Results 1,401-1,420 of 4,608 for speaker:Joe O'Toole

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (9 Feb 2005)

Joe O'Toole: I welcome the Minister of State's comments in favour of social partnership and I congratulate him on getting the timing exactly right. However, I wish to highlight one matter. Whereas the agreed positions of social partners should always be implemented, there are many precedents where agreement was not reached and the Government took action. On some occasions that action favoured the unions,...

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (9 Feb 2005)

Joe O'Toole: IBEC is listened to at times when we wish that would not be the case. I am glad to note that those things agreed by the social partners will be implemented by the Minister of State. He will realise that a later amendment tabled in my name deals with precisely that matter in respect of the same sex issue. I presume I can now infer that said amendment will be accepted by the Minister of State...

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (9 Feb 2005)

Joe O'Toole: We will wait and see what happens. On the section, we discussed this matter when the initial legislation was introduced. The main issue is where Ireland, as a country, is going in terms of what to do with its wealth. Will the Minister of State indicate whether the socialist Taoiseach has considered this legislation? What is at issue here is a time during which parents — single or married...

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (9 Feb 2005)

Joe O'Toole: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (9 Feb 2005)

Joe O'Toole: I have a long record of making hard choices.

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (9 Feb 2005)

Joe O'Toole: I would like to explode a few myths about what the Minister has just said. I have a long record of taking unpopular decisions, selling them and sticking with them. If our Government took the same line with IBEC, we would have far fewer difficulties. The Minister received one-sided advice on costs. It may well cost €200 million to give full pay for the full period of time if everyone took...

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (9 Feb 2005)

Joe O'Toole: I will sit down and the Minister can stand up and tell us how he made the calculations. If he made it any other way, then we do not know what he is doing. There is no other calculation to be made. It is either more or less than that amount. The number of births is multiplied by the number of parents by the number of weeks by the cost per week. There is no other way to make the calculation....

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (9 Feb 2005)

Joe O'Toole: I thank the Acting Chairman for the lecture.

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (9 Feb 2005)

Joe O'Toole: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (9 Feb 2005)

Joe O'Toole: The Senator might vote with us.

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (9 Feb 2005)

Joe O'Toole: She might.

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (9 Feb 2005)

Joe O'Toole: One cannot be in Fianna Fáil without being a socialist. If the Taoiseach hears the Minister of State saying he is not a socialist, he will be out of a job.

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (9 Feb 2005)

Joe O'Toole: It is the Minister of State's own business whether he is a socialist. That is a private matter between him and his party leader.

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (9 Feb 2005)

Joe O'Toole: I refer to the reason France, Germany and Italy have trouble in this area. It is not a coincidence that Ireland has the best strike record in Europe. In other words, there are fewer strikes than in any other European country. There was no strike in the public service over the past two years, which is the prize we aimed for in the benchmarking deal. It was a superb strategic and tactical...

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (9 Feb 2005)

Joe O'Toole: The Minister of State said the Government could not afford to make places available. He also referred to Michael Smurfit but I do not know whether he would avail of State support on this issue, although I could design a structure which would prevent him from doing so if the Minister of State let me at it. He need not worry about it. I would exclude Tony O'Reilly and JP McManus through...

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (9 Feb 2005)

Joe O'Toole: Investment should be made in this regard to look after people. The Minister of State's party should show a little generosity and adopt a little socialist thinking.

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (9 Feb 2005)

Joe O'Toole: They have a big choice.

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (9 Feb 2005)

Joe O'Toole: I move amendment No. 7: In page 6, before section 3, to insert the following new section: "7.—Section 7 (1) of the Principal Act is amended by the addition of the following paragraph after paragraph (b): (c) A qualifying employee may apply to their employer for more favourable arrangements. An application under this section must— (i) state that it is such an application, (ii) specify the...

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (9 Feb 2005)

Joe O'Toole: I understand the points the Minister of State has made and can see from where they are coming. I also recognise the improvements in the Bill in regard to the flexibility on the six and 14 weeks. However, the issue is about flexibility. A couple who have just had a baby face costs for cots and prams as well as childminding and crèche facilities, all of which must still be paid during a period...

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (9 Feb 2005)

Joe O'Toole: That is a fair point. Let us put that into the Bill.