Results 1,321-1,340 of 4,608 for speaker:Joe O'Toole

Seanad: Order of Business. (1 Dec 2004)

Joe O'Toole: This is a crucial matter and the House is entitled to at least get reports of what is going on. We should not be left wondering. I will leave it at that and will not mention it again but I feel there is an issue here concerning how we do our business. I also wish to raise the issue of the report yesterday from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government about building...

Seanad: Order of Business. (1 Dec 2004)

Joe O'Toole: I am not looking for a report——

Seanad: Order of Business. (1 Dec 2004)

Joe O'Toole: I just want to know what is going on.

Seanad: Irish Nationality and Citizenship Bill 2004: Second Stage. (1 Dec 2004)

Joe O'Toole: I welcome the Minister to the House and applaud his diligence in sitting through the debate. Such debates are useful because there has almost never been a proper, balanced debate on this issue. It is approached at all times from the extremes, making for a polarised debate. Some points need to be recorded and a certain courage needs to be shown in the approach to this issue. The reality is...

Seanad: Budget Statement 2005: Motion. (1 Dec 2004)

Joe O'Toole: It was mentioned.

Seanad: Budget Statement 2005: Motion. (1 Dec 2004)

Joe O'Toole: With the permission of the House the Independent team would like to play a four-four-two formation, with four minutes each for me and Senator Ross and two minutes for Senator Quinn.

Seanad: Budget Statement 2005: Motion. (1 Dec 2004)

Joe O'Toole: Senator Norris will be sweeper for the next round.

Seanad: Budget Statement 2005: Motion. (1 Dec 2004)

Joe O'Toole: To put down my markers on this matter, leaving home this morning I said that if the Minister took the minimum-waged out of the tax net, gave €20 to the old-age pensioners and made some gesture in the area of disability, I would welcome the budget. He has certainly achieved two out of three of those targets. In general I welcome the budget. It would be incorrect to do otherwise just for...

Seanad: Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy. (2 Dec 2004)

Joe O'Toole: We on the Independent benches wish to be associated with the vote of sympathy and extend our condolences to the family of the late former Senator Russell. None of us, unfortunately, served with him. I met him on one occasion but his name was so synonymous with Limerick over the years that even people outside the city recognise it immediately. As we always say on these occasions, his level of...

Seanad: Order of Business. (2 Dec 2004)

Joe O'Toole: I have great sympathy for the points raised. I have discussed this issue in the House before and said many times that we in the South also have to make our contribution and put up with the release of people we would prefer to remain incarcerated. I held that position strongly, so long as such people were part of the Good Friday Agreement. Then the people involved in this case went to court...

Seanad: Order of Business. (2 Dec 2004)

Joe O'Toole: It was often said that all those Labour Party activists who originally came from Fianna Fáil houses might go back in that direction. I am not sure how Senator Ryan might feel about that, but——

Seanad: Order of Business. (2 Dec 2004)

Joe O'Toole: ——it is something we should look at.

Seanad: Order of Business. (2 Dec 2004)

Joe O'Toole: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business. (2 Dec 2004)

Joe O'Toole: The PDs and the Labour Party might exchange places.

Seanad: Aer Lingus: Statements. (2 Dec 2004)

Joe O'Toole: I thank Senator Ross for sharing his time with me. If the Minister needs a chairman for Aer Lingus I am available.

Seanad: Aer Lingus: Statements. (2 Dec 2004)

Joe O'Toole: When the news of the retirement of the three Aer Lingus executives broke, one would have thought only three people were working in Aer Lingus. It is all very well to say Mr. Walsh is a great entrepreneur, as Senator Ross has done, but Mr. Walsh received his training, career, future and everything he has from the public service. He has much to learn about the ethics of good governance. If he...

Seanad: Aer Lingus: Statements. (2 Dec 2004)

Joe O'Toole: I thank the Minister and I am glad to have that clarification on the record. We also need the easyJet service in Ireland. Aer Lingus is opening European routes on the basis of removing planes from UK routes. The company has a shortage of planes at present. Fleet replacement is crucially important and must happen. The pre-Christmas deadline is an important one and should be met. Every time Aer...

Seanad: Report of Strategic Task Force on Alcohol: Statements (Resumed). (2 Dec 2004)

Joe O'Toole: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Seán Power, to the House. I am glad to speak on an issue which I asked the Leader to put down for discussion. I have had meetings with a number of groups involved in this area, many of which I am sure the Minister of State has also met. One such meeting consisted of a long and detailed briefing from Ms Sinéad Shannon, policy officer for Alcohol Action...

Seanad: Order of Business. (3 Dec 2004)

Joe O'Toole: I listened yesterday to several representatives of bereaved families of RUC members in the North discussing the Detective Garda McCabe case. All of them oppose the early release of those responsible for murdering Detective Garda McCabe. We should be clear that when we voted for the Good Friday Agreement and for the release of murderers and others from our prisons we were conscious that there...

Seanad: Order of Business. (3 Dec 2004)

Joe O'Toole: I fully accept that.