Results 3,501-3,520 of 4,608 for speaker:Joe O'Toole

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Apr 2009)

Joe O'Toole: Yes.

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Apr 2009)

Joe O'Toole: Senator Twomey should go into discussion with Senator Regan to have explained to him the rules on tendering and procurement in Ireland and the EU. Local authorities cannot hand out work willy-nilly without going through procedures. If Senator Twomey is correct, we need to have a debate on it. I am not sure that is the point he is making. The House should acknowledge the launch of the...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Apr 2009)

Joe O'Toole: I refer to the cost of unemployment, raised by Senator Twomey. We hear the narrow perspective of people talking about the cost of the dole and redundancy, without any attempt to meet it with a positive, reflective and creative response. The costs of unemployment versus employment must be examined. In certain places, such as Germany, a company with long-term viability but with current...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Apr 2009)

Joe O'Toole: I ask for a response and to examine creative methods to deal with unemployment other than the dole or redundancy. We can look for companies that will work their way out of difficulties and get support for retaining those workers.

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Apr 2009)

Joe O'Toole: Will the party not consider supporting Senator Norris?

Seanad: Order of Business (6 May 2009)

Joe O'Toole: I propose an amendment to the Order of Business. I regret that the Leader on his own, without any contact or agreement with me or anyone else, changed Private Members' time. As he has made some time available to discuss an issue with the Minister for Health and Children, I suggest that time would be better spent discussing the row between the Ombudsman for Children and the HSE rather than...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 May 2009)

Joe O'Toole: I wish to say bon voyage and recognise Senators Donohoe, Corrigan, Alex White, O'Reilly and our colleague Senator Bacik, who have put themselves forward for the European elections.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 May 2009)

Joe O'Toole: I apologise. Senator John Paul Phelan.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 May 2009)

Joe O'Toole: At a time when politics is at a very low ebb, when there was never so little trust or confidence in the political system, I express my admiration for all those people for putting their names before the electorate and standing out there and standing for something. In welcoming Mr. George Lee for crossing over to our side, I wish to correct some of the wonder about it. Whereas I admire and...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 May 2009)

Joe O'Toole: We should recognise that and wish those people well.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 May 2009)

Joe O'Toole: We know more about this matter. He does not know anything about it.

Seanad: Companies (Amendment) Bill 2009: Second Stage (6 May 2009)

Joe O'Toole: Come on, go easy now. I do not think the Senator's party wants to hear that.

Seanad: Companies (Amendment) Bill 2009: Second Stage (6 May 2009)

Joe O'Toole: I welcome the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to the House. She is responsible for a difficult and complex Department. From years of experience in this area, I am aware she has excellent advisers at her disposal. The important legislation before us enjoys my full support, although I propose to refer to a number of issues the Bill omits to address. As a member of...

Seanad: Swine Flu Outbreak: Statements (6 May 2009)

Joe O'Toole: We are quick to criticise the Department of Health and Children time and again when things go wrong. The morning after swine flu hit the headlines, one of the British-Irish tabloids carried a front-page story that Ireland was unready, unable and without plans to respond. The Minister and her staff at the Department have handled the matter with the expertise that I look for in Government....

Seanad: Energy Resources: Motion (6 May 2009)

Joe O'Toole: It was Three-Mile Island.

Seanad: Energy Resources: Motion (6 May 2009)

Joe O'Toole: I second the motion. I congratulate my colleague, Senator Quinn, on tabling this motion as it is a very important subject. I also congratulate and welcome to the House, the Minister of State, Deputy Dara Calleary. He and I soldiered together on the Joint Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security before his elevation. Much of what we are discussing was discussed by us both formally...

Seanad: Order of Business (7 May 2009)

Joe O'Toole: Senator Twomey has made some fair points. I thought he was going off on a tangent at the beginning, which I did not like. However, I certainly think it is a point worth making - that we in political life accept those coming into it. It must be a good thing if people at the top of their careers choose to serve as public representatives, and that should be welcomed. It is important to note,...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 May 2009)

Joe O'Toole: No, there were not.

Seanad: Order of Business (13 May 2009)

Joe O'Toole: I support completely the points made by Senator Fitzgerald. I was outside those gates at 7.25 a.m. yesterday waiting for them to open and I got home last night at 10 p.m. That is no different from many other people in this House. I worked a full day and took no notice of it, no more than do all the other people here. To read in this morning's newspaper complimentary remarks on my game of...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (13 May 2009)

Joe O'Toole: Hear, hear.