Results 5,361-5,380 of 5,752 for speaker:Gerard Craughwell

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Local Government Reform (21 Apr 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: I will finish on this. Will the Minister of State commit today to assembling a group to review the pay, terms and conditions of councillors and to review in particular the PRSI tax? It is time for change and for fair play for local representatives. I know other Members of this House already made the position clear some time ago.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Local Government Reform (21 Apr 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: I thank the Minister of State for her reply. She mentioned that the representational allowance is not a salary but why are we charging PRSI, a pension levy and a universal social charge on it? If it is not a salary and there is no master-servant relationship, why is it not a straightforward allowance without any attachments? I appreciate where the Minister of State is coming from with...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Local Government Reform (21 Apr 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: I thank the Leader for that intervention. The representatives in the Local Authority Members Association want to meet the Minister.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Local Government Reform (21 Apr 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: That can be done through Senator Cummins.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Local Government Reform (21 Apr 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: I appreciate that.

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Apr 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: I respectfully ask my colleagues to defer their request to amend the Order of Business for two reasons. First, I have submitted a substantial amendment in this regard and, second, the Leader has committed, in only the past few minutes, to bringing the representative groups to meet the Minister. We should give him time to arrange that engagement and perhaps have the debate just before the...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Apr 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: Six houses in Millfield Manor, Newbridge were burned down recently in an arson attack. The owners of the remaining properties in the estate have serious concerns about the safety of their houses and apartments. In particular, the complete collapse of the six houses has led to concern about the soundness of their construction. Residents are concerned, too, about the impact of the fire on...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Apr 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: The Leader has agreed to take No. 68, motion 15 on the Order Paper without debate. I have a substantial amendment to motion 15.

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Apr 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: I would be quite happy-----

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Apr 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: I would be quite happy to have it taken without debate if that is possible.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Apr 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: I am delighted to see that my Commencement matter yesterday on the issue of PRSI for councillors has led to Senator Paul Coghlan's awakening with regard to salary issues and the terms and conditions of employment of councillors.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Apr 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: I am glad it has led to Senator Coghlan's awakening with regard to salary issues and the terms and conditions of employment of councillors throughout the country. I will be tabling a Commencement matter for the Minister, Deputy Kelly-----

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Apr 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: I will be tabling a Commencement Debate matter with the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Alan Kelly, on the issue of salaries for county councillors. Did I agree with Senator Paul Coghlan? At the very least they should be looking at 50% of a Senator's salary. The Leader will recall that before the Easter break I raised the issue of bullying in the...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Social Insurance (15 Apr 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: The Minister is welcome and I thank him for coming to the House on the issue of class K PRSI contributions and the lack of benefits accruing from those contributions. I raise the issue mainly on behalf of the countless city and county councillors, the lifeblood of local democracy, who have approached me on this subject. Councillors are paid a representational payment of €16,590,...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Social Insurance (15 Apr 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: Excellent. I thank the Cathaoirleach. As politicians, we all will be aware of the social risk associated with our profession, such as the risk of not being re-elected, the risk of long periods out of office and the consequent implications for every aspect of our lives and our financial situation.While it is true many local authority members have jobs in addition to their role as public...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Social Insurance (15 Apr 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: I thank the Minister of State. It is a difficult issue to raise here, given that to be in public service is almost regarded as a crime. I am not afraid to say these people are being treated very badly by the State. In anticipation of the Minister of State's answer, I have already alerted the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education and Social Protection that I will be proposing a debate on...

Seanad: One-Parent Family Supports: Motion (15 Apr 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: I came to the House to support my two colleagues and I had no intention whatsoever of speaking. I am trying to remain as calm as I can because the OPFP is nothing more than a great big stick with which to beat lone parents and make them crawl for the miserable shillings they get. Have the officials who wrote the Minister's script ever known a day's poverty in their lives? Do they honestly...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: General Scheme of Retention of Records Bill 2015: Discussion (15 Apr 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: My input will be very short. A number of the victims that came forward to the various redress boards did so on the basis of the legislation that was there at the time. As Deputy McConalogue has already pointed out, what is very reasonable today was not available to the people who came forward. I have personal knowledge of one individual who did not come forward because he did not want his...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: General Scheme of Retention of Records Bill 2015: Discussion (15 Apr 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: Is there a need or reason to retain these records? I am not at all convinced there is but if there is a reason to retain them, could they not be sanitised? Could the names be removed, with people referred to as "Victim A, B, C or D", up to 1,500 or 15,547? As some of my colleagues have indicated, we live in a country that is essentially parish-based. People live in parishes that were...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: General Scheme of Retention of Records Bill 2015: Discussion (15 Apr 2015)

Gerard Craughwell: I am still not satisfied in my mind. The phrase "Lest we forget" has been mentioned many times. If we have done nothing else in this world, we have forgotten. Regardless of the many reports and documents in existence, we continually forget. Our economic crash is an example of us forgetting. I do not understand why we want to do this or who has requested it. Has somebody approached the...