Results 1-20 of 5,741 for speaker:Gerard Craughwell

Seanad: International Trade and International Relations: Statements (3 Apr 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: That is correct. The Tánaiste is very welcome to the House. I thank him for his congratulations on our return to Seanad Éireann, and congratulate him and his party on their return to government. The soundings from all sides of the Government is that we are now in a crisis and we stick together. We have done it before. We did it with Brexit and we did it very well. I am...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (2 Apr 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: Many in this room will be aware that at the fall of Kabul, when the western states left Afghanistan, the Irish ambassador to the UN at the time issued a statement that Ireland stood with the women of Afghanistan. What exactly did that mean? It meant sweet damn all, to be honest about it. Few of us can be unaware of what is going on in the Middle East. It does not matter which side of the...

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport (Arms Embargo) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (2 Apr 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: The Minister is welcome to the House. This is my first time addressing him since he was appointed to this role and it is good to have him here. I will start by saying that I have no time for the Israelis and what they have done. I compliment the Irish Government on taking the decision to support the South African case. What is being done by Israel - and I include Hamas and Hezbollah in...

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport (Arms Embargo) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (2 Apr 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: The Minister, before he left the Chamber, gave oxygen to this legislation, and thank God for that. I oppose the Bill as it is currently written. I compliment the Civil Engagement Group on the work it has done. Senator Black has been a strong voice for Palestine in this House for as long as she has been here. She is to be commended for that. I ask that we suspend Committee Stage and allow...

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport (Arms Embargo) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (2 Apr 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: Why would we single out one country? Let us look at the practice of bringing armaments through Ireland by any country. It is wrong in every sense of the word. When we offered our unequivocal support to Ukraine, which I fully endorsed, it never came before the Oireachtas to be debated. People talk in this Chamber about neutrality but we have never-----

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport (Arms Embargo) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (2 Apr 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: Yes, and section 2 is about controlling armaments.

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport (Arms Embargo) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (2 Apr 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: I thank the Acting Chairperson for the clarification. I want the Bill to pass but to pass in such a way that it can actually be implemented. All speakers referred to aircraft flying through our airspace. We cannot see what is in our airspace. We cannot get up to our airspace and force rogue aircraft carrying munitions to land in Ireland in order to inspect what is in their fuselage. How...

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport (Arms Embargo) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (2 Apr 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: I understand why people want to finish Committee Stage today. However, my colleagues have been long enough in this House to know that on Committee Stage, we can thoroughly debate each amendment as it comes forward. One can speak as often as one wants, for as long as one wants, to drive home the message, try to convince people of one’s position and have a matter thoroughly debated for...

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport (Arms Embargo) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (2 Apr 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: I understand that but-----

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport (Arms Embargo) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (2 Apr 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: I would like to respond, if I may.

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport (Arms Embargo) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (2 Apr 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: I wish to respond. There was an allegation made that I am being disingenuous. I am not being disingenuous. The Bill needs redrafting. Amendments would not do it.

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport (Arms Embargo) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (2 Apr 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: Section 3(4)(b) refers to “arrang[ing] for the seizure of any goods on board in contravention of this Act by the Defence Forces”. Let us say, for example, an aircraft is inspected and is found to have goods that are in contravention of the Act. Under what legislation specifically would this action be legally carried out by our Defence Forces? Where in the legislation have our...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Apr 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: The N24.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Apr 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: I wish Jeremy well as he moves on. Onwards and upwards. George has a tough act to follow. We will be watching and we will appraise him at the end of the year and let him know how he is doing. Last week, my colleague Senator Ahearn spoke about debates and discussions on whether Ireland is neutral or what its position is. We have an obligation in this House and the other House to speak...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (27 Mar 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: It is Daffodil Day. My beautiful daughter, at the age of 19, found a mouth ulcer under her tongue that simply would not go away. Being young, getting her to go to the doctor was quite a problem, but eventually she went. Long story short, she had a diagnosis of cancer of the tongue. I remember the day we brought her to theatre. I remember her consultant telling us to speak to her for the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Mar 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: I am wondering today about the woman who is in a queue in some consultant's room awaiting a diagnosis which tells her she has breast cancer, or that her child, husband or brother has cancer. I also wonder about the mother who is at home today with an autistic child who cannot get a place in school, or the young couple who have had their dreams dashed to the ground because they will never see...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Mar 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: I understand that but it reflects on us, a Chathaoirligh, in that, if the Dáil is doing no business, we can do no business. At the end of the day, this has to stop. The public elect us. I know people say Senators are not elected by the public, but we are by default. I plead with all sides to set aside this nonsense and get on with the work of running this State. We need housing,...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Mar 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: Hear, hear.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (19 Mar 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: I join with my colleagues who spoke about the man who was invited to the White House on St. Patrick's Day. What an insult to the Irish people to bring somebody over there who had been forced to pay a young woman €250,000 for the horrific way he treated her, and to watch a female in the White House introduce him and say how delighted, proud and fitting it was for this thug to speak to...

Seanad: Health (Scoliosis Treatment Services) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (19 Mar 2025)

Gerard Craughwell: The Minister is welcome to the House. This is my first time to meet her in this House and I offer my congratulations on her elevation. I heard the Minister interviewed on a recent RTÉ programme. She came across as a person who is not prepared to take any old answer. She came across as an assertive and committed Minister. One of the problems with the position she holds is that when...