Results 1-20 of 1,495 for at speaker:Gerard Craughwell

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Recent Developments in the EU on Security and Defence: Discussion (15 May 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I thank the Chair for facilitating my attendance. I welcome the guests and thank them for their comprehensive opening statements. I asked the Tánaiste to address this first issue yesterday. The Government has given an undertaking that the Department of Foreign Affairs will set out a briefing document for Members of the Oireachtas on what Irish neutrality is. We have never had it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Recent Developments in the EU on Security and Defence: Discussion (15 May 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: While Dr. McDonagh is thinking there can I come in with two supplementaries? One is the lack of an intelligence committee in the Oireachtas. He seems to feel that that is a serious deficiency in our oversight. The second question is: as academics, have the witnesses ever been brought into a central forum by any government and asked to lay out what their priorities and research might be to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Recent Developments in the EU on Security and Defence: Discussion (15 May 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I have a short input to make. I get worried when I hear people mixing overseas development aid and neutrality. I am looking here at 2013 to 2022. Some €2,236.55 billion was pumped into ten states as overseas development aid. When I look at the states in question and the military armament they have, they have viable air forces and viable navies and massive tanks, personnel carriers...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 May 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: The marine services serving Ireland are a vitally important part of our import and export trade.Our major harbours are served by pilots. Our pilots have no set of qualifications that they must adhere to. They have been looking for qualifications and training commensurate with what is available at other European ports but there is nobody interested in driving forward the professionalism of...

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...

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: If you look at Mozambique, it has 60 battle tanks, 417 personnel carriers, 24 military aircraft and 30 ships at sea.

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: That is fair enough. The second matter to which I wish to refer is the triple lock. I sincerely hope we will be successful in removing that. If we are, I ask the Tánaiste to look at the possibility of Ireland joining the joint expeditionary force, the purpose of which is to protect the North Atlantic and the assets in the North Atlantic. I am going to cede the remainder of my...

Seanad: Europe Day: Statements (9 May 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I also congratulate the Minister of State on her elevation to Minister of State with responsibility for defence and European Affairs. As a proud European, I would love to be here speaking on the great things membership of the EU has delivered for Ireland. Sadly, I must devote time to the growing perception of Ireland as a nation of freeloaders weakening Europe and seen as the open back door...

Seanad: Europe Day: Statements (9 May 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: We need to back away from our Paddy neutrality and become serious about real neutrality. Our negligence in all matters of defence and security will in the heel of the hunt damage Ireland's attractiveness for FDI and, once lost, it will take years to retrieve. I regret having to point out that the Minister of State's portfolio includes defence yet we are told that she has no role in...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 May 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I join the Cathaoirleach in offering my condolences to the D'Arcy family. Today we had the annual Defence Forces 1916 ceremony. The Cathaoirleach did us proud by reading a prayer as Gaeilge, which, as a former sáirsint from An Chéad Cathlán Coisithe, Gaillimh, was lovely to hear. I thank him for that. It is ironic that we were honouring the Defence Forces and the founding...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (2 May 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: I, too, would like to be associated with the sympathies to Michael's family. I welcome the Polish ambassador. I could not trump the Cathaoirleach's words. He said everything we needed to say. The ambassador is always welcome in the House. Yesterday, I mentioned overseas development aid and the moneys flowing out of Ireland to other countries. We have to start asking a question. If...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 May 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: We are in election mode, and will be for the next 12 months as far as I can see. Regarding overseas development aid, Ireland must be the most generous country in the world or home to the greatest shower of idiots who ever walked the earth. Let me talk about Ethiopia receiving €552 million from this State in overseas development aid. Its military budget is $1.58 billion. It has a...

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

Gerard Craughwell: I thank Deputy Conway-Walsh for coming to the committee. She is not a member and it shows a great interest in her community. I have a question for Mr. Carney. He mentioned the cost of freedom of information requests. He mentioned the figure of €351, if I am not mistaken. How much in total has he spent on FOIs at this point in time?

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

Gerard Craughwell: In recent days the Taoiseach made a speech about people in this country who find themselves up against "city hall". It was specifically in relation to the Stardust. I cannot understand how any organisation would force a community to go down the FOI route to get answers to simple questions that should be answered by default. The local authority is there to serve the community and not to...

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

Gerard Craughwell: During dry periods. I do not know if Mr. Ivers is qualified to answer this or not. Are there health and safety issues in transferring water from one source to another place? For example, regarding the methodology used for transportation, and I do not mean to put Mr. Ivers on the spot. I am concerned about the consumers of the water he draws, whether it is drawn in suitable containers, how...

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

Gerard Craughwell: ...did not. He gave it straight as it is. Fair play to him for looking after those who are in the house and for doing the best he can. There is a question with respect to people's health being put at risk. I am sure, from listening to Mr. Ivers, that he has warned the family involved that they cannot drink the water.

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

Gerard Craughwell: I am sorry to interrupt. I read the statement. What relevance does it have to the discussion today? It sets out the Department's position with respect to water and the only thing it offers at the end is that the final or second last paragraph tells us that no application has been made by Mayo County Council for this water scheme. I do not mean to cut off Mr. Kelly. He put a lot of work...

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

Gerard Craughwell: .... I asked witnesses from Iarnród Éireann about putting in a spur line from Swords to Dublin Airport. They told me it would take a year to plan it and a year to put it in. This is a major capital project that would be done in two years. The case before us has been going on since 2018. Nobody seems to be taking responsibility for it. Everybody seems to be doing their job....

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...

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...