Results 1,081-1,100 of 4,608 for speaker:Joe O'Toole

Seanad: Order of Business. (27 May 2004)

Joe O'Toole: I hope people on the Fianna Fáil benches will support me in this. Let us hear what is happening. Clearly, there is no plan. The business plan has been scrapped. When finally we got to see it, it was shot down by every business person who saw it. Who is driving this process and what is the position of Cabinet members, particularly the Minister for Finance?

Seanad: Order of Business. (27 May 2004)

Joe O'Toole: Is it not a free market?

Seanad: Order of Business. (27 May 2004)

Joe O'Toole: On a point of order, I want Senator Leyden to withdraw his comment or to be asked to leave the House. He has made an unwarranted allegation against a person who is not a member of the House and it should be withdrawn immediately.

Seanad: Order of Business. (27 May 2004)

Joe O'Toole: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business. (27 May 2004)

Joe O'Toole: The point is that we might be missing some steps.

Seanad: Committees of the Houses of the Oireachtas (Compellability, Privileges and Immunities of Witnesses) (Amendment) Bill 2004: Second Stage. (27 May 2004)

Joe O'Toole: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit chun Tigh Uachtaraí an Oireachtais. This is the first occasion the Minister of State has attended this House. The Government and all concerned are in a difficult situation. The position regarding our relationship with the Constitution in terms of whether we are its guardians or defenders is not clear. I am certain, however, that we have obligations under...

Seanad: Committees of the Houses of the Oireachtas (Compellability, Privileges and Immunities of Witnesses) (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (27 May 2004)

Joe O'Toole: I raised a question to which there is clearly no answer. We must have integrity in our process. The analogy Senator McDowell and I have used is that of court proceedings. I referred to the relevant section of the Bill, which I read carefully last night, because it only refers to criminal proceedings. Can this process be challenged? It is a completely different scenario where a committee...

Seanad: Committees of the Houses of the Oireachtas (Compellability, Privileges and Immunities of Witnesses) (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (27 May 2004)

Joe O'Toole: The three Rs.

Seanad: Committees of the Houses of the Oireachtas (Compellability, Privileges and Immunities of Witnesses) (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (27 May 2004)

Joe O'Toole: However, the House will afterwards.

Seanad: Order of Business. (15 Jun 2004)

Joe O'Toole: I offer congratulations to the newly elected members of the local authorities and to the newly elected MEPs. It is important that we recognise their potential contribution. I also offer my condolences in respect of the number of single transferable votes that evaporated from my colleagues on the other side and suggest that it might perhaps encourage Members on the Government side to take a...

Seanad: Order of Business. (15 Jun 2004)

Joe O'Toole: I have been very careful in what I have said. I know the Chair is uncomfortable with it. However, I do not believe I have gone beyond the limit. I ask that this be raised confidentially by the Leader with the Government. Serious mistakes have already been made, not by anybody in this House, and we should examine carefully what the conclusions might be. I think we are making a mess of it.

Seanad: Order of Business. (15 Jun 2004)

Joe O'Toole: The question is whether this is the start of a bright spell for the Opposition.

Seanad: Order of Business. (15 Jun 2004)

Joe O'Toole: Has the date slipped again?

Seanad: Order of Business. (15 Jun 2004)

Joe O'Toole: The discharge of effluent into the bay caused the loss of the flag.

Seanad: Order of Business. (16 Jun 2004)

Joe O'Toole: I wish to be associated with the recognition and affirmation of the extraordinary work on James Joyce that Senator Norris has done over the years. He is the leading authority in the world. I am not allowed to say anymore as he is our spokesperson on Joycean affairs.

Seanad: Order of Business. (16 Jun 2004)

Joe O'Toole: The Mahon tribunal issued a report yesterday. I ask Members to take an interest in it. We need to look at a very simple issue. Under the terms of reference the tribunal is required to investigate every single allegation. That will take 14 years. The proposal is that where matters are referred to the tribunal, it would initially investigate them and if it came to a conclusion that they did not...

Seanad: Housing (Stage Payments) Bill 2004: Second Stage. (16 Jun 2004)

Joe O'Toole: That is what is happening to young people for the past ten years.

Seanad: Housing (Stage Payments) Bill 2004: Second Stage. (16 Jun 2004)

Joe O'Toole: I compliment my colleague, Senator Coghlan, on bringing forward the Bill. It is a tribute to him and a practical example of how politicians can remain in touch with the world around them and put their finger on the pulse of need. While I welcome the Minister of State to the House, I have great difficulty with his concluding remarks. I do not understand why he is worried about waving a big...

Seanad: Housing (Stage Payments) Bill 2004: Second Stage. (16 Jun 2004)

Joe O'Toole: This is consumer protection, not interfering with the market.

Seanad: Housing (Stage Payments) Bill 2004: Second Stage. (16 Jun 2004)

Joe O'Toole: That is like saying that 90% of people do not rob so we should not have any laws against robbery.