Results 481-500 of 5,746 for speaker:Gerard Craughwell

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (31 Jan 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I am seeking a debate on the McKenna judgment being respected by both Houses and any other agency funded by the State.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (31 Jan 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: We have an obligation to tell the truth. As I stated, Article 41.1.1° places marriage on a different bar or level from a durable relationship. It is there in black and white for everybody to see. Article 42B offers no practical support for families with disabled people. What happened here during Commencement matters this morning is outrageous and indicative of the way this House is...

Seanad: Digital Services Bill 2023: Second Stage (31 Jan 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: They might help us if they learn about government.

Seanad: Digital Services Bill 2023: Second Stage (31 Jan 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: The Minister of State is welcome to the House. There are some very serious issues with the Digital Services Bill that to date have not received enough attention, like the Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill 2022 that preceded this. That Bill managed to sail through the Dáil with very little opposition. I come at this from a very clear...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (30 Jan 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I and, I am sure, all members of my group join others in expressing sympathy to the Connor family. It is a tragedy to lose somebody in a road traffic accident. Two and a half years ago, after the cyberattack on the HSE, I started to involve myself in matters cyber. Initially, I worked with Louth and Meath ETB. That spread out to the University of Galway, Munster Technological University...

Seanad: Defence Forces Tribunal of Inquiry: Motion (30 Jan 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: With respect to time, my colleague, Senator Clonan, wants to speak. Must I share time with him or will the Acting Chairperson allocate time to him?

Seanad: Defence Forces Tribunal of Inquiry: Motion (30 Jan 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: That is fair enough. I will share time with Senator Clonan. I welcome the Tánaiste to the House for this important debate. I also welcome the veterans who are here. They clearly had to go through quite a lot of personal strife to get us to where we are today. I welcome the appointment of Ms Justice Ann Power, who is a judge of international standing. I wish her well in the work she...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (30 Jan 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I am sorry that I was not here but I was in the Seanad with the Tánaiste dealing with the tribunal Bill.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (30 Jan 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: In the answers that have been given since I arrived, there has been talk about consultation and reflection. I am afraid that the consultation side is dismal. The Department does not really consult with either PDFORRA or RACO, and if it does, from what I can see, it is only tokenism. I speak in particular of head 25 and the restriction on the director of military prosecutions. The...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (30 Jan 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: First and foremost, I served in the Defence Forces myself. Any soldier who was charged during my time had to go before their company commander. A company commander is expected to be independent in the approach they take to a soldier who has been charged with an offence under military law. The corollary of what the representatives are saying is that if the director of military prosecutions...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (30 Jan 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: Is it not true that the adjudicator has already condemned the lack of communication and engagement with the representative bodies?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (30 Jan 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I want to move on to head 26(j), which speaks about the non-involvement in politics. The rest of head 26 mutes the organisations. They cannot speak on Government policy, etc. I assume all the representatives of the Department who are present are members of a trade union. It may be the Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants or some union for the Civil Service or public service. I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (30 Jan 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I want to come back to that. The representatives could have stopped at the first line where it finishes at the word “politics” and deleted the rest. There is absolutely no need for the rest to be there. It could be interpreted as a gagging order on the representative bodies so that they could not make a comment, irrespective of custom and practice to date. This legislation...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (30 Jan 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I am a little concerned about the oversight body that is being established. The participation of the Secretary General of the Department, for me, is anathema. The idea of the Secretary General of a Department overseeing his or her own Department is fundamentally wrong. I just wanted to put that on the record, for what it is worth.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Jan 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: There was an attempt to abolish this House in 2013, before I was elected here. I worked hard during that attempt to save this House, as did many people. My colleague, Senator Clonan, has put forward an amendment to the Order of Business today which I am seconding. It proposes that we do not take anything more than Committee Stage of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023. I...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Jan 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I will be calling a vote on the Order of Business today. This cannot go through and if it does, I sincerely hope we get a public lashing for the way we are abusing the democratic system.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Jan 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: Never.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Jan 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: So, you have succeeded.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Jan 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: It is no more than a scam.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Jan 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: No, it is not.