Results 2,141-2,160 of 4,608 for speaker:Joe O'Toole

Seanad: Business of Seanad. (6 Jul 2006)

Joe O'Toole: The headline about people going on holidays should be hit hard on the head. Committees will continue to work in this House until the end of this month at least and will resume in September. The idea that people will not work when they are away from here is extraordinary. It is time to be proactive about this issue and make it clear that it is wrong to think that elected representatives should...

Seanad: Order of Business. (6 Jul 2006)

Joe O'Toole: No. 18 , the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Bill 2006, is in the name of the Independent Senators. Elements of it have been included in the Criminal Justice Bill, for which I thank the Minister. I withdraw it from the Order Paper. The House should have a discussion on No. 1, when it comes back from committee. It cannot come back to House as a fait accompli. It is crucial that Members...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed). (6 Jul 2006)

Joe O'Toole: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Building Societies (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (6 Jul 2006)

Joe O'Toole: I wish to share my time with Senator Ross. I welcome the Minister of State and his officials to the House. While this is important legislation, I must say I find it very depressing and discouraging. I do not blame the Minister of State for that. It is clear that market forces are at work and this is inevitable. The Minister of State had no choice but to move forward and deal with the issues...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Sep 2006)

Joe O'Toole: I echo the words about the Garda sergeant who was injured this morning. We have been quick enough to criticise gardaí at times but we should also take the opportunity to recognise someone who takes risks for us, for democracy and for the law. It is vital that we support and acknowledge the great bravery of people in those situations. The issue being discussed in the media and elsewhere...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Sep 2006)

Joe O'Toole: I am full of ideas as to how we might spend that €3 billion.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Sep 2006)

Joe O'Toole: I have no doubt I am not the only one. There are people on both sides of the House who would like to say "Here's how we'll spend it". During the Estimates season various Departments argue for extra pennies, cents and shillings here, there and everywhere. Now that we have found this goldmine of €3 billion, I would like to have an input into how it should be spent.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Sep 2006)

Joe O'Toole: Yes. There are aspects of education and health which are badly in need of it and that is only the start.

Seanad: Telecommunications Services: Motion (27 Sep 2006)

Joe O'Toole: I second this crucial motion and thank my colleague, Senator Ross, for tabling it. The Cathaoirleach probably did not read the Government amendment very closely because he would have ruled it out of order if he had. It is an astonishing amendment. At the very least, I ask the Minister of State to remove the third section, which states: "after a late start Ireland's rate of broadband...

Seanad: Telecommunications Services: Motion (27 Sep 2006)

Joe O'Toole: I thank the Cathaoirleach for his assistance. It would be a terrible breach of procedure if one spoke without seconding the motion. Some three years ago a commitment was given that every school would be connected to broadband. It cannot happen. I agree that this can only happen through public delivery and private investment. Smart Telecom is an example of how the private sector is unable...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Sep 2006)

Joe O'Toole: Yesterday we spoke about the garda sergeant shot on the south side in the course of his duty. At the time most of us had not read the details of the incident. The garda was on duty outside a home, preserving the scene of a crime, when someone came up and shot him. It did not happen as part of an assault; it was a cold, calculated shooting. This goes straight back to the drugs trade and...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Sep 2006)

Joe O'Toole: They ignored the captain of the Kerry team.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Sep 2006)

Joe O'Toole: He is quiet in Dingle these days.

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Oct 2006)

Joe O'Toole: On a day when all political attention is focused on the set piece grandstanding we expect in the other House later this afternoon, it behoves us to look again at No. 14 on the Order Paper, the Privacy Bill 2006 — Order for Second Stage. We have learned many things in the past week or so, during which time whatever doubts we may have had about this legislation have been exacerbated and...

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Oct 2006)

Joe O'Toole: Age is one of the grounds in the Bill——

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Oct 2006)

Joe O'Toole: It is very clear.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2006)

Joe O'Toole: The final point made by Senator Brian Hayes, which was important, brings me to the point I wanted to raise. Is the Leader prepared to arrange an open discussion in this House on the operation of the free market? I was flabbergasted yesterday to hear two decent people — Senator Leyden and a Fine Gael Senator — arguing that the decision to cut off Smart Telecom's customers was appalling,...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2006)

Joe O'Toole: When Aer Lingus is privatised, it will do a Michael O'Leary on it from here on in. We should not be upset by that because that is the way it will go. I assure Senator Brian Hayes, who spoke about the price of houses, that if somebody manages to reduce the price of houses there will be an outcry from the main political parties. If somebody manages to get extra money for decent public...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2006)

Joe O'Toole: The Guardian takes a different view.

Seanad: Petitions Committee: Motion (4 Oct 2006)

Joe O'Toole: The concept of a petitions system is important because it involves the engagement between people and parliament. I was a member of the Sub-Committee on Seanad Reform with Senators O'Rourke, Brian Hayes, Dardis and Ryan. It was on this committee that this issue was first raised. When considering Seanad reform, I examined the process in other Parliaments. I was interested in the New Zealand...