Results 861-880 of 4,608 for speaker:Joe O'Toole

Seanad: Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (26 Feb 2004)

Joe O'Toole: That is clear and on the record.

Seanad: Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (26 Feb 2004)

Joe O'Toole: I move amendment No. 4: In page 9, subsection (4)(b)(ii), lines 15 and 16, to delete: "the last day of service prior to" This amendment deals with starting times when the Bill comes into operation. On Second Stage we discussed the importance and unimportance of the time period of 40 years. For the Minister to plan 40 years ahead showed him to be a visionary displaying good planning and...

Seanad: Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (26 Feb 2004)

Joe O'Toole: Under section 2(3)(b) a person is entitled to resume his or her office or position, or another office or position, within the public service. This refers to returnees in certain situations. It covers the right of people to return to a job in, for example, teaching, the public service or Civil Service. Does the Minister know what is being done here? I have listened to Members on the other side...

Seanad: Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (26 Feb 2004)

Joe O'Toole: It is good to have that on the record.

Seanad: Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (26 Feb 2004)

Joe O'Toole: That is not a full answer. I have to refer to the section. There is no other way of dealing with it.

Seanad: Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (26 Feb 2004)

Joe O'Toole: It is germane.

Seanad: Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (26 Feb 2004)

Joe O'Toole: People can only come back into the public service if they are entitled to resume their office or position or another office or position. There is no entitlement to resume if somebody leaves. It has nothing to do with the contract of employment. The contract of employment covers the safe issues, such as career breaks, and matters that have been approved by the Department of Finance or the...

Seanad: Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (26 Feb 2004)

Joe O'Toole: I do not understand how any group would be disadvantaged.

Seanad: Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (26 Feb 2004)

Joe O'Toole: I utterly reject that. Last night I had in my hand an offer which a person working in a financial institution received. The offer was a retirement of 33 sixtieths at 50 years of age. I will fight to the death the prevailing attitude that the public sector pension, which is good, is somehow above what is available in the private sector. I can produce a list of jobs at all levels in the private...

Seanad: Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (26 Feb 2004)

Joe O'Toole: I move amendment No. 5: In page 9, subsection (4), between lines 20 and 21, to insert the following: "or (d) a person who immediately before 1 April 2004 was enrolled in a recognised course of training as a primary teacher.". The issue is simple and deals with equity. The Act gives recognition to the fact that people in the Garda training college in Templemore are deemed not to be new...

Seanad: Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (26 Feb 2004)

Joe O'Toole: I missed that point.

Seanad: Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (26 Feb 2004)

Joe O'Toole: On a point of order, I tabled an amendment to which in his response, the Minister of State justified why recruit gardaí were dealt with in a certain way. He went to great lengths to explain their contract and the reasons this could not be related to the teaching profession. In terms of the response, it is perfectly in order. I intend referring to that connection made by the Minister of State...

Seanad: Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (26 Feb 2004)

Joe O'Toole: Neither of us was ruled out of order.

Seanad: Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (26 Feb 2004)

Joe O'Toole: We are talking about an exception and I ask, therefore, that another exception be made. The relationship between different categories has to be a fair reference point. Will the Minister of State indicate what is the position of Army cadets? Are they similar to teachers? The aim of my amendment is to protect the position of teachers. Army cadets are not included in the legislation in the way...

Seanad: Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (26 Feb 2004)

Joe O'Toole: I am sorry. I will not accept the ruling.

Seanad: Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (26 Feb 2004)

Joe O'Toole: I want to make this clear. This will not go away. We will go through debates for the past 17 years where it will be seen to be perfectly in order to make appropriate references and connections with different groups in order to illustrate cases. I cannot accept that something can be ruled out of order in that way. It is not fair.

Seanad: Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (26 Feb 2004)

Joe O'Toole: Excuse me, a Chathaoirligh. If my point were out of order then the amendment would have been ruled out of order. The aim of the amendment is to create an exception and, in terms of argument, it is necessary to make comparisons and relativities with other groups which may be excluded under this section. There is no other way to present the argument.

Seanad: Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (26 Feb 2004)

Joe O'Toole: I have to make this point clear. On a point of order, and with due respect to the office of Chair, I ask the Chair to respect my position.

Seanad: Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (26 Feb 2004)

Joe O'Toole: I use the same approach to connecting arguments, as is normal parliamentary procedure in this House, the other House and any other parliament I have seen. I am clear on what can be ruled in or out of order. It would be completely out of order for us to discuss at length the issue of nurses, cadets, gardaí or whatever, but it is quite in order to raise issues about them to make a connection...

Seanad: Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (26 Feb 2004)

Joe O'Toole: I am not finished speaking on it. I have not spoken on it for the past ten minutes.