Results 2,461-2,480 of 4,608 for speaker:Joe O'Toole

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Sep 2006)

Joe O'Toole: I echo the words about the Garda sergeant who was injured this morning. We have been quick enough to criticise gardaí at times but we should also take the opportunity to recognise someone who takes risks for us, for democracy and for the law. It is vital that we support and acknowledge the great bravery of people in those situations. The issue being discussed in the media and elsewhere...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Sep 2006)

Joe O'Toole: I am full of ideas as to how we might spend that €3 billion.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Sep 2006)

Joe O'Toole: I have no doubt I am not the only one. There are people on both sides of the House who would like to say "Here's how we'll spend it". During the Estimates season various Departments argue for extra pennies, cents and shillings here, there and everywhere. Now that we have found this goldmine of €3 billion, I would like to have an input into how it should be spent.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Sep 2006)

Joe O'Toole: Yes. There are aspects of education and health which are badly in need of it and that is only the start.

Seanad: Building Societies (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (6 Jul 2006)

Joe O'Toole: I wish to share my time with Senator Ross. I welcome the Minister of State and his officials to the House. While this is important legislation, I must say I find it very depressing and discouraging. I do not blame the Minister of State for that. It is clear that market forces are at work and this is inevitable. The Minister of State had no choice but to move forward and deal with the issues...

Seanad: Business of Seanad. (6 Jul 2006)

Joe O'Toole: I join the two previous speakers on behalf of the Independent group in recognising the people who work behind, and on, the scene in the House. I thank the Cathaoirleach for his courtesy at all times, and the Leas-Chathaoirleach and the various people who have taken the Chair at other times. The work of the Leader and those in her office, particularly Eamonn, has facilitated the smooth running...

Seanad: Business of Seanad. (6 Jul 2006)

Joe O'Toole: The headline about people going on holidays should be hit hard on the head. Committees will continue to work in this House until the end of this month at least and will resume in September. The idea that people will not work when they are away from here is extraordinary. It is time to be proactive about this issue and make it clear that it is wrong to think that elected representatives should...

Seanad: Order of Business. (6 Jul 2006)

Joe O'Toole: No. 18 , the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Bill 2006, is in the name of the Independent Senators. Elements of it have been included in the Criminal Justice Bill, for which I thank the Minister. I withdraw it from the Order Paper. The House should have a discussion on No. 1, when it comes back from committee. It cannot come back to House as a fait accompli. It is crucial that Members...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed). (6 Jul 2006)

Joe O'Toole: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy. (6 Jul 2006)

Joe O'Toole: It is normal on the Independent benches to ask a Member who served with the deceased to speak. Senator Ross is the only member of our group who served with Luke Belton but he has deferred to me in these circumstances, which I appreciate. I did not realise when I married my wife that I was marrying into the Belton family and that, from then on, weddings, funerals and all sorts of occasions...

Seanad: Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy. (6 Jul 2006)

Joe O'Toole: ——and the now eminent member of the Judiciary, Sean O'Leary, was voting against the Offences Against the State Bill, as brought forward by the Government of the time. I always recall that occasion. The Government won the vote but former Senator O'Leary lost the Whip for a while. However, they shook hands later. Luke had to work hard in business. The Belton name would always be seen as...

Seanad: Foreign Conflicts: Motion. (5 Jul 2006)

Joe O'Toole: Through all my years of involvement with this issue, I have also had good relations with the Histadrut and the labour movement in Israel. I have always felt there had to be a two-state solution, which is my position today. I was disappointed when Hamas was elected. I felt the same as I did last year when the DUP was elected in the North. I said then as I say now that when the people speak,...

Seanad: Foreign Conflicts: Motion. (5 Jul 2006)

Joe O'Toole: Then why did the Senator table an amendment?

Seanad: Foreign Conflicts: Motion. (5 Jul 2006)

Joe O'Toole: And then bomb them.

Seanad: Foreign Conflicts: Motion. (5 Jul 2006)

Joe O'Toole: I was taken aback by Senator Mooney's speech. Listening to him talk about Hamas was resonant of the DUP talking about Sinn Féin. We know what Hamas is. The suggestion that somebody on this side of the House is in some way about to support or speak in favour of Hamas, or to imply such, does not become Senator Mooney. He knows us well enough to know we have gone well beyond that point in our...

Seanad: Institutes of Technology Bill 2006: Second Stage. (5 Jul 2006)

Joe O'Toole: With the permission of the House, I wish to share the final five minutes of my time with my colleague, Senator Norris.

Seanad: Institutes of Technology Bill 2006: Second Stage. (5 Jul 2006)

Joe O'Toole: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I also welcome this legislation, for which I have often called. During our debate on the OECD report, I trenchantly spoke about some of its pluses and minuses. It is important that the issue of which I was most in favour has been addressed by the Bill and the issue to which I was most opposed in the OECD report has been ignored by the Government....

Seanad: Order of Business. (5 Jul 2006)

Joe O'Toole: The request made by Senator Brian Hayes to have the issue of e-voting dealt with on an all-party basis is a very generous and reasonable one. This is an extraordinarily embarrassing situation for the Government and some of the Members of this House, who had no political interests in the issue, made the same request last year. The issue of An Taisce's response to applications for planning...

Seanad: Order of Business. (4 Jul 2006)

Joe O'Toole: I was not aware of the Aer Lingus debate in the Dáil. I concur with the points raised by Senator Brian Hayes. People on all sides of the House hold all sorts of views. Senator Ross has called for a debate numerous times and looked for a business plan. Everybody has views on it, probably all different, and we are entitled to put them on the record. Last year when we discussed employment I...

Seanad: Criminal Justice Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (3 Jul 2006)

Joe O'Toole: Or a Fine Gael Member trying to defend his or her property.