Results 841-860 of 5,746 for speaker:Gerard Craughwell

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Mar 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: A Chathaoirligh, you and I and other Members of this House and the Dáil attended the Interparliamentary Union last week where historic outcomes in peaceful coexistence and cybercrime were agreed. We frequently have a crack at one another in this House because of different political ideology, etc. Along with the Cathaoirleach, Senator Clifford-Lee of Fianna Fáil, a member of the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Mar 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: Senator Garvey's chairmanship of the committee on climate was so impressive that people have demanded that she be brought back to the next assembly to chair a committee. Senator Clifford-Lee's chairmanship of a committee got a similar warm welcome. It is wonderful to travel with colleagues and to see Ireland, a tiny little country, held in such high esteem. I want to compliment the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Quarterly Update on Matters relating to Minister of State's Remit: Discussion (22 Mar 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: I second that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Quarterly Update on Matters relating to Minister of State's Remit: Discussion (22 Mar 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: The Minister of State is welcome. I will concentrate on the Coast Guard, which will be no surprise to him. Figures recently released to me show the cost of the helicopter service for 2022, which amounts to €56 million for the first ten months of the year. It is likely it will reach between €67 million and €70 million. That is an overrun of between €10 million...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Quarterly Update on Matters relating to Minister of State's Remit: Discussion (22 Mar 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: I am being very careful. I have not accused anybody of anything. I am asking questions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Quarterly Update on Matters relating to Minister of State's Remit: Discussion (22 Mar 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: The evidence is there.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Quarterly Update on Matters relating to Minister of State's Remit: Discussion (22 Mar 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: The bottom line is this. Does the Minister of State have confidence in the current procurement process? The previous Minister of State with responsibility for the procurement process did not have confidence in it. In a joint letter, she and the Minister stated they trusted the Department to do the job and they could not have a hands-on overview of the next procurement process for the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Quarterly Update on Matters relating to Minister of State's Remit: Discussion (22 Mar 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: I will allow the Minister of State to answer.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Quarterly Update on Matters relating to Minister of State's Remit: Discussion (22 Mar 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: I would love to have him here for three hours too.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Quarterly Update on Matters relating to Minister of State's Remit: Discussion (22 Mar 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: I might respond for a second. Everybody else did.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Quarterly Update on Matters relating to Minister of State's Remit: Discussion (22 Mar 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: Just two minutes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Quarterly Update on Matters relating to Minister of State's Remit: Discussion (22 Mar 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: One minute then.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Quarterly Update on Matters relating to Minister of State's Remit: Discussion (22 Mar 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: Come on.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Quarterly Update on Matters relating to Minister of State's Remit: Discussion (22 Mar 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: I do not want to come back to it repeatedly. I am tired of it. However, I am happy with much of what the Minister of State said. It sounds good.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Work and Priorities of the Defence Forces: Engagement with Chief of Staff (21 Mar 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: I wish to place on record my concern that we all received a letter prior to the Chief of Staff arriving here to the effect we were not to stray into policy areas. I believe the Chief of Staff, as the most senior military officer in the country, is well capable of telling us if we stray into areas we should not stray into. With that in mind, I am somewhat concerned at the blurring I have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Work and Priorities of the Defence Forces: Engagement with Chief of Staff (21 Mar 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: We have had significant vacancies in non-commissioned officer ranks in particular. Based on the comments of my colleague, Senator Clonan, would the Chief of Staff accept that the lack of supervision because of vacancies not being filled is contributing in some way to the difficulties outlined by Senator Clonan, that is, that we simply do not have enough people on the ground to maintain...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Work and Priorities of the Defence Forces: Engagement with Chief of Staff (21 Mar 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: We might bear in mind that in Black Hawk Down they were not afraid to go back and look at that and upgrade all of the people who were involved. Other countries have done it and have not been afraid to do so. Leaving aside the Jadotville issue, which is a separate issue, the other issue is the number of veterans who approach me and tell me about wonderful things that happened. I was not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Work and Priorities of the Defence Forces: Engagement with Chief of Staff (21 Mar 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: That is okay.