Results 21-40 of 152 for garda speaker:Gerard Craughwell

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (7 Nov 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: This weekend, it was once again confirmed to me that, in this country, we do not understand security or intelligence. Under the Irish intelligence system, the Garda is double-hatted – this is unlike the situation in any other state – and is responsible for both intelligence and policing. We find that the head of intelligence is now likely to be hired from abroad. Just think...

Seanad: Budget 2024 (Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform): Statements (10 Oct 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: ...on the table for years. It is time to put it right but unless there is funding to support it, it is going nowhere. On the patrol duty allowance, the recent operation was multiagency, as the Minister of State knows. The Garda, Coast Guard, Naval Service and Revenue Commissioners were involved in it. All of the people involved in that massive drugs bust that we all speak so proudly about...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (3 Oct 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: There has been much talk about the capture of the drugs vessel off the coast of Cork. We rightly commend the Defence Forces, the Garda, the Revenue and everyone else who was involved on their work. There was fantastic co-operation across the board. However, have we thought about what would have gone wrong if there had been weapons on board that ship and the helicopter involved in the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Current Issues Facing Members of the Defence Forces: Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (3 Oct 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: ..., captain or commandant, it appears that the pay is not so great and there is no incentive to stay at that level. Could the witnesses address the issue of pay at that level? I think we have to compare An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces. Lieutenant Colonel King made the point that when you sign up to the Defence Forces, you sign away a number of your civil rights, one of...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Jul 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: ...much as a nut or bolt at the end of the contract. The Defence Forces are in collapse. The Reserve Defence Forces have been waiting for a reply to a letter from the Department for two months. The number of members of the Garda Reserve has fallen from 1,000 to 300. Who the hell has oversight? We are being blocked at every twist and turn. Secretaries General refuse to attend committees,...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Jul 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: .... He reported that and he is now being subjected the most horrendous bullying. They are telling him to go home sick and not to come back. I want an investigation into this. I am contacting the Garda today on the drugs issue. I will write to the Health and Safety Authority and the governor of Mountjoy Prison and ask that if anything happens to this man, somebody will be held...

Seanad: Broadcasting (Restriction of Salaries) Bill 2023: Second Stage (5 Jul 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: ...examination of every single employment contract in RTÉ to see who was brought in under bogus self-employment. It is certainly not good enough. The other day the Taoiseach made the point that maybe the Garda should be involved in this investigation. It cannot be right to take €75,000 from a company, pass it on to a contractor and then give the company €75,000 worth of...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (30 May 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: ...its being worthless. Yet, Billy Kedian is entitled to a military medal for gallantry. He gave his life to save 14 men. Paddy Kelly from Athlone was shot by the IRA during the Don Tidey kidnapping. The garda who was beside him got the gold Scott medal. Paddy Kelly, or Patrick Kelly, got nothing. Dick O'Hanlon, Martin Fahy and two others, saved John O'Connor while they were under fire...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Apr 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: The Garda Commissioner presented in front of the Garda Representative Association, GRA, in Westport yesterday. The issue of rostering of gardaí for both the GRA and the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors, AGSI, is a major problem and we have known for some time that it is a problem. The Commissioner said he is not the only one who has to compromise. It strikes me that he is...

Seanad: Report of the Independent Review Group on Dignity and Equality Issues in the Defence Forces: Statements (25 Apr 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: ...officer, NCO and service person of the Defence Forces, serving and retired, with whom I have engaged since the publication of the report has expressed a welcome for the statutory inquiry and for any Garda investigation of wrongdoing in the Defence Forces. All expressed strongly that any wrongdoing should face the full rigours of the law. Page 10 of the IRG report clearly states the IRG...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Apr 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: ...not, the email will be delivered. That is the truth of it. The excuse of systems being hacked has been used in many different instances in this House in relation to failures. I am writing to the Garda Commissioner today, and I ask the Deputy Leader to do likewise, to ask that the National Cyber Security Centre, NCSC, immediately investigate the claim made by Mr. Watt. If his system was...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Work and Priorities of the Defence Forces: Engagement with Chief of Staff (21 Mar 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: ...for the committee. I have two issues regarding the Defence Forces Army Ranger Wing. One is the allowances which have remained unpaid for years. What is the position on those? The second one is that a number of members of An Garda Síochána have been sent overseas to look after Ministers when they were travelling to Ukraine. Why not the Army Ranger Wing? Surely that is its...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of the Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine Accidents) Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: Should it not, like the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, GSOC, or the Ombudsman, be located completely away from any Department?

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Feb 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: That was excellent timing; I thank the Cathaoirleach. This week, we learned again of an assault on gardaí. We are in a situation where the uniformed services are falling apart. Seven or eight years ago, I started talking about the problems in the Defence Forces. It took six years to get a commission in place and we are still waiting to see its output. The strength of the Defence...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: General Scheme of the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Feb 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: ...you want a reasonable pension, you need to be Secretary General of a Department at the age of 25 years. The 2013 pension is having a detrimental impact on the public service, and especially on the Garda, the Army, the fire service and the Prison Service as their staff all have accelerated pensions because they are forced to leave in mid-life, sort of, when they are aged in their early...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Delays Affecting Car Tests and Driver Tests: Discussion (1 Feb 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: ...to me the other day. He is looking for an NCT because his current certificate runs out at the end of February or early March. He was offered an NCT in late September. We are being told that the Garda will take a sympathetic view but the law is the law and one must have a vehicle that has passed a test and that is it. If a particular garda chooses to take a lenient or sympathetic...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Delays Affecting Car Tests and Driver Tests: Discussion (1 Feb 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: We are very much dependent on the goodwill of the Garda.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Jan 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: ...people all of the time who are asking me if we have nothing better to do. We have hospital overruns. I am blue in the face talking about the search and rescue service. We have problems in An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces. We have problems in education. What we should be talking about in here, and I would ask the Acting Leader to consider putting this forward for...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Jan 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: ...Leader on their appointments. The changing of the guard seems to have been seamless, which is great. I will see what I can do to disrupt that as time goes on.My colleague was speaking about An Garda Síochána. It is finding it extremely difficult to recruit people, as are the Defence Forces. The problem is the 2013 pension. There is no incentive for anybody to join either An...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Nov 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: I second Senator Boyhan's amendment to the Order of Business seeking the moving of No. 128(5) regarding the naming of the children's hospital. Last night we were treated to a view of two gardaí being beaten in Dublin. Sadly, it is not just Dublin; it is happening everywhere. Members of An Garda Síochána put on their uniforms and go out to work in the evenings expecting to...