Results 2,681-2,700 of 4,608 for speaker:Joe O'Toole

Seanad: Merits of Farmers' Markets: Statements (6 Dec 2007)

Joe O'Toole: The butcher told me they were doing a great business with the hotel until they received a visit from the food fascists — I should say, the food Nazis — who told them they could no longer supply the hotel. The fact that they were selling meat to the hotel which might then sell it to me on a plate meant they had become wholesalers and would have to comply with a new set of regulations. I...

Seanad: Defamation Bill: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2007)

Joe O'Toole: That statement has troubled me very much. There is almost a "prove your innocence" aspect to it. It does not seem to fit with the general approach in legislation that a person would have to prove he or she did not act out of spite, for whatever reason. The first part of the subsection refers to reasonableness but how does one prove one did not act out of spite? How can one quantify the...

Seanad: Defamation Bill: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2007)

Joe O'Toole: While I do not wish to be awkward, I do not understand the point. I am trying to visualise a relevant situation. There is an important point with regard to the claim of reasonableness, which I thoroughly support. I believe it is a major move forward and I support what we are trying to achieve in subsection (4). However, I cannot understand how the "defence of fair and reasonable...

Seanad: Defamation Bill: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2007)

Joe O'Toole: I accept the point.

Seanad: Defamation Bill: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2007)

Joe O'Toole: The Senator should put it to a vote.

Seanad: Defamation Bill: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2007)

Joe O'Toole: I support the Minister on this issue and will try to defend him against his party colleagues. Senator Jim Walsh referred to the Personal Injuries Assessment Board legislation. The Cathaoirleach will recall we faced a similar situation when that legislation was brought before the House by the then Minister, Deputy Mary Harney, because he was the Government Whip. The problems were on the...

Seanad: Defamation Bill: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2007)

Joe O'Toole: It is only marginal.

Seanad: Defamation Bill: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2007)

Joe O'Toole: It is before the court.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Dec 2007)

Joe O'Toole: I admire the Senator's optimism about our ability to think outside the box. Senator Bacik was heckled yesterday when she made a reasonably intellectual argument on mandatory drug testing. I, too, would like a debate on this issue to determine whether the Senators who heckled will have a thoughtful contribution to make. I hope the House will express outrage about an issue in which the...

Seanad: Broadband Access: Motion (12 Dec 2007)

Joe O'Toole: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I am pleased to be able to second the motion and congratulate Senator Ross for again raising this issue. He has pushed the matter time and again, as have I, but we have made very little progress. Where does one start with this? I will start by saying that the Government amendment is quite appalling. The fact that, with a straight face, the...

Seanad: Broadband Access: Motion (12 Dec 2007)

Joe O'Toole: Senator Walsh is embarrassed by the amendment. He should tell the truth.

Seanad: Broadband Access: Motion (12 Dec 2007)

Joe O'Toole: What was decided at the meeting? The Minister of State should give us some good news.

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Dec 2007)

Joe O'Toole: The House will be aware that the Minister for Education and Science recently decided to circulate a copy of a book on the first president of Fianna Fáil to every school in Ireland. I will state an interest. The author of the book, Diarmuid Ferriter, is a friend and supporter of mine. I am happy that this was done for him. That is not the issue I raised. I am an Independent Senator who...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Dec 2007)

Joe O'Toole: I do not object at all to the circulation of a well-written book, namely, Diarmuid Ferriter's book on de Valera. That is not the issue here. The issue is that it can and is being perceived as showing a lack of balance. This is important. I fought for many years to get more books into schools so I am not going to argue in this House against sending books to schools. If it is going to be...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Dec 2007)

Joe O'Toole: I was very pleased. That was not my point. I have no problem with the book.

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Dec 2007)

Joe O'Toole: I think the book is superb. The issue was the balance.

Seanad: Integration Policy: Statements (Resumed) (13 Dec 2007)

Joe O'Toole: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Seán Haughey, to the House. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Conor Lenihan, for his earlier contribution in which he said: We must work to ensure an intercultural society where the different cultures speak to each other, listen and ultimately enrich each other in the context of a common aspiration to promote the welfare and values of a new Irish...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Dec 2007)

Joe O'Toole: I remind the Leader that I raised with him last week the difficulties I anticipated with the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill before we saw it. I accept he was not aware of some of these difficulties at the time, but it is important to note this. It is also important to note the Government has done a U-turn on water charges for schools——

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Dec 2007)

Joe O'Toole: ——and that is a good thing.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Dec 2007)

Joe O'Toole: Schools should be advised that rather than holding the bills for the next two years, they should send them straight to the Taoiseach and let him deal with them because he is the only one who knows what is happening at this stage. I congratulate my colleague Senator Jim Walsh, who was the only person to get a clear view of the whole thing and managed to blame the schools for the water...