Latest news with #Craughwell
Irish Examiner
6 days ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Craughwell calls for wage hike for TDs and senators and restoration of pre-crash allowances
A long-standing senator has called for some TDs' and senators' salaries to be increased as he suggested pre-crash allowances should be restored. Gerard Craughwell, an independent senator since 2014, emailed TDs and senators on Thursday morning calling for their support. The Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act, referred to as Fempi, was introduced in 2009 during the financial crash. It provided the basis for a reduction in pay for all public servants, including members of either House of the Oireachtas or of a local authority. In September 2008, a TD's basic salary was €100,191. Under Fempi, this was cut to €92,672 in 2009. It was further reduced to €87,258 in 2013. A senator's salary was €70,134 in 2008. This dropped to €65,621 under Fempi and €65,000 in 2013. As part of the changes, long-service payments and increments were abolished from March 2011. In September 2008, a TD on long service increment level one had a salary of €103,389, while those on level two had a salary of €106,582. A senator, meanwhile, could be on a salary of €72,371 or €74,608 rather than €70,134, depending on their length of service. Currently, a TD's basic salary is €117,133. A senator is paid €82,018. In an email to TDs and senators seen by the Irish Examiner, Mr Craughwell said Fempi cuts had not been fully unwound for politicians. 'In recent negotiations with [the Irish Congress of Trade Unions] the Government's new deal commits to the full unwinding of the 2009 Fempi legislation, and has made provisions for unions to negotiate up to an additional 3% of pay costs via local bargaining,' he said. 'As of now, the only workers in the State who have not had a full unwinding of Fempi are members of the Oireachtas. 'I intend to request the minister for public expenditure to restore all outstanding Fempi cuts (such as the long-service increment) imposed on members of the Oireachtas as already agreed with the labour movement. 'I would ask that members support me on this.' Public could be 'pissed off' Mr Craughwell told the Irish Examiner while he accepted the public might be 'pissed off', matters such as the long-service increments were never restored when Fempi legislation for other public service workers was undone. 'Doctors in hospitals, lecturers in universities, are paid substantially more than a TD or a senator,' he said. 'What's good for the goose is good for the gander. Terms and conditions of employment should never be measured against other people. 'Other than, if you apply something to one group of society, you apply it to all. I know that some members of the public would be pretty pissed off about it, but that's irrelevant to me. 'I'm the former leader of a trade union, and that's the angle I'm coming at it from, and I'm not afraid of public rebuke.' One politician told the Irish Examiner the email from Mr Craughwell was 'tone deaf'.
Irish Independent
30-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
‘To come back and win it this year, I'm lost for words' – Danny Gilligan in Galway Plate dreamland once again
Danny Gilligan has achieved more before the age of 20 than some do in a lifetime. And the Craughwell jockey bagged a second Tote Galway Plate last night as Western Fold (11/1) came home alone in front of a boisterous local crowd at Ballybrit.
The Guardian
14-02-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
High court to hear claim of secret Ireland-UK terrorism defence pact
A legal bid to establish whether or not the Irish government entered a secret pact with the UK to defend Irish airspace in the event of a terrorist attack will be heard in Ireland's high court on Friday. It comes as taoiseach Micheál Martin admits that Ireland's defence spending, one of the lowest in Europe, 'will have to rise amid escalating security threats' including marine subsea cable infrastructure. The hearing on Friday in the Irish court of appeal is the latest chapter in independent senator Gerard Craughwell's three-year campaign to find out whether the Irish government has an agreement, rumoured to have been sealed after the terrorist attacks on the twin towers in New York in 2001, with the UK in the event of a hijacking or a terrorist attack in Irish airspace. Last year the high court ruled that his case could be heard on the grounds it was 'justiciable' but on Friday the Irish government is appealing that decision, which will either result in the matter being ended or going to full trial. Craughwell took the case after the government refused to answer his questions on whether it had made an agreement 'which allows, causes or permits UK military aircraft of the RAF to enter Irish airspace'. In papers submitted to the court last year, he asked if 'pursuant to that [supposed] agreement the RAF has permission to fly into Irish airspace and intercept and/or interdict aircraft that poses a threat to Ireland and/or the UK'. The timing of the case comes as defence is under an increasing spotlight in Ireland with lack of army funding and challenges recruiting personnel making headlines. Questions have also been raised about maritime security after the passage of a Russian spy ship made its way up the Irish sea in November. Spending just 0.2% of its GDP on defence, Ireland's defence budget is proportionally the lowest in Europe and far short of similar-sized countries such as Portugal, which spends 1.5% on defence with a goal of increasing that to 2%. The government has fought Craughwell's case every step of the way and has argued that it is simply not entitled to be heard by the court because it was based on 'inferences' and not fact. It also argued that the courts did not, in any case, have the power 'to review the most sensitive elements of the exercise by the government of Ireland' except 'in cases of clear disregard' of the constitution. And it expressed concern that decisions on defence involved 'significant amounts of confidential information from the EU' and if such classified information of this kind were liable to court review, it would 'create a risk that Ireland would be regarded as an unreliable partner'. Craughwell has said the government has never confirmed or denied any arrangement but cites a statement in 2005 by the then prime minister in the Dáil, Bertie Ahern, that there was 'cooperation and a pre-agreed understanding on those matters', suggesting there is indeed an agreement. He claims the public have a fundamental right to know if a secret deal exists with the UK as the constitution requires every international agreement to be laid before the Dáil, the Irish parliament. 'The entering into a secret agreement by the government with another sovereign state without the knowledge of the people of Ireland for whom all power derives is not in accordance with the constitution,' he has stated in legal papers.
