Results 5,601-5,620 of 5,763 for speaker:Gerard Craughwell

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Gerard Craughwell: I will not keep the Minister long. I just want to get a couple of facts straight. I asked the Minister about the €460 million. He has not answered that. I would appreciate it if he would deal with this. Is that €460 million in loans to the company? There is an additional €165 million which is part of the conservation grant and there is €60 million for rates....

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Gerard Craughwell: If the will-not-pay majority gets to the point that practically nobody is paying water charges and the company goes broke, where are we, as no company can survive without revenue? I received a tweet tonight from a Fine Gael Deputy, whose name I will not mention, asking does government always have to start from a position of defence. Is it not possible to take on board some of the amendments...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Gerard Craughwell: I compliment the Minister on his good humour on what must be a tough day for him. I appreciate the time he and the Minister of State have given. It has been reported to me in the past hour that the Exchequer has taken over the debts of Irish Water to the tune of €460 million. Is this true? On the issue of people not being able to pay, I recall my father who was a gas fitter...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Gerard Craughwell: Fair play to the Minister of State. He has set out the issue and held his cool most of the night. I ask him to do everybody in this House a favour and tell us straight out that he will not accept any amendments to any part of this Bill tonight and let us all go home.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Gerard Craughwell: I am getting a bit tired of the ping-pong that Senator Norris is talking about. There are people out there who depend on us. The Minister of State has mentioned the sums of €260 or €160 per year and somewhere along the line, all of us - including me - have forgotten that there are people in this country who do not have €5 left over at the end of the week.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Gerard Craughwell: As my colleague, Senator Barrett, has indicated, these are the ordinary people who asked for this House to be retained in order to have some sort of a paternal look over legislation. They expected much more from us. I deeply regret the Water Services Bill as it has been presented. The Minister of State and the Minister, Deputy Kelly, are genuinely trying but they are not being allowed to...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Gerard Craughwell: I am not interested in political points scoring.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Gerard Craughwell: I want a straight answer from the Minister of State. Will he tell us he will not accept any amendments and let us all go home to hell?

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Gerard Craughwell: We can deal with it on Monday.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Gerard Craughwell: I applaud what you are doing but it is wrong.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Gerard Craughwell: I support the amendment tabled by Senator Fidelma Healy Eames. One of the things that was made perfectly clear to us was that metering would allow families to establish the amount of water they were using. It is only right and proper that we delay any charge until everything is ready to go.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Gerard Craughwell: I have outlined my position and support the amendment on that basis.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Gerard Craughwell: I detect a shifting of the sands with the Minister. As we tire, he is becoming more reasonable and we are becoming more demanding. It is not a big demand. Senator Byrne's amendment does not seek a recommendation on a constitutional referendum from the forum; it merely provides that the forum may consider the matter and bring a recommendation to the Government. I understand the Minister...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Gerard Craughwell: I accept that but, in fairness, I am entitled to his attention while I am speaking. I gave him my attention.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Gerard Craughwell: That is fine.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Gerard Craughwell: Senator Quinn gave his conditional support, and that condition still arises. I have stated that a referendum is a red-line issue for me. It is a red-line issue in all the text messages I have received today. This is an opportunity to get over that hurdle. If it is the case that, as Senator Ó Murchú observed, the Government has no intention of accepting any amendment, I ask the...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Gerard Craughwell: The ground is shifting.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Gerard Craughwell: The Minister should take my comments on board.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Gerard Craughwell: For the first time today, I have seen something the Minister cannot refuse. I see him sitting there and shaking his head saying he will refuse because the grey beards - the backroom boys - have told him to come here and reject everything because they have written the Bill and he is not to change it because if he does, they will really screw him up. This is a wonderful idea. The Minister...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Gerard Craughwell: Ninety-eight years after the founding fathers of this country declared the right of the people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland, we are here pleading with the Minister to call a referendum in order that we can enshrine one tiny part of the ownership of Ireland to the people, and that is water. Water is the single commodity we cannot live without. A lot of people are repeating the same...