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Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Dóchas Pre-Budget Submission: Discussion (11 Jun 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I have one last question. When we took over on the United Nations Security Council, the first statement that was made was that Ireland stood with the women and girls of Afghanistan. Have we had any impact? Do the witnesses' organisations have any people working in Afghanistan? Have we had any impact on the women and girls? I cannot imagine what it must be like for a young woman aged...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Dóchas Pre-Budget Submission: Discussion (11 Jun 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: ...back in on a couple of things. First and foremost, Mr. O'Connell has reinforced the argument for getting rid of the triple lock mechanism because as long as it is in place, we will not be able to go unilaterally into Africa and assist in peacekeeping programmes, which is something we should, as a mature nation, be able to do. Where there is a dysfunctional UN Security Council, we should...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council, UN Matters and Individually Tailored Partnership Programme with NATO: Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs (14 May 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I thank the Tánaiste for a very comprehensive report. I found it very down to earth. It covered many areas that it is time we covered in the open. I ask the Tánaiste to ask his Department to draft a briefing document for Members of the Oireachtas which explains exactly what neutrality is. Quite frankly, I am tired of being overseas and hearing people talk about Paddy...

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.

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...

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

Gerard Craughwell: This case particularly raises the issue of European responsibility because if a ship or, in this case, a fishing vessel was licensed in one jurisdiction, it is more than likely that when it came to be relicensed in Ireland, it was a rubber-stamp operation. There would have been no serious effort to establish the stability of the particular ship or boat. This particular family appeared...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: At the outset, I record my sympathy to the family of Councillor Pat Hynes in Galway, who sadly passed away this morning. Pat is the uncle of Geraldine Donohue, who works here with Senator Boyhan. I would also like to remember Corporal Tadhg Quinn, one of the Jadotville heroes denied a medal, who passed away today. Yesterday, there was an attack on me in the House about having my photograph...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I welcome all the delegates. I want to turn first to the IRG, which is the foundation upon which the oversight body is established. Like Ms King, I have spent most of my life representing workers. A key element of representing workers is the principle that no man is guilty until proven so. As a former serving soldier, I was deeply upset to find the IRG was published as fact rather than...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Pension Provisions (14 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I thank the Minister of State for that comprehensive reply. Whether we like it or not, the bucking about that has taken place with State pensions has been an issue. I will be submitting another Commencement matter on the post-2013 pension, in respect of which I hear from public servants in all aspects of public life that they no longer want to work in the public service. The single pension...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: Then there is the old Krups factory. The work that is going on there with Eimear Brophy, Paul Patton, and other such people, is just unbelievable. As a politician in Limerick, I know the Minister of State used to push various projects himself. He was quite a strong voice in Limerick Senior College back in the day when I was there, as were some of this colleagues. I would not like to take...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I second Senator Boyhan's amendment. The Minister of State and I both remember the bad times in Limerick. It is now one of the best cities in the country. A huge amount of work was carried out jointly by the Garda, local and national politicians and the education and training board, formerly the vocational education committee. It is now a model city in so many ways. I love the place and...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Cancer Services (7 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: The Minister of State is welcome to the House to discuss this important matter. At the end of 2022 there was an announcement awarding €900,000 to dental schools for head and neck cancer treatments. This would have been the first time funding was made available for pre-radiation and rehabilitation of head and neck cancers. These are the only cancers where patients had to pay for...

Seanad: Digital Services Bill 2023: Second Stage (31 Jan 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: The Minister of State is welcome to the House. There are some very serious issues with the Digital Services Bill that to date have not received enough attention, like the Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill 2022 that preceded this. That Bill managed to sail through the Dáil with very little opposition. I come at this from a very clear...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (30 Jan 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I and, I am sure, all members of my group join others in expressing sympathy to the Connor family. It is a tragedy to lose somebody in a road traffic accident. Two and a half years ago, after the cyberattack on the HSE, I started to involve myself in matters cyber. Initially, I worked with Louth and Meath ETB. That spread out to the University of Galway, Munster Technological University...

Seanad: Defence Forces Tribunal of Inquiry: Motion (30 Jan 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: That is fair enough. I will share time with Senator Clonan. I welcome the Tánaiste to the House for this important debate. I also welcome the veterans who are here. They clearly had to go through quite a lot of personal strife to get us to where we are today. I welcome the appointment of Ms Justice Ann Power, who is a judge of international standing. I wish her well in the work she...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Second Stage (7 Dec 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: The Minister is welcome. First and foremost, I want to congratulate him and the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, on what has been a very good social welfare budget. It clearly set out to look after the less well-off in our society, which is really good. I want to devote my time today to speaking about class K PRSI. I delivered a rapporteur's report on class K PRSI in 2016, which I have here...

Seanad: Local Government Matters and City and County Councillors: Motion [Private Members] (6 Dec 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: I formally second the motion. The Minister of State is very welcome to the House. I think this is my first time to address him since he was elevated as a Minister of State. I am very happy for him. He was a good local representative himself in his time. We are talking about the erosion of power in local authorities and it is important that we put things in context at the very outset. I...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Nov 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: I came up here to talk about security but Senator Ruane has sent me off on another track. She is 100% correct. We have let communities down in areas. I lived in Limerick for a number of years and there were two estates whose residents were constantly referred to as troublemakers, scumbags and so on. In Galway city, there were similar estates and there are areas in Dublin that are...

Seanad: Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies: Motion [Private Members] (22 Nov 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: To leave aside the jokes and get down to the serious issues, AI has the capacity to rapidly evolve cybersecurity risks within our country. Not only is our country suffering from these, so too are countries right across Europe. The level of cyber awareness that exists within populations is desperately and deeply worrying, as is the replication capacity of AI. We saw just today in The Irish...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Voting at 16) Bill 2021: Second Stage (7 Nov 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: I think back to my youth. At 12 years of age, I started my first job. At 15, I ran a bar in a hotel in Lisdoonvarna for the entire season. Before the age of 16, I was working in a pub called The Hog in the Pound in South Molton Street in London. By the time I was just over 16, I was a member of the Armed Forces. To suggest, today, that a 16-year-old would be anything like I was when I...