Gerard P Craughwell - speech from 16 Apr 2019

Yes, 950 CE schemes around the country, 22,000 trainees and 1250 supervisors who have been treated in the most appalling way. 2005 there was an enhanced redundancy deal offered and accepted through a labour court agreement which would have given the supervisors retiring statutory redundancy plus 3.5%. And what have we done with it? Nothing. Where are we with them? Nowhere. It is somewhat ironic to have the Government side talk about the irony of what is going on here with these supervisors. The Minister should meet these people. The Minister should. In fact the Minister is obliged to meet these people and fobbing them off is simply not good enough. There is a form in place under the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. There is a chairman the chairman to that form. That chairman should at least be available to them. So I am asking the Deputy Leader to ensure that the chairman contacts the union responsible for the CE supervisors to ensure that a meeting takes place. Defence Forces I often speak on 92 million euros returned while soldiers can't live. 92 million euros given back to the Exchequer while soldiers can't live. Next week we will see soldiers parade in O'Connell Street and we will all talk about pride in our Defence Forces. Pride? We couldn't care less about them. We are allowing them to live in poverty. So there is no pride in our Defence Forces. There is no respect. There is no respect for our Defence Forces. There is no respect for our Defence Forces. Giving back money at a time when people cannot afford to live on the miserable pittance they are paid is no respect for anybody in uniform. I wonder how we would feel if we finish up having to protect our borders again in this country. I wonder how we feel every time one of our soldiers are killed or one of our airmen or one of our naval personnel killed while serving overseas. The Irish Defence Forces has an honourable and distinguished service given to this country and what do we give them in return? Nothing. The Pay Commission is soon due to report. I sincerely hope they give the respect that countless governments have failed to give. Finally, the issue of stepping aside, I would love somebody to explain to me what it means when a CEO or a Vice President or whatever name was given to the man in the FAI who stepped aside last night. What does that mean precisely? What exactly does it mean? Is he going to step back in? Is this like Lanigan's ball? He will step out for a little while until all the dust settles and then he will step back in again. Over the time, Senator. At the end of the day, somebody might explain to me because, God help me, I am a little bit slow. I might ask you to give way or step aside to the next Speaker, please. I will give way at this stage. Thank you very much.