Results 4,541-4,560 of 5,750 for speaker:Gerard Craughwell

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Oct 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: They were the first members of the Irish Defence Forces to serve overseas and they deserve our respect. On the issue of industrial relations, and with respect to my colleague, the Lansdowne Road agreement is the only agreement in town. Right now, it is running off the rails and we must do something about that. Yesterday, Mr. Eoin Ronayne of the Civil Public and Services Union was on the...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Oct 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Oct 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Oct 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: It is a disaster.

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Oct 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Oct 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: One cannot do that if one's head is in the sand.

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Oct 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: A photocopy.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Implications for Good Friday Agreement of UK EU Referendum Result: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Oct 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: I apologise for being a little late. Brexit is the great unknown. The only plan is there is no plan. At least that is what I was told at a meeting in Brussels last week. I have just come from a meeting of the Joint Committee on European Affairs and we seem to be focusing on the relationship between the UK and Ireland. We seem to be forgetting there are 26 other jurisdictions that have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Implications for Good Friday Agreement of UK EU Referendum Result: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Oct 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: I thank Mr. Sheridan and Dr. Soares for their comprehensive replies. As I mentioned earlier, I have just come from a meeting of the Joint Committee on European Union Affairs. The committee has been focusing on the long historical relationship between Britain and Ireland. I put forward the view that instead of deputations going from both the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Oireachtas to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: State of the Union 2016: European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development (20 Oct 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: I welcome the Commissioner. I will not waste his time throwing accolades at him. He has enough of his own guys here to do that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: State of the Union 2016: European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development (20 Oct 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: I attended a conference last week in Brussels where Brexit was the main topic of discussion. At that conference I got the distinct impression that there was a definite desire to teach the UK a hard lesson. While 26 of our partners might wish to do that, a hard lesson for the UK will be a very hard lesson for Ireland. Does the Commissioner accept that? Does the Commission have a clear set...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: State of the Union 2016: European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development (20 Oct 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: I constantly hear the statement that Ireland is the only country with a land border with the UK. It is not. Spain has a land border with Gibraltar. That must be taken on board. We might regard it as a tiny part of the UK, but it is nonetheless a part of it. Anybody who has ever travelled to Gibraltar and sat for an hour and a half or two hours in traffic will be aware of that. It is as...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Oct 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: Following on from Senator Daly's contribution, I attended a conference on Brexit in Brussels last week, a central part of which was the need to develop a European army. I recall making the statement at the time that if the EU moves to do that another country, namely, Ireland, will be exiting Europe. I am calling on the Leader today to discuss with the Minister for Public and Expenditure and...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Oct 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: -----on how to find its way in the public service and resolve the problems therein.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Oct 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Oct 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: Last week, I called on the Leader to arrange a debate on the Defence Forces' preparedness for Brexit. Two days later I attended the conference of the Permanent Defence Force Other Ranks Representative Association, PDFORRA, in Cork. Our Defence Forces are in a state of crisis. We heard in Cork about a soldier on parade who wore a non-issued pair of boots. He had to buy them himself because...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Oct 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: It might be mine because it controls my hearing aid. I am sorry about that.

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Oct 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: Yes. The House must have a debate on the Defence Forces with the Minister. It is a crisis situation. The Defence Forces are below strength at present and that cannot continue. The Defence Forces have no voice aside from their representative bodies. They have nobody to speak for them and no industrial relations process open to them other than through their representative bodies. As a...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Oct 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: Is there anything local about that?

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Oct 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: No doubt Senator Coghlan will be at the opening.