watch the greatest bully on the face of the earth deliver additional tariffs. The 104% tariff on China is an example of what happens when a bully is allowed to get away with what he is doing. There is something unseemly about watching news programmes on which spokespersons for the United States say that 70 countries are...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Apr 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: Never before in our history has democracy been so under threat. We now have three leaders in the world who feel they can do as they please with impunity. We have Putin taking what he wants in his attacks on Ukraine; we have Donald Trump in the United States threatening to take Greenland by force if he has to; and we have, further south in the world, the Chinese threatening Taiwan, a...