Results 5,661-5,680 of 5,752 for speaker:Gerard Craughwell

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Dec 2014)

Gerard Craughwell: On a point of clarification, is the Leader offering to bring a senior Minister or the Taoiseach before the House tomorrow between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. or is he suggesting we have a little chat among ourselves? I would like clarification on that.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Dec 2014)

Gerard Craughwell: This is extremely important.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Dec 2014)

Gerard Craughwell: Yes.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Dec 2014)

Gerard Craughwell: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Dec 2014)

Gerard Craughwell: I would love to bring the Taoiseach before the House to discuss the matter but I doubt if I will get that. If I cannot have the Taoiseach I will take the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Dec 2014)

Gerard Craughwell: It is on the entire review process.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Dec 2014)

Gerard Craughwell: I rise to request an amendment to the Order of Business. I was rather shocked at the weekend to find out that an eminent group had been put together to come up with proposals for the reform of the Seanad. Democracy is a fragile thing and during the life of this Government the democracy of the country has suffered quite severely by having decisions made by a small group of people on the...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Dec 2014)

Gerard Craughwell: I wish to raise three issues. We had a wonderful debate yesterday evening on homelessness. As a result of my former colleagues, the teachers of this country, being forced to take to the streets on a one-day strike, the Government has saved €5 million in salary payments. My colleagues feel well justified in their strike action but they would be happy to see the money saved diverted...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Dec 2014)

Gerard Craughwell: I appreciate that.

Seanad: Homelessness: Statements (3 Dec 2014)

Gerard Craughwell: I apologise for interrupting the Minister of State. I ask him to comment on whether it would be possible for a cap or a freeze to be imposed on rents right now. Is that being considered?

Seanad: Homelessness: Statements (3 Dec 2014)

Gerard Craughwell: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Homelessness: Statements (3 Dec 2014)

Gerard Craughwell: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Homelessness: Statements (3 Dec 2014)

Gerard Craughwell: I have a written speech with some lovely statistics in it on homelessness. However, it really does not mean a whole lot. Homelessness is about life chances. As people speak here tonight, I think back on my life and I think back to a time in 1983 when our business went bust. Lady Luck is either with you or against you. I was on the brink of handing up my house, which would have rendered...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Online Learning at University: Discussion (3 Dec 2014)

Gerard Craughwell: I would not have thought, I am just thinking ahead.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Online Learning at University: Discussion (3 Dec 2014)

Gerard Craughwell: It does extend the working week if one is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to one's students. I have seen people become so engrossed in it that it has almost led to divorce or the breakdown of relationships - "Go away, dear, I've got to actually engage with my students here."

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Online Learning at University: Discussion (3 Dec 2014)

Gerard Craughwell: Professor Brown spoke about common guidelines rather than standards. Does he see this as something the academic world should work on or which the Government should lay down? He also mentioned the infrastructure around the country. During my time with the London School of Economics, we delivered programmes in places such as Cavan and north Mayo by holding weekend top ups. Recently, a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Online Learning at University: Discussion (3 Dec 2014)

Gerard Craughwell: I also thank our guests for attending. I am the product of a distance learning programme but, unfortunately, we did not have access to ICT when I was pursuing my studies. I engaged with WebCT in 1998 and moved on to Moodle in more recent years. There are two issues in which I am interested. Reference was made to blended learning. I am of the view that e-learning and online learning are...

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Dec 2014)

Gerard Craughwell: As someone who many would say has a big heart, I also have a tricky heart and as I have had to use the ambulance service on a number of occasions I know that lying in bed waiting for an ambulance is not something I relish. As stated yesterday in this House were I living in rural Ireland I would probably not be alive today. I would welcome a debate on ambulance services. I am particularly...

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Dec 2014)

Gerard Craughwell: I have previously raised the issue of rent control in the House. The importance of rent control is now more obvious in the context of the issue of homelessness now in the public domain. I mentioned some days ago that I was conducting a survey across county councils. To date, more than 70% of the respondents have asked that rent controls be implemented. There is something fundamentally...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Dec 2014)

Gerard Craughwell: On the teachers' strike, I support Senator O'Donnell's call for the Minister to come to the House. Nobody withdraws labour for the fun of it.