Results 2,441-2,460 of 4,608 for speaker:Joe O'Toole

Seanad: Tax and Social Welfare Codes (23 Mar 2007)

Joe O'Toole: I hope to be surprised.

Seanad: Tax and Social Welfare Codes (23 Mar 2007)

Joe O'Toole: I accept that the Minister of State has to go through his script. Does he agree that the effect of the current regulations is that people with low-paid jobs who want to go back to college will be looked after better if they go the dole for a year beforehand? What are we doing? People laugh at politicians when they find out we are creating problems of this nature. The Minister of State...

Seanad: Tax and Social Welfare Codes (23 Mar 2007)

Joe O'Toole: I thank the Minister of State.

Seanad: Tax and Social Welfare Codes (23 Mar 2007)

Joe O'Toole: That is right.

Seanad: Tax and Social Welfare Codes (23 Mar 2007)

Joe O'Toole: I appreciate that.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Mar 2007)

Joe O'Toole: This issue was brought to the attention of the Minister for Transport during the debate on the last road safety Bill. We outlined to him that it works in France and Germany, where speed limits differ depending on the roads, but it was just ignored, as I am sure it will be again. I support some of the points made by Senator Brian Hayes regarding Northern Ireland and recall that this 20-year...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Mar 2007)

Joe O'Toole: To bring the business back to a more pleasant state, I congratulate Senator Brian Hayes on being selected Senator of the year.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Mar 2007)

Joe O'Toole: It is well deserved.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Mar 2007)

Joe O'Toole: The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Enterprise and Small Business received a disturbing report this morning about the Border, midlands and western, BMW, region. I called recently for debates on regional areas such as Kerry. The BMW includes the Leader's area. The report reaches disturbing conclusions, the most annoying of which is that every operational programme under the national...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Mar 2007)

Joe O'Toole: No, we are saying it is four years behind time and it should have been extended to Galway by now. That is exactly what we are saying.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Mar 2007)

Joe O'Toole: That is correct.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Mar 2007)

Joe O'Toole: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Mar 2007)

Joe O'Toole: We look forward to seeing Fine Gael at the weekend and expect it to be restrained and prudent.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Mar 2007)

Joe O'Toole: We are ten years behind schedule with the railway to Mullingar. The money goes back to Dublin every year.

Seanad: Ethical Foreign Policy: Motion (28 Mar 2007)

Joe O'Toole: I thank Senator Norris for asking me to second the motion. After his tour de force, I am not sure I can add much. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Killeen, to the House. The point of the motion, in discussing it with Senator Norris some weeks back, was precisely to achieve what is outlined in the Government amendment, namely, to have "a foreign policy based on the values of the Irish...

Seanad: Ethical Foreign Policy: Motion (28 Mar 2007)

Joe O'Toole: This is completely opposed to the values of the Irish people. With regard to the Iraq invasion, we can discuss at length the views on whether there were weapons of mass destruction. What is certain is that none were ever found so the balance of evidence has to be that they never existed. We can consider the fact an invasion took place against the wishes of the United Nations and against its...

Seanad: Ethical Foreign Policy: Motion (28 Mar 2007)

Joe O'Toole: I know from my discussions with the Minister over the years that this does not reflect his viewpoint and that he would certainly be in favour of an ethical foreign policy. Why, therefore, could he not go the whole way and support the motion? The Irish people, in their reaction to what they saw, heard and read about East Timor, made their views effectively known at all levels. Senators Ryan...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Mar 2007)

Joe O'Toole: I support the call for a debate on that issue. Some 150 families are now under threat from the Department of Education and Science. They have been told by the State Claims Agency that every single case will be fought. They have also been told their houses could be at risk if they lose the case because the State will force them to pay their legal expenses. I have no doubt that colleagues...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Mar 2007)

Joe O'Toole: It is a no show, however. Perhaps the Government Whip will indicate whether we should make arrangements for additional Members on the cross-benches.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Mar 2007)

Joe O'Toole: We might need to reshuffle our spokespersons.