Results 3,921-3,940 of 4,608 for speaker:Joe O'Toole

Seanad: Budget 2010: Motion (16 Dec 2009)

Joe O'Toole: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Kelleher. I suppose I should comment with regard to the trade union leader but I did not know of the comments to which Senator O'Malley referred, so I will put that back until the next opportunity. In fairness to the points made by Senator O'Malley, as a disinterested observer, I must say that the criticism of Deputy George Lee was unfounded and...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2009)

Joe O'Toole: As a Kerryman, it grieves me to say that I am equally embarrassed and nauseated by the reports in today's newspapers. I do not know the background to it, but I find it nauseating that a victim should be sent to Coventry and boycotted. While I can fully understand how neighbours would sympathise with anybody found guilty of a crime, as that is a natural instinct, I cannot understand how the...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2009)

Joe O'Toole: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2009)

Joe O'Toole: And other aspects of the same Bill.

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2009)

Joe O'Toole: Where are the single transferable votes along that?

Seanad: Appropriation Bill 2009: Second Stage (17 Dec 2009)

Joe O'Toole: On a point of order, the one thing I learned on my first day in the House 22 years was that one could talk about every single aspect of the economy, except taxation, in the debate on the Appropriation Bill. Senator Boyle is out of order in referring to the carbon tax.

Seanad: Appropriation Bill 2009: Second Stage (17 Dec 2009)

Joe O'Toole: I think the Senator will find I am correct.

Seanad: Appropriation Bill 2009: Second Stage (17 Dec 2009)

Joe O'Toole: It does not deal with taxation.

Seanad: Appropriation Bill 2009: Second Stage (17 Dec 2009)

Joe O'Toole: It is not an unreasonable question, but it is the wrong time to ask it.

Seanad: Appropriation Bill 2009: Second Stage (17 Dec 2009)

Joe O'Toole: In fairness to the Senator, there is a reference to the Consolidation of Taxes Bill in the Appropriation Bill. It is a fair question to ask of Fine Gael and the Labour Party. I support the carbon tax, as it is essential. The approach the Government has taken is progressive. There are aspects of it over which I am not exactly exultant. However, it was necessary. I would have thought all...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (17 Dec 2009)

Joe O'Toole: I thank Fine Gael for allowing me to speak first. I welcome the Minister of State, who knows my views on this important Bill. I am completely, utterly and implacably opposed to it. The statement of the Minister of State contains some elements that are misleading. Knowing him so long as I do, I do not believe he would do this deliberately. It is important to address the question of the...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (17 Dec 2009)

Joe O'Toole: An interim award of 6% from the review body on higher remuneration was paid in 2007. In the reduction in pay, that is being netted off. In other words, for people who were supposed to have a 10% reduction, the reduction will only be 4% of the amount prior to 2007 because the 6% interim award is being paid. That is correct. However, within all of that, there is unfairness. There was...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (17 Dec 2009)

Joe O'Toole: I am sorry. The Minister of State stands to gain but I do not wish to put him in an awkward position. I wish to make one final point. This is an important issue that has not been put forward. I read what the Minister of State said about semi-State companies. They are a group like the semi-State companies and self-funding organisations. The Long Title of the Bill states clearly that its...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (17 Dec 2009)

Joe O'Toole: I ask the Minister of State to take some of those issues on board. I will not be here for the Minister of State's response but I will be watching and listening very closely.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jan 2010)

Joe O'Toole: I also wish to be associated with what the Leader and Senator Fitzgerald said in congratulating Senator Mooney on his re-election, welcoming him into the House and wishing him well in his restarted career. I wish him the best of luck in that. I hope he can bring some reform to his party's policies in certain areas and I look forward to that. I completely agree with the points made by...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jan 2010)

Joe O'Toole: Absolutely.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jan 2010)

Joe O'Toole: I would not count on that.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jan 2010)

Joe O'Toole: It is not fair.

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (20 Jan 2010)

Joe O'Toole: I thank my colleague, Senator Norris, for his impassioned contribution to the House. I also thank him for asking me to second his motion which I will do in a restrained fashion. I support his general points. I welcome the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. While he has taken this issue in hand, it is important to recognise that he is being outmanoeuvred by the...

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (20 Jan 2010)

Joe O'Toole: We could formulate the new system in such a way that far fewer Senators would be elected by local authority members. As stated previously - some consider my remarks in this regard sacrilegious and do not agree with them - in fairness to colleagues on the Government benches who have built up constituencies on the various vocational panels, I would be satisfied if the Minister decided to...