Results 4,801-4,820 of 5,750 for speaker:Gerard Craughwell

Seanad: Harbours Bill 2015: Report and Final Stages (18 Dec 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: I thank the Minister for his reply but I ask him to clarify one or two points. First and foremost, the role of the harbour master is unique in that they are an arm of the State. They are charged with the protection of the State's assets and particularly with respect to the environment and the security of shipping lanes under their control. In addition, I wonder if there is any impediment...

Seanad: Harbours Bill 2015: Report and Final Stages (18 Dec 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: It is, with some reservation.

Seanad: Harbours Bill 2015: Report and Final Stages (18 Dec 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: I second the amendment.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2015: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (17 Dec 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: I wish to put something on the record, as I have been contacted about this. Development plans are obliged to be drawn up with due regard to legislation, national policy, national planning advice and so forth. A development plan is a complex document drawn up by those who have unparalleled knowledge of their county and their aims for it. It is contributed to by the public through an...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2015: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (17 Dec 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: I thank the Minister of State for his reply.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Dec 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: I am not sure if Senators are aware that our colleague in County Kildare, Councillor Willie Crowley, was the victim of a hit and run accident last night. His condition is critical and I am sure all Senators will join me in sending our good wishes to him. This morning, representatives of the Organisation of National Ex-Service Personnel and the Irish United Nations Veterans Association...

Seanad: Harbours Bill 2015: Committee Stage (16 Dec 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: I wish to support Senator Barrett. I am a little confused about why we are bringing local authorities in to run ports. The ports are a specialised area. I would rather see an integrated transport policy, whereby the big ports in use would incorporate some form of rail transfer of assets, etc. I am a little concerned that we are asking too much of local authorities.We have stripped them of...

Seanad: Harbours Bill 2015: Committee Stage (16 Dec 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: I take the Minister's word that there was a significant period of consultation but everything about this Bill seems to remove the opportunity for locally-elected people to have a serious input into the ports' boards. The boards would have oversight of what goes on. We seem to be empowering chief executives and disempowering elected people, a theme which appears to run right through...

Seanad: Harbours Bill 2015: Committee Stage (16 Dec 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: Can the amendments be resubmitted for Report Stage?

Seanad: Harbours Bill 2015: Committee Stage (16 Dec 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: Senator Barrett is correct. For the life of me, I cannot believe we would want a harbour that would be managed by a load of "landlubbers", as Senator Barrett has called them. Surely the harbour master - the person who understands the harbour - is the one person we should want to be present at all board meetings. A number of harbours around the country are extremely peculiar in their design...

Seanad: Harbours Bill 2015: Committee Stage (16 Dec 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: I accept what the Minister has said. The magic word in what he had to say was "employee" because it suggests to me that it is envisaged, as suggested by Senator Barrett, that the harbour master will be standing outside the door with his cap in his hand waiting to see whether his masters inside want to hear his wisdom. These men have developed wisdom over many years. By right, they should...

Seanad: Harbours Bill 2015: Committee Stage (16 Dec 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: We will be back on Report Stage.

Seanad: Harbours Bill 2015: Committee Stage (16 Dec 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: Amendments Nos. 14 and 15, which were tabled by Sinn Féin, seek to remove the authority of the chief executive officer and to vest that authority in elected council members. I appreciate that the Bill gives the council some powers of oversight. It is most regrettable that we are not in a position to consider amendments Nos. 14 and 15.

Seanad: Harbours Bill 2015: Committee Stage (16 Dec 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: I thank the Minister for his patience. I agree with Senator Barrett on this. Where power is invested in a local individual, those autocratic people are suddenly given the power to put a number of puppets in place who will behave as desired. I would have no problem with the local authority chief executive making a recommendation while the final decision rested with the Minister of the day....

Seanad: Harbours Bill 2015: Committee Stage (16 Dec 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: Section 22(7)(b)(vi) provides that in considering whether to appoint a person to be a director of a transferred company, the local authority chief executive concerned shall have regard to the desirability of experience of local government. However, we have ensured that those with the greatest experience of local government are excluded. We will be talking about that a little later in the...

Seanad: Harbours Bill 2015: Committee Stage (16 Dec 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: Okay.

Seanad: Harbours Bill 2015: Committee Stage (16 Dec 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: We are meeting different guys then.

Seanad: Harbours Bill 2015: Committee Stage (16 Dec 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: In fairness, if the harbour was not under the control of the local authority, an elected member of a local authority would have no difficulty being on the board whatsoever.

Seanad: Harbours Bill 2015: Committee Stage (16 Dec 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: With respect, I have never suggested that the power of oversight should be invested in any small group that would be appointed to a harbour board. I welcome most of the Bill and what the Minister is doing here in the oversight area. I am a little sorry Sinn Féin is not here to move some of its amendments, but I welcome what the Minister is doing. At the end of the day, there is a...

Seanad: Harbours Bill 2015: Committee Stage (16 Dec 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: I support the Minister fully on this one.