Results 381-400 of 5,479 for speaker:Gerard Craughwell

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Oct 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: Michael D. Higgins goes to Rome and he does exactly what Ursula von der Leyen did.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Oct 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: He makes a statement without, I understand, having run it past the Government or the Council of State.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Oct 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: I hope the clock has stopped.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Oct 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: No, there is a question here.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Oct 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: Excuse me. There is a question here. We have a Constitution in this country.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Oct 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: I fully accept that the President is not answerable to this House. However------

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Oct 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: Shall I just read a paragraph here, which is nothing to offend anybody? Article 13.11 of the Constitution states: No power or function conferred on the President by law shall be exercisable or performable by him save only on the advice of the Government. I want to know if the President had the advice of the Government before he went and did what he accused Ursula von der Leyen of doing.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Oct 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: At the end of the day, we have a Constitution. We either live by it or we do not. You cannot select from it piecemeal. It is not an à la cartemenu.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Oct 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: You took half my time.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Oct 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: My final comment is that we have one spokesperson on foreign affairs in this country, and that is the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs. Nobody else can state Irish policy anywhere.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Oct 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: I have a copy here in my pocket.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Oct 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: All of it.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Oct 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: Hear, hear.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Oct 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: I thank the Cathaoirleach for welcoming the marine pilots to the House. Few people in Ireland are aware of the work done by this special group of highly-skilled people who are responsible for the safe navigation of some 97% of our imports and exports through ports, including the Cathaoirleach's Port of Cork, and major harbours. The Cathaoirleach and I spoke about that this morning and I was...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council and Departmental Matters: Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and for Defence (17 Oct 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: I thank the Tánaiste for his presentation so far. I want to bring up that we keep talking about international law and the rules of war. This throws me. We spent 40 years with a civil war in the North of our country, where international rules mean nothing. Terrorists were willing to kill their own people, which is exactly what Hamas is willing to do. Hamas uses human shields all of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council and Departmental Matters: Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and for Defence (17 Oct 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: My question is about the evacuation of our own citizens from Palestine and that region. We are one of the wealthiest countries in Europe. Does the Tánaiste not think it is time we had our own heavy lift capacity where we could go to any country in the world and evacuate our own citizens when they are in danger? I will move on to the One China policy. I have constantly heard about...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council and Departmental Matters: Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and for Defence (17 Oct 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: Tánaiste, please be honest.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council and Departmental Matters: Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and for Defence (17 Oct 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: In the 1970s, when I was serving, we were not especially well paid. I recall the time Tiede Herrema was kidnapped. We were out searching the highways and byways, and while our colleague gardaí sat in restaurants and had their lunch, we had soggy sandwiches and cold tea. Morale was not a problem then; we loved what we did. We served the State with pride. What has gone wrong? It is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council and Departmental Matters: Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and for Defence (17 Oct 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: The Tánaiste would give out to me for interrupting me, so-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council and Departmental Matters: Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and for Defence (17 Oct 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: Okay, I am paraphrasing, but the Tánaiste is comparing a young soldier earning €38,000 a year with somebody in the public service or some private sector job. When there is a massive snowstorm, however, and everybody is stuck at home, military personnel are not stuck at home. When there is a national disaster, military personnel are not stuck at home. When Covid hit, the...