Senator Gerard Craughwell - speech from 11 Nov 2020

Caerleach, it's just after the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month and I want to pay tribute to Taoiseach Kenny, Taoiseach Fradker and Taoiseach Martin who all attended remembering services in Innesgillan. It's great that Ireland has grown up and come on to remember the 30 odd thousand Irish men and women who lost their lives in the First World War and Second World War and it is truly a great thing that we're able to remember them now openly. Deputy Leader, there is an issue which has arisen in the last few days which is rather disturbing because in my six years here I have never seen sharp practice but I'm beginning to see sharp practice now and indeed I've had a number of local authority members that have contacted me because they're getting information into their inboxes before that is published in the public domain and they're getting it from members of the government parties and that is simply wrong. I hope the clock has stopped. Senator Buttomer, through the Chair, if you want if you want them to intervene in someone else's debate you need to ask permission. OK. Senator Buttimer, if you want to intervene in someone else's debate, you need to ask permission. If you want to make a point, that's the rules of the House. If you know the rules of the House, please follow them. Senator, you have two minutes. Thank you very much. The situation is, all of us in this House are elected. We are all public representatives. We are all peer-equals in this House. There is none of us has a right to information ahead of anybody else. I will be writing today to the Secretary Generals of every department to ask them to take on their responsibility as the administrative heads of their departments to ensure that all members of this House and the Doyle are treated equally. I understand the cut and thrust of politics and I understand that we all try to make names for ourselves and every now and then we do take on a little bit of showmanism. That's the nature of the game we're in. But at the end of the day, the people we represent in this House, the people who elect those of us that are elected through the local authority system, are entitled to feel that they are getting equal representation across all parties and no party. And I think it is sharp practice when we're starting to see this. I never saw it before. Never. Senator Butterburne adverted to the fact that I send out stuff. I do. But I've never been privy to something before it was published. Never. And I think it's wrong. I think it debases every single one of us when we see that happen. And at the end of the day, we have a responsibility not just to those who elect us, but to the national interest that we are here to represent. We are members of the Shanna Dairn. We are not county councillors. We are not TDs. We are national politicians with a national focus to what we do. We are here to scrutinise government legislation. Not to try and capitalise on the inside track. It's part of what debases politics in this country. There are some very sound people in this room. And some people I have great respect for. Some people who respect me and some who don't. Some who I regard as friends and some who would not be friends. But at the end of the day, I recognise the right of everybody here to be treated equally. And I ask for nothing more and nothing less. Thank you.