Results 2,741-2,760 of 4,608 for speaker:Joe O'Toole

Seanad: Order of Business. (7 Feb 2006)

Joe O'Toole: The issue raised by Senator Finucane is an important one that could bear discussion but I take issue with one point he made. I question whether Denmark embraces the Muslim community in its country. The problems in Denmark began with the election of a hard, right-wing Government in recent years on a strong anti-immigration card. There is a substantial amount of what may be termed...

Seanad: Order of Business. (2 Feb 2006)

Joe O'Toole: As this year is the 90th anniversary of the 1916 Rising, it is worth discussing it. The year 1916 was a time of extraordinary change but there has been no acknowledgement of it. People are afraid of their past in that regard. There were decent people in the Royal Irish Constabulary as well as in the various volunteer forces. There was Tom Kettle as well as Tom Clark. Some people gave much to...

Seanad: Child Care Investment Programme: Motion. (1 Feb 2006)

Joe O'Toole: I thank Senator Mooney for sharing his time with me. I wish the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Lenihan, well with his new responsibilities. I have spoken in the House about child care on three or four occasions over the past year. On the first two or three occasions, I called for five things to be delivered on. First, I asked for overall responsibility for the entire child care sector to be...

Seanad: Child Care Investment Programme: Motion. (1 Feb 2006)

Joe O'Toole: This is my final point. I welcome certain issues and ask that the questions in the Fine Gael amendment that parental and paternal leave be paid for be answered and that the qualifications be vetted. There can be all sorts of qualifications. Whatever the qualification, we should know that a person has done a course and what is their level of experience. Parents should know that when dropping...

Seanad: Road Safety: Statements. (1 Feb 2006)

Joe O'Toole: I thank my colleagues for sharing their time with me. I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science, Deputy de Valera, to the House and hope she will take our views on board. I wish to put a few simple points on the record. I listened with some care to the points made by my two colleagues who raised issues that can be simple matters. Certainly the higher the...

Seanad: Road Safety: Statements. (1 Feb 2006)

Joe O'Toole: We do not find that any more. When we get to the North we find the main roads are narrow. Similarly, in the North if one goes off the main roads the side roads are way ahead of those in the South. That is the difficulty. I know Senator Wilson will have much to say about that given that he lives in a Border county. The difference is clear if one goes on a non-main road North and South. Road...

Seanad: Order of Business. (1 Feb 2006)

Joe O'Toole: All of us on the Independent benches would wish to be associated with those words of congratulations to former Senator Murphy. I welcome the extension of the Order of Business and thank the Committee on Procedure and Privileges for moving on the issue. By way of explanation, it has been extended to 40 minutes from the time the Leader sits down following the announcement of the Order of...

Seanad: Order of Business. (1 Feb 2006)

Joe O'Toole: No, I will leave that to Senator Brian Hayes's party colleagues. However, I will support it. "Independent" means independent of all others.

Seanad: Order of Business. (26 Jan 2006)

Joe O'Toole: I do not wish to make life difficult for the Acting Leader, but there are substantial issues we need to examine in terms of how we deal with the Order of Business. I will take them in reverse order. No. 2 is an issue that has been discussed at some length in this House and on that basis we knew it would work. Therefore, it is correct that it should be commended without debate and sent to...

Seanad: Order of Business. (26 Jan 2006)

Joe O'Toole: It has been debated by that committee and I have spoken about the issue, but I am not aware it has been discussed by the committee recently. I do not object to it being discussed there. I have discussed the issue with our group members and I know Fine Gael has discussed it. I am not sure the Labour Party has discussed the issue, but I have spoken to people in Fianna Fáil on the matter. The...

Seanad: Order of Business. (26 Jan 2006)

Joe O'Toole: With the agreement of the House, could No. 1 be deferred until the committee considers it and the views of various groups. If the Acting Leader would prefer to do that he can respond in due course. I had looked forward to welcoming the three people on the Garda Ombudsman Commission. They are people of the highest ability and stature and their appointment was superb and creative. I agree with...

Seanad: Order of Business. (26 Jan 2006)

Joe O'Toole: I did not actually propose an amendment because I am waiting to see if the Acting Leader accepts my proposal. If he does not, we will have to vote against him.

Seanad: Order of Business. (25 Jan 2006)

Joe O'Toole: The trade unions are fighting to keep Senator Ross in his job.

Seanad: Order of Business. (25 Jan 2006)

Joe O'Toole: That is six months after the hearing.

Seanad: Order of Business. (25 Jan 2006)

Joe O'Toole: I support the point made by Senator Brian Hayes on privilege. Perhaps many Members of the Houses do not understand the implications it has for them. It may well be, as was evident recently, that the only way to protect information is to put it on the record of the House. This was surely never the intention of the Constitution. I therefore believe we need to examine the issue of privilege and,...

Seanad: Business of Seanad. (16 Dec 2005)

Joe O'Toole: The story of the flag reminded me of a great moment we experienced in the House about 15 years ago, when the Cathaoirleach's illustrious predecessor from Ennis, former Senator Tras Honan, was in the Chair. Fianna Fáil had just sold the pass and blinked on the extradition issue. They were very sore at that, so my illustrious colleague, former Senator John A. Murphy and I started softly to...

Seanad: Business of Seanad. (16 Dec 2005)

Joe O'Toole: I also commend the efforts of Ms Deirdre Lane, Ms Jody Blake and all the team in the Seanad office, who are still under-resourced in terms of the work they have to do on our behalf. They are always there to point out flaws in the amendments we put forward and to guide us. Their work is of a highly-professional standard, a matter which, perhaps, we take for granted. Like everything done well,...

Seanad: Business of Seanad. (16 Dec 2005)

Joe O'Toole: We should reconsider the idea of having a topical hour at that time, so that people from all sides can say what they have to say in a structured and orderly fashion. We on the Independent benches want to extend warm wishes for the Christmas season to all the people I mentioned, to the Office of the Editor of Debates and to the people who look after the sound. The Oireachtas website, which...

Seanad: Order of Business. (16 Dec 2005)

Joe O'Toole: The issue of housing stock must be addressed. Some weeks ago I asked the Leader about this after the OECD issued another frightening report that our housing stock is overvalued by between 15% and 20%. My concern is that since 1998 at least 500,000 houses have been built with cavity blocks to a lower level of insulation than will be required by the European directive of 6 January 2006. When...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2005: Second Stage. (15 Dec 2005)

Joe O'Toole: I welcome the Minister to the House. I have failed to find the ubiquitous Fr. Healy during the week to explain to him one of the basics of negotiation — the day a person gets what he asks for is the day he should resign. For those of us who have dealt with Fr. Seán this is a moment to be treasured. Much as I love him dearly, he called it wrong this time. I have spoken many times about the...