Results 3,341-3,360 of 4,608 for speaker:Joe O'Toole

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Joe O'Toole: I understand.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Dec 2008)

Joe O'Toole: Senator Fitzgerald raises a crucial issue. As I stated last week, the Taoiseach travelled around Europe talking about negotiating a deal which had not been discussed in this House or the Other House. That is unacceptable, bad politics and a stupid strategy, as is the fact that banking representatives appeared before the Joint Committee on Finance and the Public Service this morning without...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Dec 2008)

Joe O'Toole: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2008)

Joe O'Toole: Senator Fitzgerald raised crucial points, including the need to engage on issues, a matter I raised on the Order of Business yesterday. The Seanad has refused to become topical because the Leader has failed to arrange debates on issues such as education when requested to do so. While I concur with the point made about the lack of discussion and engagement with this House, this should not be...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2008)

Joe O'Toole: Social partnership is the only forum where Government can engage with all sides — labour, business, the farming community and the community pillar, which includes the unemployed and various voluntary bodies. There is no more vital place in which the Government can engage and demand and secure support. This will only work, however, if engagement also takes place at political level. On two...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2008)

Joe O'Toole: The newspaper of record.

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2008)

Joe O'Toole: That is right.

Seanad: Motor Vehicle (Duties and Licences) (No. 2) Bill 2008: Second Stage (17 Dec 2008)

Joe O'Toole: The first point made by Senator Norris was one I intended to make, so I will merely reinforce it. In France, for example, every angler has his own white van. Anglers do not have to pay tax on these vehicles and must pay only for the petrol they use. In other words, while petrol is more expensive in France than it is in this State, the motor industry can flourish in the sense that people...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Dec 2008)

Joe O'Toole: I could not agree more. This is the third day this week that I have raised this issue. I raised it in the context of full engagement with the State and including political traction. If the Government is putting together a strategy to claw our way out of a recession, it is not enough to include the people and the social partners because there must also be positive political traction to...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Dec 2008)

Joe O'Toole: That would not be difficult to organise. I do not care if a Minister is not present. If the Government does not wish that a Minister attends, let us have the document and we will offer our views on it. That would not be a difficult procedure for the Leader to organise. I do not even wish there to be a vote on the issue. The people of Ireland are entitled to hear where their political...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Dec 2008)

Joe O'Toole: I ask the Leader to consider my request. On another related matter, both Senator O'Donovan and I have raised in the House on a number of occasions the problems of the Irish fishing industry. I have bemoaned the fact that the industry along the west coast has been destroyed. Incredibly it is now the case that France and Spain are seeking to reduce the current Irish fishing quota so that our...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Dec 2008)

Joe O'Toole: I will speak about the economy during the debate on the Finance Bill 2008. It is worthwhile to focus on the second point that was made by Senator Fitzgerald. I argued three months ago that the Financial Regulator was the most appropriate authority to make a statement about the capitalisation of the banks, as no other body had seen the books. That point was not accepted by any commentator...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage (19 Dec 2008)

Joe O'Toole: I welcome the Minister to the House. While I recognise his Department is under extraordinary pressure at this time, it is a good time to place on record my views. The Minister will be aware that I approach this issue from a disinterested, non-party viewpoint. The Government is making a serious error in its dealings and relations with the Opposition parties. It is time the Opposition was...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage (19 Dec 2008)

Joe O'Toole: I have no doubt they have been and they are people of the highest quality and with the intellectual power to back that up. That said, there needs to be an oversight body for banking. We have an oversight body for accountancy and other matters. If we had an oversight body for banking, what would it do? There would be basic uniformity of standards which they would have to apply and conform...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2008)

Joe O'Toole: This is a classic example of one arm of Government not listening to the other. Over the past four months, we have raised the difficulties faced by small businesses in accessing cash. Up to €10 billion is being put in the way of the banks to help access to cash. This recommendation provides a way in which the State could offer an opportunity to small businesses, in particular, to improve...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2008)

Joe O'Toole: On behalf of Independent Senators, I also wish to be associated with the words of the Cathaoirleach and thank him for his good wishes. We would also like to extend our good wishes to all on both sides of the House and thank the Cathaoirleach for his courtesy at all times and the Leader for his co-operation. We have our rows but always manage to sort them out. I also thank the Government...

Seanad: Lisbon Treaty (19 Dec 2008)

Joe O'Toole: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Schools Building Projects (19 Dec 2008)

Joe O'Toole: I thank the Minister for remaining to deal with this issue. The Minister and I have soldiered long and hard on the question of primary school building. This must be a unique Adjournment debate matter on schools in that I am not seeking for any school to be built, extended or replaced. I am trying to deal with the Government's requirement of seeking value for money. After going through...

Seanad: Schools Building Projects (19 Dec 2008)

Joe O'Toole: I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I know he understands the points I am making. He stated the school management met with the consultant architect and exchanged correspondence with the contractor regarding the release of the money and the completion of works in the project. That meeting took place on 4 November, and the contractor agreed to complete the works immediately....

Seanad: Business of Seanad (20 Jan 2009)

Joe O'Toole: On the proposal to adjourn the House, there is a long parliamentary tradition of having discussions on the Adjournment. There has never been a time during which such cynicism has been directed at the parliamentary and legislative systems. If we meet and immediately adjourn, and afterwards deal with only one item of business, having just come through one of the most turbulent months in our...