Results 2,561-2,580 of 4,608 for speaker:Joe O'Toole

Seanad: Community Child Care Subvention Scheme 2008-2010: Statements (7 Nov 2007)

Joe O'Toole: Yes, absolutely. I said that one must start somewhere but it is incorrect and unfair to say we are talking about people on low incomes. There is a simple way to deal with those who do not reach the threshold to which the Minister of State referred. If the State recognised the cost they are paying for child care, the obvious thing is to grant them tax relief on that expenditure. That would...

Seanad: Community Child Care Subvention Scheme 2008-2010: Statements (7 Nov 2007)

Joe O'Toole: Yes, exactly.

Seanad: Energy Security and Climate Change: Motion (7 Nov 2007)

Joe O'Toole: We need a fresh young Deputy to do that.

Seanad: Energy Security and Climate Change: Motion (7 Nov 2007)

Joe O'Toole: I wish to share my time with Senator McFadden.

Seanad: Energy Security and Climate Change: Motion (7 Nov 2007)

Joe O'Toole: I welcome the Minister to the House and welcome this debate. While some aspects of this issue may be rocket science, others are not. One that is not concerns driving into the city on any of the main highways on the north side — the N1, N2 or N3. For anybody who comes to the city on these routes, there is no place for them to park and ride and use public transport. The car parks of pubs...

Seanad: Energy Security and Climate Change: Motion (7 Nov 2007)

Joe O'Toole: Something has changed, however, and it is rocket science. It is the difference between nuclear fission and nuclear fusion. Fission involves a nuclear isotope running wildly in an enclosed space and is uncontrollable, as we saw in Chernobyl, which will still be causing trouble in 1,000 years' time.

Seanad: Energy Security and Climate Change: Motion (7 Nov 2007)

Joe O'Toole: Nuclear fusion is different because it is when both are put together. It is much more controlled, less difficult and poses fewer dangers once used. I am not suggesting that we should go into that but we need a discussion on it, if only to rule it out. It could form part of the discussion that the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, suggested we might have. In the last month, BMW has put 200...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Nov 2007)

Joe O'Toole: I agree with what Senator Fitzgerald has just said. I remind the House that not only was the matter accepted by all parties in the House, it was then sent to a committee under the chair of the previous Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and of which our distinguished colleague, Senator Boyle, was a member as well as myself. We had organised a structure under which...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Nov 2007)

Joe O'Toole: The Senator believed it was the best in the world.

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Nov 2007)

Joe O'Toole: We were given a commitment in this House that it would be debt free.

Seanad: Food Safety: Statements (8 Nov 2007)

Joe O'Toole: In the rest of the county they are called Dingle pies.

Seanad: Food Safety: Statements (8 Nov 2007)

Joe O'Toole: It would not happen in Kerry.

Seanad: Food Safety: Statements (8 Nov 2007)

Joe O'Toole: I wish to share time with Senator Norris.

Seanad: Food Safety: Statements (8 Nov 2007)

Joe O'Toole: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Roche, to the House. I found the contribution of Senator O'Sullivan most interesting. I recently asked for two debates on food issues, one on food quality and the other on food safety, and this is the first of the two. We need to consider these issues. I remind the Minister of State, Deputy Roche, of an issue on which he and I were slightly culpable...

Seanad: Food Safety: Statements (8 Nov 2007)

Joe O'Toole: Irish farmers have made an argument that is convincing to any interested person. I have not heard an answer to this simple question: why, if foot and mouth disease is found in this country, does the whole country close down, whereas if it happens in another country, that country can still export to us? It does not make sense. I do not add to this a criticism of the Minister, Deputy...

Seanad: Food Safety: Statements (8 Nov 2007)

Joe O'Toole: That is a good question. They probably do. The reason it is important is that it is mountain mutton with a small bone in it and it has a different taste to lowland mutton. That is what people should look for. In France, where people value the taste of food, they still maintain a taste in chickens. They sell hens, chapons, which are year-old chickens, usually corn fed. Each one is...

Seanad: Food Safety: Statements (8 Nov 2007)

Joe O'Toole: Other issues are the regulations relating to cottage industry, farmers' markets and farmer outlets. Does the Minister of State know that there are farmers doing quite well selling vegetables to local people at the farm gate but they cannot include in the sale anything which has not been grown on the farm? One can buy a variety of vegetables but one might also want to buy ginger which would...

Seanad: Food Safety: Statements (8 Nov 2007)

Joe O'Toole: Your time is up, Senator.

Seanad: Food Safety: Statements (8 Nov 2007)

Joe O'Toole: Is that agreed? Agreed.

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Nov 2007)

Joe O'Toole: I support very strongly what my colleague, Senator Fitzgerald, has just said. A strong request was made last week on this crucial issue. This is the type of issue that loses relevancy for the Seanad. Everyone is discussing it on radio talk shows, in the newspapers, in the pubs, etc. The Seanad should deal with it as well. I am disappointed that it is not in prospect at the moment and I...