Results 3,681-3,700 of 4,608 for speaker:Joe O'Toole

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2009)

Joe O'Toole: I take a different view. I have the same view on digital terrestrial broadcasting as I had on phone masts in 1990 - it is utterly unnecessary. We should have been doing all this by satellite since then and we would not have all these rows about masts all over the country. A satellite system would also have been cheaper. With regard to the €40 million spent, we should write it off as a...

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2009)

Joe O'Toole: I agree the collection methods are outmoded. I ask the Minister, as I have many times, to take an example from most of Europe, which has the simple system of an audiovisual tax on every single house unless one opts out - anyone can opt out if he or she does not have a television or audiovisual equipment. The cost of collecting the licence fee constantly annoys me because it is inefficient....

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2009)

Joe O'Toole: I want to clarify whether we are discussing group 23 plus my amendment.

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2009)

Joe O'Toole: We can discuss that first and then decide about the other amendment. I do not understand what is happening in the case of amendment No. 291. While I could be completely wrong and will listen carefully to the Minister's response, and I will hold my amendment until we know the position, it seems this goes somewhat against the spirit of the EU. I will put a simple question. In terms of our...

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2009)

Joe O'Toole: I do not understand part of the Minister's reply. The Minister stated that digital terrestrial retransmission is included in cable. Does this apply for encrypted services? Is that correct?

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2009)

Joe O'Toole: I realise I am in breach of the rules but this will save us going through the matter again. Is the Minister saying for definite that the copyright people will be paid in a different way and that they will have sold their rights in some way, shape or form? Let us consider the position of a producer, director or owner of a film which happened to be broadcast in Ireland through a free...

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2009)

Joe O'Toole: I wish to put one more question. The Minister has answered most of the questions and I understand some of the points he made. Is the Minister's approach to copyright satisfactory in terms of EU directives on cable broadcasting?

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2009)

Joe O'Toole: I wish to add to the remarks made. In particular, I single out for mention the officials present and the other officials involved. This is very complex legislation in terms of the way in which it deals with very technical, social, political, financial and cultural matters. I hope we have found the balance. The Minister has listened to all the points of view and fairly met our arguments....

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Jul 2009)

Joe O'Toole: I have raised the Ryan report with the Leader on a number of occasions. It is far more important for the House to reconvene to deal with that than some of the issues that are being dealt with on 14 and 15 July. The Leader is organising business in his own way and I do not object to that but this is a crucial matter. I do not know if people realise what is happening on this issue. People...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Jul 2009)

Joe O'Toole: Yesterday was such a bad day for the House that the Leader should make serious attempts to ensure that over the next week the image we are projecting does not continue. I was watching the House from afar yesterday and it was embarrassing. Responsibility lies with the Leader. He has never found wanting co-operation from this side of the House as long as we understood what we were doing.

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Jul 2009)

Joe O'Toole: Senator Fitzgerald should be heeded and the necessary arrangements should be made for next week. When people raise the current electricians' strike, we should insist they have an idea what they are talking about. Yesterday some people talked about an electrical contractors' strike while others spoke about the need for the union to resolve the issue. We must be serious and look at this in...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Jul 2009)

Joe O'Toole: On a point of order, this is misleading.

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Jul 2009)

Joe O'Toole: It is not dealing with that. He is misleading the House.

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Jul 2009)

Joe O'Toole: My apologies.

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Jul 2009)

Joe O'Toole: Even the devil can quote scripture at times.

Seanad: Telecommunications Services: Motion (8 Jul 2009)

Joe O'Toole: With the permission of the House I intend to share time with Senator Doherty.

Seanad: Telecommunications Services: Motion (8 Jul 2009)

Joe O'Toole: I welcome the Minister to the House and I do not doubt his commitment on this issue. I worry about the slowness of the roll-out of broadband and I have discussed it with him many times over the years, long before he became a Minister. To confirm Senator Brady's points, I live 17 miles from here, 2 km off the N2, but I cannot get broadband at home, except wireless. I am paying three times,...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Jul 2009)

Joe O'Toole: On Seanad business, perhaps the Leader might raise this issue with the Government Chief Whip. Half our business today and much of it throughout the week has been the recommital on Report Stage of Seanad Bills that have been changed by the Dáil. There is nothing wrong with that, but on many occasions the changes made in the Dáil relate to an issue that has already been raised in the...

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Joe O'Toole: Why do we need to clarify it further if it cannot be any plainer?

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Joe O'Toole: October 2.