Results 461-480 of 5,754 for speaker:Gerard Craughwell

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Large-scale Capital Projects: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (14 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I live in the Leopardstown area and I drive down the Dundrum bypass many times. People always remark to me that it is the most expensive piece of road in Europe-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Large-scale Capital Projects: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (14 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: Yes. Because TII is responsible for major infrastructure projects like this, has Mr. Walsh any explanation as to why projects in Ireland seem to cost multiples of what they cost in other countries?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Large-scale Capital Projects: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (14 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Large-scale Capital Projects: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (14 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: Yes, that is a different ball game.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Large-scale Capital Projects: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (14 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: The cost of land and the planning appeals and all of that. I am glad that Mr. Walsh has put this on the record because it is a constant thing that is thrown at me by members of the public "Why are we paying ten times more?" On the western rail corridor, which I am sure the witnesses are well used to, I still believe we should have a train from Letterkenny to Cork, Waterford or Dublin, and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Large-scale Capital Projects: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (14 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I am sorry, I took it that it did. I will take that out.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Large-scale Capital Projects: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (14 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: Yes. TII deals with metro and Luas. The Galway light rail system has been on the boil since I was a boy in Salthill and is still on the boil. The bypass is constantly being chucked out. We get so far and-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Large-scale Capital Projects: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (14 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: Is it light rail and not metro?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Large-scale Capital Projects: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (14 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I have a final question. Mr. Walsh mentioned planning. When I hear the word "planning" I feel it would be great if the ground opened up and swallowed us all. We seem to be extremely poor at engagement with the elected representative local authority members - not with the local authority itself. We ultimately find ourselves in the situation where there are objections to planning. One...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Large-scale Capital Projects: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (14 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I appreciate that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Large-scale Capital Projects: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (14 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: If I am hearing Mr. Walsh correctly, if TII is operating in a particular area - we will say County Cork for the hell of it - it will deal with the executive of Cork County Council and that council's planning office. However, it is up to the county council to decide whether the actual elected representatives on Cork County Council should attend. Does Mr. Walsh see anything wrong with that?...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Large-scale Capital Projects: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (14 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: As Mr. Walsh can imagine, as Members of the Seanad, we get complaints from time to time that county councillors feel bypassed and excluded when decisions are being made so I am glad to hear that TII is happy enough to have them attend and to listen to what they have to say.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Large-scale Capital Projects: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (14 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I will leave it at that. I thank Mr. Walsh and Mr. O'Neill very much.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: And they are from Kenmare.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: It is a beautiful part of the country.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: That was when the Leas-Chathaoirleach togged out for the reserves.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I will first draw attention to the Taiwan Strait. The International Civil Aviation Organization, ICAO, is responsible for air navigation and it has set rules about how air navigation pathways might be changed. In the past few days, China has decided to cut off a number of vital pathways for air navigation in the Taiwan Strait. The M503, W122 and W123 flight paths are now all closed. Once...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Cancer Services (7 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: The Minister of State is welcome to the House to discuss this important matter. At the end of 2022 there was an announcement awarding €900,000 to dental schools for head and neck cancer treatments. This would have been the first time funding was made available for pre-radiation and rehabilitation of head and neck cancers. These are the only cancers where patients had to pay for...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Cancer Services (7 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I thank the Minister of State for her comprehensive answer, albeit that she did not have the full detail until she came here today. It is correct that the service was allocated €315,000. In light of the fact that Cork University Dental School and Hospital has withdrawn from that service, the only centre in the country now is the Dublin Dental University Hospital. It is looking for...