Results 1-20 of 5,783 for speaker:Gerard Craughwell

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Jun 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: On Tuesday, I made a statement with respect to the Crotty case in Limerick. The point I made was that senior politicians rushed to condemn all the members of the Defence Forces. I also made the point that a young officer, a commissioned officer of this country, went to court because he was obliged to do so, and gave a report on Crotty's military record. Somehow or other, my friend and...

Seanad: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Second Stage (11 Jun 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Second Stage (11 Jun 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: I acknowledge my friend and colleague Victor Boyhan, who laid details of his private life not just before the House but also the country in order to advocate on behalf of those he lived with and those he had lived experience of. He is one of the great heroes of this entire debacle. I also acknowledge the ladies in the Visitors' Gallery who quietly advocated outside the gates of Leinster...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (10 Jun 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: I hear lots of talk about the current situation in the Air Corps in particular, but also in the wider Defence Forces. The Taoiseach recently said the crisis in the Air Corps was a matter for military management. I want to put on the record of this House that military management has no funding of its own. It is at the total behest of the Department of Defence. We find ourselves in a...

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025: Discussion (29 May 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: I welcome Ms Maguire and her team and thank them for being here. I also thank Ms Maguire for her comprehensive report. I will start by saying that the Chair declared that our work here today is extremely important. I respectfully suggest that this is a complete red herring. We have an air force that cannot fly, a Naval Service that can only put one ship to sea, and the entire Defence...

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025: Discussion (29 May 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: I will interrupt for second if I may. If there is a list, it needs to be made available to this committee.

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025: Discussion (29 May 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: It needs to be made available immediately.

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025: Discussion (29 May 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: I need to interrupt Ms Maguire on this, I am sorry Chair-----

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025: Discussion (29 May 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: The issue of Ukraine is one of serious contention for me. We are talking about a situation - and my colleague Senator Tom Clonan made the point - where a Government majority can do anything it wants. In the case of Ukraine, a Minister, without ever coming to the Oireachtas, made a statement to the effect that in the case of Ukraine, we are not neutral. That committed this entire country,...

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025: Discussion (29 May 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: I want to move away from the triple lock and turn to the Ward report. The Peter Ward report has clearly exonerated a fine military officer who was forced to go to court in Limerick to give a report on the Crotty case. Senior politicians in this House criticised and damned that officer to hell. I see in the heads of Bill we are talking-----

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025: Discussion (29 May 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: It is when I come on to the suspension issue, which is part of the Bill we are discussing today.

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025: Discussion (29 May 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: Who or what will be suspending authority? Will the legislation make provisions to safeguard natural justice for alleged wrongdoing? I noted one of the things referred to is the best interests of the Defence Forces. Who decides those questions? As for fair procedures for someone alleged of wrongdoing, will they be taken care off? Will the Department's representatives confirm that local...

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025: Discussion (29 May 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: Has the Department engaged with RACO and PDFORRA on this at this stage.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 May 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: Hear, hear.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 May 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: Will the Senator put on the kettle?

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 May 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: Senator Clonan and I are facing into many weeks of talking about the triple lock. My view is that it was a ridiculous thing to introduce in the first place but it is a red herring. We are spending weeks talking about the triple lock when the Air Corps operations are now closed at weekends and at 8 p.m. every night, meaning aircraft cannot take off or land during those times. We are heading...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (27 May 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: This morning I noticed the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Simon Harris, made some very strong statements regarding what is going on in Kyiv. We talk about the genocide in Gaza and the war criminality of the likes of Netanyahu. We should be aware that Putin is equally a war criminal. Donald Trump told us during the election campaign that if he was elected,...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 May 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: Frequently, we talk about, and I know the Deputy Leader does as much as I do, members of the Defence Forces, especially in places of danger, such as the service in Lebanon. Rarely do we ever talk about members of our public service who put their lives at risk for their fellow man, such as what we saw yesterday in the firing of shots over the heads of Irish diplomats. Feilim McLaughlin and...

Seanad: Public Procurement: Statements (22 May 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. This is my first time to address her as the Minister of State. I congratulate her on her elevation. I wish her the best of luck. The Minister of State said at the outset that she was responsible for the purchase of everything from major projects down to toilet rolls for national schools. That is a massive undertaking for any Department to...

Committee on Defence and National Security: Election of Leas-Chathaoirleach (22 May 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: I congratulate Senator Wilson. We now have a full team and it is a good team. Senator Wilson is capable of being somewhat independent when he is in the chair, so in the Cathaoirleach's absence we will be in good hands. I am delighted for the Leas-Chathaoirleach.