Results 41-60 of 5,497 for speaker:Gerard Craughwell

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on Kiltimagh Water Scheme: Discussion (25 Apr 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I do not want to get into the reasons as the answers from all the witnesses have been quite comprehensive. Mr. Kelly and Ms Bourke have come in for great praise from the community as I believe has Mr. McDermott. It is a good thing that they are engaging with members of the community. Perhaps I could ask Mr. Condon and Mayo County Council to engage with the Department of Social Protection...

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on Kiltimagh Water Scheme: Discussion (25 Apr 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I thank Mr. Condon for that.

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on Kiltimagh Water Scheme: Discussion (25 Apr 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: From a council perspective, is there a way of staging the payments? If there is a significant cost involved can it be paid over a period or must it all be paid in one lump sum? Who is responsible for that? Is it Irish Water?

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on Kiltimagh Water Scheme: Discussion (25 Apr 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I am sure it is not Mr. McDermott's responsibility, maybe it is the responsibility of a local TD or somebody like that, but maybe a scheme can be worked out with a local credit union for those who would find themselves in hardship by having to meet a large sum of money.

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on Kiltimagh Water Scheme: Discussion (25 Apr 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: That is really good.

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on Kiltimagh Water Scheme: Discussion (25 Apr 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I accept that everybody in this room is struggling to try to keep things going. The one thing I would say to Irish Water is that things keep coming to us where local authorities are trying to do something and somewhere along the line, the relationship with Irish Water does not seem to gel at a particular time. Should it not be the case that if Irish Water is the primary decision maker in a...

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on Kiltimagh Water Scheme: Discussion (25 Apr 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: Irish Water has planning? So it could deliver in six months if everybody got their act together?

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on Kiltimagh Water Scheme: Discussion (25 Apr 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: All I can do is thank the witnesses for their time. I am sorry if we sometimes are a bit difficult in the questions that we ask but my heart goes out to these people. I have only been without water the odd day in my life and it is very hard to live without it.

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on Kiltimagh Water Scheme: Discussion (25 Apr 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I am mindful of a solicitor friend of mine who said to me that when he takes on a case, the client sleeps the case, eats the case and wakes up with the case and thinks everybody else involved in it should do exactly the same thing. I understand that 60 projects and 15,000 houses is major. I understand what the witnesses are trying to do. I also understand the people of Kiltimagh and the...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: The Future of Local Democracy: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Apr 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I appreciate the Cathaoirleach facilitating me. I am not member of the committee but I am a Member of the Seanad and I depend on councillors, just like every other Member of the Seanad. I was never a city or county councillor, but I wish to address the issue of pay. I first brought up the issue of pay in 2015, when I first came in here. I cannot for the life of me understand why...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Foreign Policy (24 Apr 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: The Minister of State is decent and hardworking, and I regret he is here. This is nothing personal and I hope he accepts what I say as a professional observation. We have a Minister for Defence and a Minister of State with responsibility for EU Affairs and Defence. While I accept that the Minister for Defence is out of the country, it is outrageous that the Minister of State is not...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Foreign Policy (24 Apr 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I thank the Minister of State for coming here this morning. It is not easy to come in and face somebody on questions in an area not designated as being within his area of responsibility. The concerns I have are not in any way alleviated by the document provided for the Minister of State by the Department. It is a matter that the defence committee will take up in the coming weeks. It is to...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó (Atógáil) - Order of Business (Resumed) (24 Apr 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I will start by welcoming the ambassador from Estonia and the Estonian-Irish friendship group. Estonia has been a great friend to Ireland, particularly in advising in areas of cybersecurity. The willingness of the Estonians to host delegations from Ireland is something for which I am personally extremely grateful, as are those I brought to Estonia. It is great to be able to visit a country...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Apr 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I second my colleague Senator McDowell's amendment. The time has come to establish whether we live in a democracy and whether this House has the right to debate issues that are important to the citizens of this State. Bringing in legislation and just ramming it through is becoming rather tiresome. I would have expected the referendums had taught a lesson to the Government to engage in...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Apr 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: We had a junior Minister appointed to the Department of Defence in the recent reshuffle but given absolutely no responsibility in that Department. It is the second time this has happened. As a democracy, we are one of the outliers in the world with respect to the fact that we do not have a published national security strategy. There was a statement published some time ago but that is not...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Apr 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I, too, welcome Senator O'Hara to the Seanad. Today is not the day for a discussion on by-elections. I came to this House through a by-election but we will have that discussion and I encourage everyone to join in. I thank the Fine Gael Party and the now Taoiseach, Deputy Harris, for choosing my home town for his first Ard-Fheis. I was delighted to see them there. If the Taoiseach brings...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Mar 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: What about homework off?

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Mar 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: This morning I rise to raise two issues. One is the issue of wind turbines. My colleague Senator McGreehan has been working on a particular scheme in Monasterboice in County Louth. The problem is that the regulations we are working under are outdated. The turbines being put in are way bigger than any turbine that had been put in under the old regulations. All erection of wind turbines...

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (21 Mar 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: We might as well try to get the most comprehensive answer as possible.

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (21 Mar 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: From my perspective, further scrutiny of Tusla is not such a bad idea given that so many children have disappeared, especially migrant children who came into the country unaccompanied by an adult. The only problem I have is that I am not sure whether HIQA is the relevant organisation. Its role is more about facilities and infrastructure in medical centres and the like. I am not sure if it...