Results 481-500 of 4,608 for speaker:Joe O'Toole

Seanad: Order of Business. (31 Mar 2010)

Joe O'Toole: It ill behoves anybody to cast aspersions on anybody in the middle of all this. I perfectly understand the views of the Opposition parties. I recognise the responsibility of Ministers and other politicians in this regard. I recall that we welcomed the appointment of the new Governor and expressed trust and confidence in him. I recall that we welcomed the appointment of the new Financial...

Seanad: Order of Business. (31 Mar 2010)

Joe O'Toole: I am not saying this in an oppositional way. Nobody can claim to be right on this issue. People have to indicate how they came to form a judgment on it. As I see it, the winding down of Anglo Irish Bank would cost as much as the recapitalisation of the bank. The difference with recapitalisation is that we still have a bank at the end of it.

Seanad: Order of Business. (31 Mar 2010)

Joe O'Toole: People can argue all they want. It may be the case that other Senators are right and I am wrong. I do not think people on this side of the House are more honest than people on the other side of the House.

Seanad: Order of Business. (31 Mar 2010)

Joe O'Toole: I do not believe that to be the case.

Seanad: Order of Business. (31 Mar 2010)

Joe O'Toole: People have to make the best judgment as they go along. The reality is that if we let the bank die, it will have an impact on funds and savings, on our international reputation and on the cost of future borrowing. These are real things. I may well be wrong about it, but I can understand the Government's position. I will support the Government's position, with extraordinary reluctance, for...

Seanad: Order of Business. (31 Mar 2010)

Joe O'Toole: Before Senators get too enthusiastic, I remind them that all parties have been in government since then. Many of us, including the Leader, have worked to reduce the cost of insurance. Why has nobody stopped this 2% levy?

Seanad: Order of Business. (31 Mar 2010)

Joe O'Toole: The reality is the cost of the black hole caused by the collapse of PMPA has been well paid for. Questions have to be asked about why we are still paying the levy.

Seanad: Order of Business. (31 Mar 2010)

Joe O'Toole: Yes.

Seanad: Lost at Scheme: Motion. (31 Mar 2010)

Joe O'Toole: That is right.

Seanad: Lost at Scheme: Motion. (31 Mar 2010)

Joe O'Toole: I welcome the Minister of State and wish him well in his Ministry. I have no doubt he will make a significant input to it. I have been involved with this legislation since it was presented as a Bill and have seen it changed time and again. My interest in the issue is not driven by the actual events as much as by the way we are processing the matter. The Government amendment is the most...

Seanad: Lost at Scheme: Motion. (31 Mar 2010)

Joe O'Toole: I acknowledge that it is a matter for the Houses of the Oireachtas and their committees to order their business, but we send them stuff every week. Nothing has more of a precedent than what is being proposed. I will not get involved in the politics of the matter. When it was last debated in the Chamber, there was, equally, no mention of politics. It is not an issue for me whether someone...

Seanad: Order of Business. (30 Mar 2010)

Joe O'Toole: For the last six months, a number of us here have been calling for everybody to move in the same direction to deal with the economy, and I refer in particular to the social partners. Senator Marc MacSharry has raised this many times and Senator Buttimer has done so as well. It is good to acknowledge the progress that has been made today. It is discouraging to hear the response from the...

Seanad: Order of Business. (25 Mar 2010)

Joe O'Toole: On a point of order, Senator Bacik introduced a year ago-----

Seanad: Order of Business. (25 Mar 2010)

Joe O'Toole: ------with the full support of all Members on this side of the House a Bill dealing with this issue.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2010 (Certified Money Bill): Committee Stage. (25 Mar 2010)

Joe O'Toole: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2010 (Certified Money Bill): Committee Stage. (25 Mar 2010)

Joe O'Toole: I also welcome the Minister and, with the indulgence of the Chair, echo the points made by Senator Alex White. I had already made the same points on the Order of Business today. We might have a debate some day on the Constitution in order that outsiders might learn something about the importance of the Cabinet, membership of it and how it is a collective decision making process. It is the...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2010 (Certified Money Bill): Committee Stage. (25 Mar 2010)

Joe O'Toole: On a point of order, I concur completely. I read the Standing Order and I cannot see the difficulty. We may be missing something. I cannot see how recommendation No. 2, which calls for a report on a form of taxation raises the question of a potential charge on the people or State. I do not see it. The Cathaoirleach may have made an error. It may have been misread. A casual reading of...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2010 (Certified Money Bill): Committee Stage. (25 Mar 2010)

Joe O'Toole: On a point of order, I do want to be awkward but this is an error. This is the same idea. The Sinn Féin recommendation refers to the need to examine the introduction of a stimulus package. Can somebody tell us from where the charge comes? I am not comfortable with challenging the rulings of the Chair; it is not something which is done lightly. Would the Cathaoirleach at least undertake...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2010 (Certified Money Bill): Committee Stage. (25 Mar 2010)

Joe O'Toole: This is an idea that is worth exploring and I completely support it.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2010 (Certified Money Bill): Committee Stage. (25 Mar 2010)

Joe O'Toole: I move recommendation No. 5: In page 13, before section 4, but in Chapter 3, to insert the following new section: "4.—The Principal Act is amended— (a) in section 238(2) by the insertion after "yearly interest of money" of "and apart from any period payments made to a plaintiff by means of compensation or damages for any wrong or injury referred suffered by an individual in his or her...