Results 4,401-4,420 of 5,750 for speaker:Gerard Craughwell

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Dec 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: More than 180 amendments have been tabled.

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Dec 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: There are no further amendments allowed at that Stage anyway. Is that correct?

Seanad: Mental Health (Amendment) Bill 2016: First Stage (13 Dec 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: I second the motion.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: I move amendment No. 1:In page 7, to delete lines 17 to 20 and substitute the following:" (a) by the substitution of the following for the definition of "public office holder":" 'public office holder' means a member of the European Parliament for a constituency in the State, being a member who is in receipt of the salary specified in section 2(2) of the European Parliament (Irish Constituency...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: There are plenty of people here who will second it.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: As I pointed out on Committee Stage, and as the Minister has pointed out, nobody would buy an insurance policy which they could never draw down. Class K PRSI is just this. It is an insurance policy for which every Member of the Oireachtas, many in the public service and those who have unearned income are forced to pay 4% of their income and they get precisely nothing for it. I ask the...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: I thank the Minister for his somewhat expected answer. He is correct that class K was introduced in 2011 as our way of showing – God help us and save us – that we are suffering like the ordinary working man and paying 4% of our salary and getting nothing for it. We were smart enough, however, to allow for voluntary contributions so we could still get the contributory old age...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: At the end of the day, we have to stop being afraid of what the people will think. We saw recently that members of An Garda Síochána got a miserable settlement to bring them somewhat close to where they should be. What did they do then? Two days later, they came out and said a garda is worth €100,000 per year. This has to stop. We should stop pandering to the popular...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: I will not take up too much time. When is a property right a property right? Is it a property right when you are a retiring politician who is entitled to walk away with your pension untouched regardless of what disaster comes our way? Is that a property right? Is it a property right when a person joins an organisation like Independent News and Media newspapers as a copyist at 16 years of...

Seanad: Cystic Fibrosis Treatment: Statements (8 Dec 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: The very fact that the Minister is in the Chamber today shows his commitment and his concern for this issue of Orkambi. I compliment the Minister for being present because, very often, senior Ministers send along a junior Minister to one of these events. Clearly, he is concerned. Professor Michael Barry spoke on Morning Ireland about a week ago. It is an extremely difficult thing for a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Member States' Position on UK Withdrawal from EU: Maltese Ministry for Foreign Affairs (7 Dec 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: Ms Mizzi is very welcome to Dublin. I thank her for her very informed presentation. I am concerned about a number of issues. I am aware there was a pre-EU bilateral agreement between Malta and the UK. It has been a central plank of the 27 member states that there would be no bilateral negotiations with the UK. I am not sure whether that is more about teaching the UK a lesson for being...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Member States' Position on UK Withdrawal from EU: Maltese Ministry for Foreign Affairs (7 Dec 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: One of the common features we encounter when talking to people from the member states is the issue of the Single Market. The Single Market seems to work very well in the areas of agriculture and fisheries and in various other sectors. Ms Mizzi cannot have missed - perhaps she did - the crowd outside the gates of Leinster House today protesting in respect of the drug Orkambi. We had similar...

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Dec 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: I congratulate the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Varadkar, for moving swiftly on the issue of pensions in Independent News & Media. That is the type of action one expects from a Government Minister. However, while he is to be congratulated for it, that should not be seen as endorsing him as leader of the Fine Gael Party or the like. Senator Mark Daly spoke about Orkambi...

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (7 Dec 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: I call Senator Ruane. As there is only a short time remaining, I ask if she might share the remaining time with Senator Mulherin.

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (7 Dec 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: I have been fair to the Senator now perhaps she will be fair to me.

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (7 Dec 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: I can indeed.

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (7 Dec 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: I apologise to Senator Coffey but there is no time left. I call the Minister.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: The question that arises today is, when is a property right a property right? Why is it always the working class that pays? Why do we see the same fat cats always win?I am raising the issue of Independent News and Media, but I may well be talking about Aer Lingus, decent public servants who have seen the abatement of their pension schemes. Was it a property right when they got it? It...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: We need to discuss the abatement issue.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: They always do a great job.