Results 4,701-4,720 of 5,750 for speaker:Gerard Craughwell

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Feb 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: Senator Walsh might change his mind.

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Feb 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: Thank you for that.

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Feb 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: I will start by dispelling any doubts as to my future intentions. I have had the car serviced and a new set of tyres put on it. The tax has been paid and I am on the road from tomorrow. I will be seeking re-election.

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Feb 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: I thank all Members of the House who are not running on the labour panel for supporting my re-election and promising to get votes for me. I really thank them for that. I thank the Cathaoirleach for his kindness and for the even-handed way in which he dealt with me. As I travel around the country, I assure him I will seek his re-election because he is a decent guy. That is really...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Feb 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: That is rubbish.

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Feb 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: I have seen civil servants lose their jobs.

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Feb 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: I will not be here tomorrow to attend Senator Quinn's party. I am only sorry I did not meet him back in the 1990s when I was struggling with marketing in college. He certainly would have made it all seem easy. Perhaps he will come back here and give seminars for Senators on how to turn their constituencies into kings.

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Feb 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: I might try. Two things come together from today's debate that were on my mind coming in here. One is the casualisation, to which Senator Norris adverted, and the other is the employment figures. There is no doubt the Government must be congratulated on the number of people who have been returned to work, but we still have 321,000 people on the live register, more than 81,000 people on...

Seanad: Joint Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Statements (2 Feb 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: In deference to my colleagues, I will not take very long, in order that somebody else can get in. I thank the Minister for coming here this evening. I want to pay particular thanks to those members of the banking inquiry, including four of my colleagues here - Senators D'Arcy, Barrett, MacSharry and O'Keeffe - who may have sacrificed part of their political career in order to devote their...

Seanad: Joint Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Statements (2 Feb 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: Good luck.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Jan 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: I agree with Senator Quinn regarding young people returning from warzones and the threat it poses to this country. We now live in a world that is a dangerous place and I agree that if someone returns from a warzone - I do not care which side they were fighting on - there should be no place and no room in this country for them. It is wrong in every sense of the word to leave ourselves open...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Jan 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: That is how the Senator feels. I am delighted to advise the House that my rapporteur's report on class K PRSI tax was accepted yesterday by the Joint Committee on Education and Social Protection.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Jan 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: The House should be aware that this issue does not just apply to county councillors. It is a tax on public service. It is unconstitutional and I believe it goes against the European Convention on Human Rights. Comments were made in this House about solo runs. While my report was accepted yesterday by members of all parties and none - it was a joint Oireachtas committee submission and it...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Jan 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: I did. I apologise, I only asked the party Whips.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: The Pensions Authority: Chairperson Designate (27 Jan 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: I welcome Mr. Begg and thank him for his fairly comprehensive presentation. I welcome Mr. Begg's appointment to the board. While I have huge reservations about the way we make appointments to these boards I believe Mr. Begg is the right man for the job at this time. Did Mr. Begg’s membership of the board of Aer Lingus cause a problem in respect of the difference between what happened...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Defence Forces Ombudsman Complaints (27 Jan 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Paul Kehoe, to the House. While not wishing in any way to undermine the Minister of State's position, it is regrettable the senior Minister is not here to take this matter. This matter is to discuss the outcome of a report from the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces appeal of redress of wrongs, June 2015. I acknowledge the work done by the senior...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Defence Forces Ombudsman Complaints (27 Jan 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: Perhaps the Acting Chairman will bear with me, this is really important. The complainant in the case is in the House and we must have deference to that. A man who has served the country with distinction is entitled to it.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Defence Forces Ombudsman Complaints (27 Jan 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: The length of service marks were incorrectly awarded. Two applicants were placed above this man and as a result, he was not promoted. The ombudsman's recommendation was that the administrative error should be acknowledged with a suitable expression of regret, that appropriate acknowledgement and appreciation of the complainant's long distinguished service in the Defence Forces be offered to...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Defence Forces Ombudsman Complaints (27 Jan 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: I thank the Minister of State for his reply. His colleague in the other House, the Minister for Health, Deputy Leo Varadkar, has made the point in the medical world that we should fess up and be honest if we have made mistake and we put it right. It is grossly unfair that this man has had his life put on hold while he waits for an apology to redress the wrong that has been done to him. He...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Defence Forces Ombudsman Complaints (27 Jan 2016)

Gerard Craughwell: I will give the Minister of State a copy of the ombudsman's report.