Results 141-160 of 5,749 for speaker:Gerard Craughwell

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (3 Jul 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I move amendment No. 5: In page 9, line 13, to delete “or matter of Government policy”.

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (3 Jul 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I am concerned as we are running very tight on time and there is a huge section of this Bill that deals with the external oversight body on the participation of the Secretary General of the Department. I wonder whether there is a way that we could call on the Leader to the House to extend time and give us another half hour.

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (3 Jul 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I appreciate the Tánaiste's position and he will appreciate that the external oversight body and the participation of the Secretary General is a huge issue.

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (3 Jul 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I assume they have a lot of money to throw down the drain.

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (3 Jul 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I wish to deal with all of the amendments together, if I may, given the time we have. Section 323(1)(c) provides that the Secretary General of the Department of Defence shall be an ex officio member of the external oversight body. Section 323(7) states, "The person appointed (or designated under subsection (6)) as chairperson of the External Oversight Body shall not have served [in] the...

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (3 Jul 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: The Minister does not have to-----

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (3 Jul 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: It is no secret that I despise the way the IRG report was published. It would have been significant enough at the time to put out two lines saying that there was prima facie evidence, based on research, for a tribunal of inquiry. The rush to the gallows in this building, with rope to hang everybody who wore a uniform, was outrageous and disgusting, but that is not the issue today. We are...

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (3 Jul 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I am anxious to call a vote on this. We are running out of time.

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (3 Jul 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I will withdraw the amendment and resubmit it on Report Stage.

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (3 Jul 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: Under Standing Order 62(3)(b) I request that the division be taken again other than by electronic means.

Seanad: Health (Scoliosis Treatment Services) Bill 2024: Second Stage (3 Jul 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I thank the Minister for being here today. First and foremost, I do not believe the Government is answerable for everything. The Government puts resources into the health services and it is up to the health services to deliver. Quite frankly, it is very difficult to understand how we find ourselves in the situations we end up in with the health service. There is money being pumped into it...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (2 Jul 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: Today we remember the crew of Rescue 111 who gave their lives off the coast of Waterford, near Tramore, after a successful search and rescue mission. Those brave men were Captain Dave O'Flaherty, recipient of the distinguished service medal, DSM; Captain Mike Baker, recipient of the DSM; Sergeant Paddy Mooney, recipient of the DSM; and Corporal Niall Byrne, recipient of the DSM. I will...

Committee on Public Petitions: Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman: Annual Report and Other Matters (27 Jun 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: First, I apologise. Typically at this time, what is happening in the Houses is quite insane and difficult to keep up with. I thank Mr. Sloyan for being here. I am very appreciative of his office. The first area I wish to raise is that of pension abatement. I understand there have been several court cases through the years where a pension is seen by the courts as a property right and...

Committee on Public Petitions: Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman: Annual Report and Other Matters (27 Jun 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: Because we have a situation where members of the Defence Forces who go into certain occupations, such as roles with the Irish Aviation Authority, for example, are not subject to pension abatement. The position is similar for Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas or employees of several semi-State agencies. Abatement was brought in to prevent very senior civil servants from taking lump...

Committee on Public Petitions: Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman: Annual Report and Other Matters (27 Jun 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: In the case of service provided, a key component of the confidence of the public to come and use the service is to know how successful things are. Does the ombudsman carry out an after-service investigation or statistical analysis of how long it took to deal with a particular problem, the number of positive and negative outcomes and the number of cases that were spurious and should never...

Committee on Public Petitions: Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman: Annual Report and Other Matters (27 Jun 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: That is extremely reassuring and I thank Ms McGovern for jumping in.

Committee on Public Petitions: Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman: Annual Report and Other Matters (27 Jun 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: Mr. Sloyan will appreciate that we get petitions in here frequently for strange things. One of the strange ones before us right now and we have discussed it at length, thanks to the Chairman and indeed our wonderful support staff, is the area of insurance, specifically insurance for thatched properties. It has become a bugbear in here. As of right now, and the Chairman will correct me if I...

Committee on Public Petitions: Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman: Annual Report and Other Matters (27 Jun 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: The other area of interest to me in dealing with State organisations, and I have to hold my hands up here because I am one person who is involved with it, is dealing with pensions. There is a belief among some of us in the Oireachtas that, when you are dealing with State agencies, they delay it so long in the hope that you will die before they have to answer the question. How long is a...

Committee on Public Petitions: Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman: Annual Report and Other Matters (27 Jun 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: Okay, that is fine.

Committee on Public Petitions: Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman: Annual Report and Other Matters (27 Jun 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I remember using the office of the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman many years ago with regard to one of the banks which had a charge for an unauthorised overdraft. The overdraft was 50p at the time, if I am not mistaken. The ombudsman's office was fantastic. It was the principle behind the thing. There was no notification for the customer that they would incur a charge if they...