Results 521-540 of 4,608 for speaker:Joe O'Toole

Seanad: Finance Bill 2010 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage. (24 Mar 2010)

Joe O'Toole: On a point of order, that is incorrect. It was signed off by various committees from the Government.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2010 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage. (24 Mar 2010)

Joe O'Toole: He did not. On a point of order, that is also incorrect.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2010 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage. (24 Mar 2010)

Joe O'Toole: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Power. We tend to meet at times when I have difficult amendments to deal with, and I have another one today. Before I get to that point I wish like to explain that it is no wonder the media get it wrong when one hears a spokesman for a Government which knew every line of the benchmarking agreement being so underinformed and unaware of what...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2010 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage. (24 Mar 2010)

Joe O'Toole: The Senator can check this if he wants.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2010 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage. (24 Mar 2010)

Joe O'Toole: That says precisely what was done. I know the Senator does not like it because it is a good story upset by the facts. He should go into journalism where he would be a big success.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2010 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage. (24 Mar 2010)

Joe O'Toole: In terms of the ATM machine, that was not a discussion about money at all. It was about the fact that regressive trade union members such as Senator Walsh, afraid of change, were worried not about the amount of money they were going to get but what they would have to do to earn that money in terms of additional productivity and reforms.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2010 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage. (24 Mar 2010)

Joe O'Toole: In doing that I explained that this was like building up credit in productivity. Once credit had been built up in a whole variety of things, a few of which I have mentioned, one could take out what one was entitled to, just as easily as one could use an ATM machine. It is very straightforward and of course the Senator does not like it because it spoils a good story.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2010 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage. (24 Mar 2010)

Joe O'Toole: He could find out what was done by walking into his local national school where he can look at the difference in terms of the promoted posts for teachers and teaching, what they had to do before benchmarking and what they have had to do since in terms of middle management. In fact, just ask the outgoing Minister who feels very strongly about this because he is arguing with Government...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2010 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage. (24 Mar 2010)

Joe O'Toole: As key performance indicators. I could go further than that, but if the Senator wants to raise a few more issues I shall bury those out of sight as well. That type of stuff reflects for me the difficulty of reform. All my life I have argued, mainly with my own people, about the difficulty of managing change, how important it is to a progressive society and what needs to be done in the...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2010 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage. (24 Mar 2010)

Joe O'Toole: It is just a matter of taking a decision.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2010 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage. (24 Mar 2010)

Joe O'Toole: The second thing is to abolish TLAC. TLAC is an internal affairs system for the promotion of higher civil servants. Higher civil servants should be promoted like anybody in a semi-State company, for instance. If help is needed for an appointments commission or whatever, it should be a normal appointments process. People I went to school with who became civil servants were among the...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2010 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage. (24 Mar 2010)

Joe O'Toole: I can assure the Senator the money was there.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2010 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage. (24 Mar 2010)

Joe O'Toole: It is funny where the term "unpaid leave" comes from. It is called short-time in the private sector and unpaid leave in the public sector. Is it not strange how politicians can take a double view on something? That is called speaking out of both sides of the mouth.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2010 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage. (24 Mar 2010)

Joe O'Toole: In the private sector when people are put on short-time and do not get paid, people understand that, but when it is done in the public sector it is called "unpaid leave" or something. Somebody might explain the difference to me. If I had been told the unpaid leave, as he called it, or short time, as I call it, was going to be more difficult than what is happening at the Passport Office, in...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2010 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage. (24 Mar 2010)

Joe O'Toole: The offer is there. They would have to work out how it is to be done, but the offer is there. To come back to the core of the Bill, I believe every joint committee should get a letter from the Taoiseach or the Minister for Finance stating that job creation in the committee's sector should be top of the agenda for the year and that the Government wants to see results and ideas coming from...

Seanad: Order of Business. (23 Mar 2010)

Joe O'Toole: It is fair to comment on what is going on in the Passport Office. As someone from a strong trade union background who has frequently voiced an opinion on such matters, I believe this action should be suspended on the grounds that it is strategically daft.

Seanad: Order of Business. (23 Mar 2010)

Joe O'Toole: I do not believe it is achieving what it sets out to achieve. Having said that, I completely agree with the objectives of the people taking industrial action. I remind the House that before Christmas many of us on this side of the Seanad and indeed some Members on the Government side such as Senator MacSharry, called for talks on a regular basis to hammer out an agreement. Many...

Seanad: Order of Business. (23 Mar 2010)

Joe O'Toole: She is right, though.

Seanad: Order of Business. (23 Mar 2010)

Joe O'Toole: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Energy (Biofuel Obligation and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Report Stage. (23 Mar 2010)

Joe O'Toole: I move amendment No. 1: In page 5, line 12, after "BIOFUEL" to insert the following: "TO SUPPORT, PROMOTE AND INCENTIVISE INDIGENOUS BIOFUELS PRODUCTION; TO INCREASE SECURITY OF SUPPLY". I welcome the Minister and congratulate him on holding his position in the Cabinet. We expect him to continue working hard on our behalf. I also congratulate his party on doing well in the reshuffle. I am...