Results 1,601-1,620 of 4,608 for speaker:Joe O'Toole

Seanad: Pension Provisions: Statements. (11 May 2005)

Joe O'Toole: It was beneath the Senator. The Pensions Board is composed of hard-working people with a hard-working chief executive who do their best under extraordinarily difficult circumstances. If I had the time, I could speak further on this. However, I agree with Senator Ross about the people who are making money out of pensions, particularly about his crowd, that is, the stockbrokers, actuaries and...

Seanad: Pension Provisions: Statements. (11 May 2005)

Joe O'Toole: I congratulate the Minister on generating a significant debate on pensions. It is a job well done. This issue has been discussed in the House previously and certainly with the Minister, Deputy Brennan, present on one occasion. I only have time to make three fundamental proposals. It might be worthwhile if the Minister's public relations or media consultants telephoned RTE to ensure that the...

Seanad: Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Bill 2004: Second Stage. (11 May 2005)

Joe O'Toole: With the agreement of the House, I would like to share my time with Senator Henry.

Seanad: Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Bill 2004: Second Stage. (11 May 2005)

Joe O'Toole: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and congratulate him and his officials on their Trojan work in putting this legislation together. While I have some reservations, I consider the Bill to be an impressive piece of legislation. There is nothing more important than for Irish workers to feel they are operating in a safe workplace and the Bill will achieve that. From an early stage,...

Seanad: Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Bill 2004: Second Stage. (11 May 2005)

Joe O'Toole: I am using those examples to illustrate a practical point, which is to ensure that, as section 10(2) provides, training "shall be adapted to take account of new or changed risks to safety...". That should be done in a structured fashion comprising a regular consultation between employers and employees on safety and an annual review of any safety risks. The consultation and review could be...

Seanad: Order of Business. (12 May 2005)

Joe O'Toole: Recently, the Leader agreed to my request for a debate on the western rail corridor report on the basis it would be published, as she was informed, in April. We are halfway through May and I still have not seen the report. I am concerned that somebody has a vested interest in not producing the report. Government Members, including Senators Kitt and Dooley, have raised this issue and we should...

Seanad: Order of Business. (17 May 2005)

Joe O'Toole: The Senator has outlined the reason teachers so deserve their benchmarking payments.

Seanad: Order of Business. (17 May 2005)

Joe O'Toole: The report on the western rail corridor was published last week. I remind the Leader of her commitment to a debate on this issue and ask that she arrange it as soon as possible. It is important to show there is political support for the possibilities and potential which can be unlocked through the publication of this report. The national report on obesity and related matters has been much in...

Seanad: Order of Business. (17 May 2005)

Joe O'Toole: Was the Leader at the launch?

Seanad: Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (17 May 2005)

Joe O'Toole: I move amendment No. 3: In page 14, lines 43 to 49, to delete paragraph (b) and substitute the following new paragraph: "(b) an officer or servant of a harbour authority, the Health Service Executive or a vocational educational committee is deemed to be an employee employed by the harbour authority, the Health Service Executive or vocational education committee, as the case may be, and". This...

Seanad: Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (17 May 2005)

Joe O'Toole: I cannot speak on amendment No. 1, which I inadvertently missed moving, but I give notice that it is my intention to reintroduce it on Report Stage. I apologise for having wasted the time of the House but we must return to the issue I have raised, which concerns dealing with the collapse or partial collapse of a building. I intend to raise it again on Report Stage.

Seanad: Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (17 May 2005)

Joe O'Toole: I support this amendment. It improves the section as it makes it clearer.

Seanad: Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (17 May 2005)

Joe O'Toole: I am taken by the argument put forward in support of the amendment, but I am not convinced it makes things better. I was going to put this amendment forward on three occasions, but I held back each time. I am not sure if the amendment strengthens or weakens the situation. Using Senator Cummins's line of logic, it is clearly important. However, I like the regularity of an annual review come...

Seanad: Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (17 May 2005)

Joe O'Toole: I support these amendments. This is a provision one would assume was already in place. It is amazing none of us identified this omission previously. Accidents often take place involving workers employed on a temporary basis and who have not been made aware of the risks associated with the working environment. These amendments ensure newly recruited employees will be made aware of all such...

Seanad: Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (17 May 2005)

Joe O'Toole: I move amendment No. 15: In page 64, subsection (6), lines 43 and 44, to delete "compliance with the improvement notice" and substitute "having received the letter confirming the remedies". I tabled these amendments after learning of the reservations of a number of people. I have discussed my worries with the Minister of State's advisers and understand the Government's different perspective...

Seanad: Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (17 May 2005)

Joe O'Toole: I appreciate the Minister of State's response. He has made clear that in the event of an inspector feeling he or she did not have access to expertise, he or she would be entitled to acquire it. The point Senator McDowell made is important in that sometimes this expertise will not be available within the State and I ask the Minister of State to consider that issue. When I tabled this amendment...

Seanad: Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (17 May 2005)

Joe O'Toole: I must be missing something. I have no problem with what is being added, but we are removing things like the reference to the Dangerous Substances Acts 1972 to 1979, the safety Acts 1955 to 1980 as well as inserting the others. Why are these references being removed? Are they not still extant? We are removing lines 12 to 15, which include references to the Safety in Industry Acts, the Safety,...

Seanad: Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (17 May 2005)

Joe O'Toole: I will take the Minister of State's word for it.

Seanad: Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (17 May 2005)

Joe O'Toole: The constitutional treaty should be passed.

Seanad: Order of Business. (18 May 2005)

Joe O'Toole: I raised the national report on obesity and related matters yesterday in regard to primary school children. Employees in my office telephoned 20 random primary schools yesterday and could not find one with a vending machine. This raises questions as to where the report's authors undertook their research. I pointed to the difficulties of many primary schools in terms of the provision of games...