Results 1-20 of 86 for land speaker:Gerard Craughwell

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Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Mar 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: ...Taoiseach he was. For me, he was a sensitive and shy man who was nice to meet and have a word with. I wish him well wherever he goes from here. We are all aware of the drugs somebody tried to land off the south-west coast of this country last weekend. I understand drug barons are now using submarines to export drugs to Europe. The back door of Europe is Ireland and where was our...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (7 Mar 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: ...concern regarding our defenceless Atlantic coastline. The Cathaoirleach, as a Cork man, will know we have only one ship patrolling the part of the ocean under our remit, which is ten times our land mass. I have called for an Atlantic fleet to be established that would involve all member states of the European Union working in harmony with one another. To my shock and surprise, while I...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: ...Order of Business to bring the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, to the House to explain what knowledge the State had, before it set the date of 8 March, of a case before the Supreme Court, BM and JM v. Ireland and the Supreme Court. This is a case of the most systemic importance, according to the Supreme Court. That court allowed the case to leapfrog the Court of Appeal because of the nature of...

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

Gerard Craughwell: ...to patrol our western shores. That is deeply worrying. I would like to have a debate in this House on what I call the Atlantic fleet. I believe the assets that exist off the west coast of Ireland and the west coasts of France, Spain and Portugal right the whole way down and whole way up north to Norway, Finland, etc, should be patrolled as a European Union. The time has come for the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Large-scale Capital Projects: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (14 Feb 2024)

Gerard Craughwell: The cost of land and the planning appeals and all of that. I am glad that Mr. Walsh has put this on the record because it is a constant thing that is thrown at me by members of the public "Why are we paying ten times more?" On the western rail corridor, which I am sure the witnesses are well used to, I still believe we should have a train from Letterkenny to Cork, Waterford or Dublin, and...

Seanad: The Political Situation in Northern Ireland: Statements (25 Oct 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: I want to recognise my colleagues. Senator Blaney has had a deep commitment to Northern Ireland and Senator McGahon, has equally pointed out the things that he sees that need to be done. Senator Martin made a point about representation for Northern Ireland in Europe, which would be a massive step forward by the Republic if it looked for it, albeit that representative would have to be...

Seanad: Disability Allowance: Motion (11 Oct 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: ...been at the bottom of the scale in this country for an awful long time. Is the Green Paper part of a plan or is it a draft proposal? Perhaps the Minister can clear that up when she speaks. Kitty Holland wrote in The Irish Times that this proposal is intended to radically overhaul payments for people with disabilities. It always sort of worries me when I hear statements like that. Will...

Seanad: Budget 2024 (Finance): Statements (10 Oct 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: ...to an extent but we need to look at the upper limit to help those who have mortgages of slightly more than €500,000. That is one of the issues I have. There is a huge problem with the residential zoned land tax. An inner city factory in west Dublin employs 75 people and the land it sits on is zoned residential. The owners have been told they are about to be hit for tax of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Engagement with the Reserve Defence Force Representative Association (11 Jul 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: ..., thank you very much for coming in and delivering what must be one of the most depressing presentations we had in this room for quite some time. I will start on a positive note. I was in Islandbridge at the weekend for the remembrance ceremony. The RDF provided the tents, food service, etc. I met five of the most enthusiastic young people I have ever encountered in my life. Two of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Shannon Foynes Port Company: Chairperson Designate (Resumed) (19 Apr 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: It was just amazing to watch but I am not sure that Shannon Foynes would have the real estate to get into the container business at scale. The port has the depth but not the land.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Update on Civil Defence: Discussion (7 Mar 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: ...and the disciplinary structure that exists within the Civil Defence service, it strikes me that Civil Defence should encompass search and rescue for the nation including seagoing, air and land search and rescue, mountain rescue and so on. I would be interested to know what the members present think about that.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Mar 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: Some time ago I reported that one of our CHC helicopters was forced to land on Valentia Island. Some weeks ago, one of our helicopters was forced to make an emergency landing in Derry, and I understand that, last night, Rescue 115 was forced to land off the coast of Clifden. I have brought up the issue of this organisation several times in this House, and I am very concerned it may be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council and Priorities for 2023: Minister for Foreign Affairs (28 Feb 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: The Minister has put the neutrality issue in perspective here today. These are days of worrying about land wars, tanks and guns, and whatever else. We are living in a whole new world. Some 75% of our small and medium enterprises, SMEs, have been hit by cyberattacks and that is right across the European Union. There is a whole new world out there and neutrality is too simple a word to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Ukraine War: Ambassadors of Ukraine and Moldova (21 Feb 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: ...between what might be regarded as offensive weapons and what might be regarded as defensive weapons? It has always been our view that we should provide Ukraine with the tools we can to prevent missiles landing in built-up areas or to take down aircraft causing a threat to built-up areas. Up to now, the air war has been fairly limited. Is Ms Gerasko concerned that an air war is coming?...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 Feb 2023)

Gerard Craughwell: .... Sadly, he is the second from the Cadet School in recent times to lose his life. They are going through tough times down there. Last week, I spoke about the helicopter that was forced to land in Derry as a result of an emergency declared by the pilot. I got a reply from the Minister's office that tells me the area the helicopter flew into had already suffered turbulence. A Boeing...

Seanad: Procurement Process for a New Irish Coast Guard Aviation Service: Statements (21 Sep 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: ...oversight of this procurement? Does she have regard to how taxpayers' money is spent? Is she even the slightest bit concerned that her officials are proceeding with the procurement of Ireland's next SAR service without the in-house aviation expertise the air accident investigation unit, AAIU, recommended following the fatal crash of R116? Is she aware that the UK has just signed a SAR...

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Jul 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: When those two men or women get into the front of the aircraft and close the cockpit door, none of us will ever know what goes on in there until the aeroplane lands. Often, when one is flying somewhere, one sees a member of the cabin crew replacing a pilot while the latter pops out to the toilet or whatever, but we do not otherwise know what goes on. Like my colleagues, I want to know when...

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Jun 2022)

Gerard Craughwell: ...we would probably need a hotel to accommodate the representatives from all the different agencies mentioned. The key thing is that pilots have concerns about lighting at airports when they are landing and taking off, as well as concerns about various other things. The Minister of State will also recall the destruction of a Concorde aircraft as it attempted to take off from an airport in...