Results 2,881-2,900 of 4,608 for speaker:Joe O'Toole

Seanad: Order of Business (20 May 2008)

Joe O'Toole: It was interesting to hear the debate on the hijab taking place in other fora during the past week. As a young child in Dingle, I recall that our teachers, who were nuns, were veiled. At that time when women went to church, they always covered their heads with a hat, mantilla or a veil. It was accepted as normal practice. I make that point because the question of the wearing of the hijab...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 May 2008)

Joe O'Toole: I refer to the issue of public private partnerships, which I have defended and proposed on many occasions. I have looked for details regarding the regeneration projects in Dublin but cannot find any, which is why I am raising the matter in the House. I ask the Leader to provide Members with information or invite the appropriate Minister to the House. My understanding is that decisions on...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 May 2008)

Joe O'Toole: I advise the Leader that is an important position to articulate on behalf of the House. The House should indicate that we do not consider the President should have a role in this regard, that it appreciates she has been put in an embarrassing position and that we expect her simply to park that rogue correspondence.

Seanad: Order of Business (21 May 2008)

Joe O'Toole: We have all of July.

Seanad: WTO Negotiations: Statements (Resumed) (21 May 2008)

Joe O'Toole: Hear, hear.

Seanad: WTO Negotiations: Statements (Resumed) (21 May 2008)

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

Seanad: WTO Negotiations: Statements (Resumed) (21 May 2008)

Joe O'Toole: Go raibh míle maith agat. Ar an gcéad dul síos ba mhaith liom a rá leis an Aire nua comhgairdeachas as ucht a phost nua a fháil agus de bharr seo a bheith ina bhall den Rialtas nua. It is well deserved for a diligent hardworking politician and I congratulate the Minister. I look forward to him doing well. Like the previous speaker, I also listened to the Minister on "Farm Week" which,...

Seanad: WTO Negotiations: Statements (Resumed) (21 May 2008)

Joe O'Toole: I do not blame the Government for this. This is not a political point. With my trade union background, if I had to face into negotiations where the people I represented were paid less now for labour than they were five, six or seven years ago, I would kick the door off the hinges on the way in and no one would leave until we had a deal. I have great sympathy for the farmers in this matter....

Seanad: Transport 21: Motion (21 May 2008)

Joe O'Toole: I wish to share my time with Senator Pearse Doherty. I welcome the Minister of State and wish him well in his new portfolio and hope it goes well for him. It is a challenging role to play. I would like to say a few positive and negative things. I support the positive moves mentioned by Senator Martin Brady. There is no doubt the extra trains are welcome, as are the new roads being built...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 May 2008)

Joe O'Toole: It would be helpful if the Leader clarified the status of the Civil Partnership Bill 2004, which my colleague, Senator Norris, has pushed from the beginning. It has been suggested to us in quiet conversations that all is not well in the serried ranks of Fianna Fáil on this issue and that the Government is stepping back from the policy end because its Members are not as comfortable as...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 May 2008)

Joe O'Toole: I beg the indulgence of the Cathaoirleach and the Leader. On today's Order Paper is an item to be taken tomorrow, namely, a motion re the new prison in north County Dublin. I would like some help. Paragraphs (i) and (ii) of subsection (e) refer to markings A and B on the map left by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform in the Oireachtas Library. This sounds easy, but the map...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 May 2008)

Joe O'Toole: On a point of order, I inform the House that I have received information from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform on the issue I raised earlier. Therefore, I take back what I said about the Department.

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (28 May 2008)

Joe O'Toole: A Leas-Chathaoirligh, caithfidh mé a rá gur thug tú an-sheans ar fad do mo chomhghleacaithe ar an dtaobh eile den seomra. Ba mhaith liom cur leis an méid atá ráite aige mar gheall ar an reachtaíocht seo. Bronnaim mo chomhghairdeas ar an tAire Stáit as ucht an jab nua ata faighte aige. Tá súil agam go n-éireoidh go breá leis. Tá mé sásta go bhfuil an-chuid oibre curtha...

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (28 May 2008)

Joe O'Toole: I do not refer to Dingle in this case. I refer to cases in which names do not reflect what they were supposed to be. Section 114 pertains to the availability of programmes, which relates to another point about RTE, namely, the establishment or maintenance of an emigrants' channel. While I am in favour of such a measure, I have many questions in this regard. Will it be free to air? I have...

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (28 May 2008)

Joe O'Toole: I know. I apologise. However, I could not find the magic words, to "educate, inform and entertain", which used to appear on RTE's objectives. Do they still remain extant somewhere or are they included in this fine legislation? I have been unable to find them and the Minister of State should reassure me that it is still part of RTE's requirements to do exactly that. As for what I have said...

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (28 May 2008)

Joe O'Toole: RTE should be broadcasting at 500 MW but is broadcasting at 250 MW instead. I regret that RTE did not inform Members of this. I was in London recently and tried to pick up long wave but could only barely do so. Moreover, the transmission of RTE long wave is being interfered with by Radio Algeria. This tells one how weak is the Irish broadcast. One can simply look at a map and work out...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 May 2008)

Joe O'Toole: I draw the attention of Members to one of the items that is being referred to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights. I refer to No. 22 on the Order Paper, which is based on section 12 of the Employment Equality Act 1998. Members should consider this because it is a serious matter. I have referred to this legislation many times, together with the...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 May 2008)

Joe O'Toole: I apologise as I thought it was one of the aforementioned four items. The Order Paper is very long. I was referring to No. 22 on the Order Paper, which was laid before the House yesterday. As I presume Members will come to it next week, I will make my point then. I apologise to the Cathaoirleach. It is a case of being overly-organised. I completely agree with the point raised by Senator...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 May 2008)

Joe O'Toole: I am asking for my constituency to be reformed. Six Members in this House are waiting to have that done.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 May 2008)

Joe O'Toole: Hear, hear.