Results 3,221-3,240 of 4,608 for speaker:Joe O'Toole

Seanad: Northern Ireland Issues: Motion. (2 Feb 2005)

Joe O'Toole: I had never seen that in all my time in politics.

Seanad: Northern Ireland Issues: Motion. (2 Feb 2005)

Joe O'Toole: I had never seen it happen before. It reflects a maturity that is important. In terms of what Senator Maurice Hayes has said, perhaps it will show us the way forward. I would like to consider where we are going for the next couple of years. Most analysts believe that not much will happen politically in that time. We need to examine the vacuum that has developed and determine where points of...

Seanad: Northern Ireland Issues: Motion. (2 Feb 2005)

Joe O'Toole: Yes. The economic corridor between both islands also comes to mind. Where should it be? We are saying it should be at Belfast, Dublin and the south-east of the island. There should be full and free access on both sides. How do we do that? If we put together a body like the British-Irish Interparliamentary Body or Anglo-Irish Encounter, we should ensure that there is a regulated and processed...

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2004: Second Stage. (2 Feb 2005)

Joe O'Toole: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I appreciate that he, in his role prior to the Cabinet reshuffle, was very open to recommendations and proposals from the trade union side. I welcomed that openness. This must be borne in mind because it is with a sense of déjÀ vu that I will make the rest of my remarks. I would welcome a sense of openness to change on the part of the Minister...

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2004: Second Stage. (2 Feb 2005)

Joe O'Toole: I wish to share my time with Senator Norris.

Seanad: Order of Business. (2 Feb 2005)

Joe O'Toole: I could not agree more with what Senator Brian Hayes has said regarding the media. As Members will be aware, last Wednesday in the House I raised the issue of newspaper intrusion into private lives. The problem has got substantially worse in the meantime. I am conscious that in dealing with this matter we must be very careful. Senator Norris made an impassioned input to the recent debate on...

Seanad: Order of Business. (27 Jan 2005)

Joe O'Toole: Too many Departments have not made the distinction between media and public relations officers. Their biggest problem is a lack of understanding of the media. I would welcome an informed debate on this issue. On the issue of Northern Ireland, it must be recognised that little will happen this side of the Westminster election. Little else will happen between that election and the next Irish...

Seanad: Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy. (27 Jan 2005)

Joe O'Toole: We on the Independent benches would like to be associated with the words of condolence to the family of the late Eileen Desmond. I did not know her in political life as she was gone when I came in here but I met her two or three times. She was one of those iconic figures I associated with political life before I was elected to national politics. She had a great presence which came across in...

Seanad: Order of Business. (26 Jan 2005)

Joe O'Toole: I welcome the support from Fine Gael on this issue. I have been dealing with Revenue on the matter for the past number of months and have had great difficulty establishing the actual position. We are going to invite the Revenue before the Joint Committee on Finance and the Public Service to answer some of the questions raised by Senator Brian Hayes and which were also raised by me last week...

Seanad: Appropriation Bill 2004 [Certified Money Bill]: Second and Subsequent Stages. (16 Dec 2004)

Joe O'Toole: I welcome the Minister to the House. In recognising the state of the national finances, it is an appropriate time to pay tribute to the former Minister for Finance, Charlie McCreevy, for the job he did. We had differences of opinion along the way but there is no doubt that great credit is due to him for his work. I admired him in his time in office and I have no doubt his successor, the...

Seanad: Order of Business. (16 Dec 2004)

Joe O'Toole: I draw the attention of the House to a recently published report on the treatment of immigrant workers, in particular immigrant domestic workers. If it portrays the image of post-Celtic tiger Ireland, it is an image which reflects badly on all of us because it would mean we have produced a greedy society and that vulnerable foreign workers with poor English are being exploited and bonded in...

Seanad: Order of Business. (16 Dec 2004)

Joe O'Toole: We must be careful when passing legislation which makes increased demands on public representatives because it could become ridiculous.

Seanad: Order of Business. (16 Dec 2004)

Joe O'Toole: I support that.

Seanad: Order of Business. (15 Dec 2004)

Joe O'Toole: As Senator Quinn rightly said yesterday, it is an offence to carry a knife and that continues to be the law. Previously I stated here that under the Road Traffic Act it is now an offence not to carry one's driving licence when driving a car. Nonetheless we are advised by the authorities that it is unsafe to keep a driving licence in the car as the licence or car might be stolen. Therefore, we...

Seanad: Order of Business. (15 Dec 2004)

Joe O'Toole: It was raised yesterday in the context of a Bill and the Minister of State said it could not be done as the Government was trying to get European co-operation to do this. Members will be aware that it took 20 years to get agreement on a common European passport and the colour alone took years. Of course a European standard licence should be agreed. However, in the meantime we should have a...

Seanad: Order of Business. (15 Dec 2004)

Joe O'Toole: I did not respond to the Minister of State when he seemed to give the impression that it could not be done because he was having meetings in Europe, which might go on for ten years. However, I accept your ruling, a Chathaoirligh. I ask that my request be put to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform with a view to getting his thoughts on the matter. We have had much discussion in...

Seanad: Health Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Joe O'Toole: It is not being addressed at all.

Seanad: Health Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Joe O'Toole: With all due respect to the Minister of State, his replies are unclear. I thought the matter was clear at the beginning but it is becoming more confused. That is the case with regard to the issue of what facilitation means and the points that were raised about the shortage of therapists. I have said before that there is a shortage of doctors. From examining what has happened, we know that the...

Seanad: Health Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Joe O'Toole: If they do not, we have been wasting a lot of time on the issue. The Minister of State is saying "No" to that point.

Seanad: Health Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Joe O'Toole: The Minister of State led us on that track, with all due respect.