Results 1,361-1,380 of 5,918 for speaker:Gerard Craughwell

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Impacting the Taxi Industry: Discussion (14 Sep 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: I have huge sympathy with all of the speakers today, particularly the individuals who are running the place on their own. I was in a taxi the other day and learned they got an increase from the regulator. The car has to go in and have the meter adjusted. Surely to God in the modern day we should have meters that can be adjusted at the touch of a button. Regarding the rule, I totally...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Impacting the Taxi Industry: Discussion (14 Sep 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: I will make no comment.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Situation at Dublin Airport: Discussion (26 Jul 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: To put things in context, since early May I have taken four flights out of the country and returned. I want to put it on record the fact that the experience from the worst time to the best time has been much better in Ireland than in other parts of Europe. I also want to put on record the work of the DAA. I am absolutely blown away by how quickly the DAA has dealt with the problems and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Situation at Dublin Airport: Discussion (26 Jul 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: On 30 June, I was at terminal 2 for a number of hours because I had family going through the airport in different groups. I observed the queues for Aer Lingus flights and observed families with young children who were 25 minutes in the queue. The Aer Lingus staff checked them in straightaway because they recognised that it is difficult to keep children controlled and I give the staff full...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Situation at Dublin Airport: Discussion (26 Jul 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: Customers will be waiting a long time because most of Aer Lingus’s flights are well full these days, from what I can see.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Situation at Dublin Airport: Discussion (26 Jul 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: I refer to baggage handling, which applies to DAA as well. We went through a two-year period where we had to deal with Covid. Out of all the governments in Europe - I am not a member of the Government party - the Irish Government laid on significant supports for companies to retain staff. I do not accept that staff went off and found new or better jobs, because there was nowhere to go to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Situation at Dublin Airport: Discussion (26 Jul 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: I wish to make one last point. The Chair mentioned the Defence Forces. As a former member of the Defence Forces and one that was nominated to the Seanad by the Defence Forces, among others, I take grave exception to the Defence Forces being requested to go in and dig these organisations out of a hole. I fully understand the needs of the public and the needs of the airport to maintain...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Situation at Dublin Airport: Discussion (26 Jul 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: I sincerely hope they will not, but they should never have been asked. I will leave it at that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Situation at Dublin Airport: Discussion (26 Jul 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: Sorry, what airport is the Senator talking about?

Seanad: Animal Welfare: Motion (14 Jul 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: I thank Senator O’Reilly for tabling this motion. I am devastated by what I just heard about Dublin Zoo. The minute the Minister of State leaves here, she must contact people to get them out to the zoo to see exactly what is going on. If even only a tiny portion of what she has been told is true, it is outrageous. When I think about how I and other people bring their grandchildren...

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Jul 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: I do many things but to repeat the same advice would be futile. The advice is very clear. One of the problems we have in dealing with this issue is that nobody in this room is an expert. The only expertise that has been involved in the drafting of this Bill is from the very people the Bill is designed to regulate. Four people lost their lives because of poor regulation, lack of oversight...

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Jul 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: I have a few points to make. The Attorney General is one distinguished lawyer. The advice that was read into the record was prepared by another distinguished lawyer. I do not believe any lawyer is more qualified than another, lest a court adjudges the positions of both parties and makes a decision. The Attorney General's advice holds no more water for me than the advice that was read into...

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Jul 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: We must proceed or suspend again, and I do not particularly want to do that.

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Jul 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: Before I make my comments, the Minister of State has referred to the people who were consulted on Bills relating to all sorts of areas that have passed through the Houses of the Oireachtas. That is good, and I do not have a problem with that. However, I have a problem if we go to an agency and ask it to write the legislation to regulate itself. She spoke about search and rescue, SAR,...

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Jul 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: We are where we are a year later, and we are getting nowhere.

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Jul 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: We are on Committee Stage and I am entitled to make my points.

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Jul 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: I am entitled to make the points I want to make today.

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Jul 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: If we are going to proceed with the Bill today, which I believe is ill-advised, I am going to make my points. Article 2.6 of the EASA basic regulation allows the Minister to opt in to certain provisions, activities and organisations. This is relevant, but with regard to sections 67 and 76, we have to give consideration to whether they reflect state-of-the-art and best practices in the field...

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Jul 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: I am not an expert in the area, but I am being asked to put my name to this Bill by virtue of the fact that I have been involved in discussion on it. This will be the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton's, Bill when it goes onto the Statute Book properly and the bottom line is that none of us is expert enough to make judgments on some of the provisions in the Bill. Section 67 makes reference...

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Jul 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: I know. I am just trying to bring it all together. These are the only areas that cause me difficulty. If we can iron those out, we can move on with the Bill. One of the biggest issues with the Bill is a lack of accountability for the chief executive. Legislation such as this is too important to allow for incompetence. The introduction of the pilot supports programme is a welcome...