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

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (20 Mar 2003)

Joe O'Toole: I will vote against this repressive legislation. I hope that it will be better when it returns from the Lower House.

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (20 Mar 2003)

Joe O'Toole: The Minister will like the next part. I listened with great interest to Senator Ryan saying the legislation will be reversed. I have heard this many times before in the House, although not from Senator Ryan. I was a Member of the House when the votes of a few Independent Members increased the number of Ministers of State from 15 to 17 or 17 to 19, whatever the figure was, and Fianna Fáil...

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (20 Mar 2003)

Joe O'Toole: I offered odds of 17 to 15 against it ever doing that. I was also Member of the House when the Road Traffic Bill was being debated and Fine Gael was in Opposition. When Fianna Fáil fell over the small fences and the Government changed without an election, Fine Gael, which had been opposed to the Bill, the points system and people having to carry their licence when driving, became a party of...

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (20 Mar 2003)

Joe O'Toole: If there is a reversal when a change of Government comes about, it will be the first occasion on which something of that nature will have happened. It will be a great thing to see. This is poor legislation in the main, although it has good points. It gives a bad impression of politics and feeds the cynics. I hope the Minister gives it some thought and that, when he returns with it to the...

Seanad: Tributes to Deputy Head Usher of the Houses of the Oireachtas. (20 Mar 2003)

Joe O'Toole: It gives me great pleasure to add a few words to what has been said. When I was first elected in 1987, Tony was the first person who greeted me with "Hello, Senator." I looked around to see to whom he was talking. From that time he has always been helpful, supportive and, as the Leader has said, unfailingly courteous – sometimes to the point of deference. He has always been utterly...

Seanad: Order of Business. (13 Mar 2003)

Joe O'Toole: I welcome the decision of the Leader of the House and thank her for it. It reflects a correct assessment of the need for proper participation in the democratic process. I found the debate on the Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill this week excruciating due to the manner in which it exposed contradictions in the Government's approach. This move will give the House an opportunity to...

Seanad: Order of Business. (12 Mar 2003)

Joe O'Toole: I concur with everything Senator Brian Hayes has just said. It is important to recognise that, in terms of how we do our business, as Senator Leyden said many times yesterday, this situation is unprecedented. We have found that the Government was hiding from us information issued by the Information Commissioner. The Government is opposed to that information being made available to us and we...

Seanad: Order of Business. (12 Mar 2003)

Joe O'Toole: That is very helpful. Although I would have much preferred to move the motion and may do so at another time, it is crucially important for fair-minded and serious legislators and public representatives on all sides of the House to have the opportunity of stating their views as to whether we should engage in deep legislative consideration without having access to information. Undoubtedly, any...

Seanad: Order of Business. (12 Mar 2003)

Joe O'Toole: I know Senators on the Government side are embarrassed.

Seanad: Order of Business. (12 Mar 2003)

Joe O'Toole: I am sorry they are being mistreated by their manipulators.

Seanad: Order of Business. (12 Mar 2003)

Joe O'Toole: I accept that. I now propose that, as No. 1, we take statements on the issue of yesterday's report from the Information Commissioner, expressing our appreciation – or otherwise – on that issue. That is my proposal. On the matter raised by the Leader in respect of major sporting events, that was one of the reasons I wanted those easily available when I raised this issue a few weeks ago. I...

Seanad: Order of Business. (12 Mar 2003)

Joe O'Toole: On a technical issue in that regard, we need to know whether it is a statutory instrument or a ministerial order and whether it is a decision taken on the basis of a decision prior to a debate in the House or one which can be rescinded within 21 sitting days. We need to be aware of those issues before we can make decisions about taking it without debate. If it is a matter requiring a...

Seanad: Order of Business. (12 Mar 2003)

Joe O'Toole: —and I hope people will at least take account of our views. Nobody can control the voices of those on the other side of the House, even if their votes can be controlled. At least, they are free to speak and I look forward to hearing their support on this issue.

Seanad: Order of Business. (12 Mar 2003)

Joe O'Toole: Is the Leader accepting Senator Hayes's amendment?

Seanad: Order of Business. (12 Mar 2003)

Joe O'Toole: I wish to raise a point of order. Senator Norris was very careful not to criticise, in any way, the Minister of State personally. He said the Minister of State was from another Department, did not have information to hand and that information was not available. That is correct. There was silence yesterday afternoon while the Minister of State consulted his advisers who did not have the answers.

Seanad: Order of Business. (12 Mar 2003)

Joe O'Toole: Having consulted with Senator Callanan, I have to press it. Amendment put: "That statements on the report of the Information Commissioner, which was received yesterday, be inserted before No.1." Tá

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (12 Mar 2003)

Joe O'Toole: I agree with Senator Higgins's assessment. Effectively, for the first time in three days, the Government side is right about an argument. I happen to agree with what Senator Mansergh is saying. I said the same thing in 1997 when I considered that five years was too short a period and I still believe that to be the case. I support the amendment for the reasons given by Senator O'Meara, namely,...

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (12 Mar 2003)

Joe O'Toole: What she was saying today on "Morning Ireland" was significantly different from the views the Minister of State attributed to her last night.

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (12 Mar 2003)

Joe O'Toole: I move amendment No. 10: In page 9, line 40 to delete subsection (d). The amendment addresses the need for the Government to consult party leaders before taking certain decisions. Its acceptance would ensure a degree of consultation would take place with those who were Ministers during the period to which a specific request related. Earlier Senator O'Rourke reflected the thinking behind...

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (12 Mar 2003)

Joe O'Toole: We might be prepared to accept the Minister of State's position if he accepted Ms McDonagh's advice on both issues. Now that this side has been forced to accept it on one issue, will he be consistent and accept it on a second? Senator Leyden likes consistent behaviour.