Results 3,481-3,500 of 4,608 for speaker:Joe O'Toole

Seanad: Telecommunications Services: Motion (25 Mar 2009)

Joe O'Toole: I support the points made by Senator Ross. I was also impressed by what the Minister stated in his speech. However, in all fairness it takes a brass neck to table this motion. I do not take from the commitment and honesty of my colleagues on the other side of the House. However, it is shameful where we are in the broadband league. Look at where we stand in the OECD league, the European...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Mar 2009)

Joe O'Toole: To follow up on the last point made by the Senator, a number of us have said that the first victim of recession tends to be democracy, and the first post-democracy victim tends to be a free press and freedom of expression. One can see this running through society at present. We must be aware of and watch these themes. Yesterday, there was general cheering about the fact that the nominee of...

Seanad: Forthcoming Budget: Statements (26 Mar 2009)

Joe O'Toole: I welcome this debate and I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Noel Ahern, to the House. I thank the other Minister of State, Deputy Mansergh, for his contribution earlier. While there are many aspects to look at, we need to keep examining the broader issue. One of the difficulties is that the public looks at this purely as Ireland Inc., whereas we need to look at the nation and how...

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Apr 2009)

Joe O'Toole: While listening to a report this morning about a golf club on the north side of this city which has wasted the time of the court in an attempt to prevent women from joining, I assumed it was an April fool's joke, but I found out later in the morning that it was an actual court case. The court's time is being wasted by some elderly types who cannot handle the women in their lives or who wish...

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Apr 2009)

Joe O'Toole: I stand corrected. It is a very fair correction. I withdraw everything I said and will put it all on hold until the result is given.

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Apr 2009)

Joe O'Toole: On a more serious issue, we should all support the representations made by the Irish Cancer Society regarding the impacts of smoking on cancer. We should not be facilitating people who smoke to smoke more at the cost of their health and the public health as well as the cost to the health service. We should make representations to the Minister for Health and Children on that issue. Next...

Seanad: Economic and Recovery Authority: Motion (1 Apr 2009)

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

Seanad: Economic and Recovery Authority: Motion (1 Apr 2009)

Joe O'Toole: I think we should be more creative about amendments to motions in this House. The kind of amendments tabled here all the time would not be allowed in any other organisation and they are probably seen as a direct negative. Like Senator MacSharry I welcome the fact Fine Gael moves closer to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions position which is a very healthy development and which, no doubt, is...

Seanad: Economic and Recovery Authority: Motion (1 Apr 2009)

Joe O'Toole: Senator John Paul Phelan referred to a conversation we had previously. I took as an example the case of County Mayo. It is my belief that County Mayo, properly organised and harnessed, could be supplying Ireland with a substantial amount of its energy needs in a very short time indeed. First and foremost we need to get the Corrib oil on shore. This demands and requires political...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Apr 2009)

Joe O'Toole: Will the Deputy Leader not agree that IBEC has today hit a new low with its proposal to attack social welfare, conveniently forgetting, as ever, that it was its members and main funders, the big banks, that led us into most of the trouble we face? Having used every subterfuge, trick and manoeuvre to deprive workers of pay over the last number of months, wherever they could afford to do it,...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Apr 2009)

Joe O'Toole: I exhort the Deputy Leader to make a statement and bring to the Minister's attention the question of carer's allowance and the preservation of income, rights and supports for carers. The Minister has made a worthy attempt to limit the number of people going to hospital and to establish primary care, with the emphasis on community care, but we should not proceed with those policies, on which...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Apr 2009)

Joe O'Toole: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Death of Member: Expressions of Sympathy (22 Apr 2009)

Joe O'Toole: It is always a sad day when the Tricolour flies at half mast over Leinster House to signal the death of a sitting Member. On this occasion, our expressions of sympathy are to the family of Senator Tony Kett who served in the House for ten years. On behalf of the Independent Senators, I would like to be associated with the comments made by the Cathaoirleach, the Leader and the leader of the...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Apr 2009)

Joe O'Toole: I absolutely agree that we need a debate on the Fine Gael Private Members' motion. It is unfortunate that for obvious reasons we were unable to take it yesterday. I urge the Leader to take it either today or to take two Private Members' motions next week. I think we have time to deal with it today, however, and Members have things to say on that matter. We have been away for the last...

Seanad: Order of Business. (28 Apr 2009)

Joe O'Toole: I raised the issue of Shell in north Mayo last week and at the time I was not aware of the full facts of the matter. I want to make clear in this situation that as somebody who have been a constant critic of Shell for more decades than I care to remember and who has been a street protestor all my life, addressed protest meetings, sat on streets and engaged in civil actions against various...

Seanad: Order of Business. (28 Apr 2009)

Joe O'Toole: I received a telephone call from a young man during the week. He is a young newly-qualified engineer with a job with a company which got some work from Shell and who is working down there. He spoke of people coming outside his door, blowing horns and intimidating families. It is quite appalling. This idea of balaclava-clad people breaking in and attacking workers is something which I will...

Seanad: Order of Business. (28 Apr 2009)

Joe O'Toole: That is, however, another issue. The fact is that the law is in place. I voted against it and I was outvoted. The Government should take control of this and support the Garda in Mayo whose members are badly used and misused. I want a debate on this issue and that we hear all sides of it. I also hope the two Eamons, the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy...

Seanad: Order of Business. (28 Apr 2009)

Joe O'Toole: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business. (28 Apr 2009)

Joe O'Toole: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Apr 2009)

Joe O'Toole: I fully support the points made by Senator Fitzgerald. We asked the Leader for a debate on the economy and the issues in the IMF report last week, and he agreed to find time for it. The Government did not accept the report, which is fair enough, but we should hear all the arguments. A week later we have not discussed it. We now have an ESRI report, which is absolutely shocking. It...