Results 821-840 of 4,608 for speaker:Joe O'Toole

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Nov 2009)

Joe O'Toole: There was a time not that long ago when we had these things in Ireland, but this goes back to the point made by Senator Harris yesterday. These are the issues. In all seriousness, the issue raised by Senator Fitzgerald is crucial. It has to do with the philosophical structure for political vision of the country. There was a time not that long ago when there were mutual societies, commonly...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Nov 2009)

Joe O'Toole: -----when a well known leader of a building society was in the bar every Wednesday night trying to get us to remove the section in the building societies Bill to allow it to be easier to become public limited companies. Once they become public limited companies they are into the trap outlined by Senator Fitzgerald. We need mutual societies. We tried to stop the change here; we could not get...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Nov 2009)

Joe O'Toole: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Nov 2009)

Joe O'Toole: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Nov 2009)

Joe O'Toole: There is always the GAA.

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Nov 2009)

Joe O'Toole: Under certain conditions.

Seanad: National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Committee Stage (10 Nov 2009)

Joe O'Toole: He is referring to asset management as opposed to the control of credit.

Seanad: National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Committee Stage (10 Nov 2009)

Joe O'Toole: A number of issues need to be clarified because I am certainly confused by some of the argumentation to date. It comes back to the fact that people are referring to banks acting in the public interest. Section 210 contains a reference to guidelines but also deals with regulation and how it impacts on the market. It seems that under the provisions of the Companies Acts, banks are required...

Seanad: National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Committee Stage (10 Nov 2009)

Joe O'Toole: I raised this point in my speech on Second Stage. The Minister said then that part of the object of section 2 would be to resolve problems created by the financial crisis or facilitate the availability of credit. It may facilitate it, but it cannot actually require it. I would like the Minister to clarify this point, which cuts across the points that have been made by Senators Donohoe and...

Seanad: National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Committee Stage (10 Nov 2009)

Joe O'Toole: We hope the Minister has not gone that soft and sensitive in this day and age. The Labour Party amendment seeks to delete that couple of lines, and I think the Minister should do so. I have heard the leader of Fine Gael talking about reducing the number of Oireachtas committees. The job of overseeing NAMA would be better done either by the Committee of Public Accounts, the Committee on...

Seanad: National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Committee Stage (10 Nov 2009)

Joe O'Toole: There was a news report during the summer that the Minister had proposed to the Cabinet that it be Deputy Richard Bruton or Deputy Pat Rabbitte.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Nov 2009)

Joe O'Toole: That is not actually what he said.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Nov 2009)

Joe O'Toole: No, they do not.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Nov 2009)

Joe O'Toole: On a point of order, to avoid the need to ask other questions on the Order of Business, will the Leader clarify where he stands on the debate on social partnership with various persons being invited along the lines of his recent meeting?

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Nov 2009)

Joe O'Toole: It is interesting to hear the songs from offstage on the issue of how the Government is approaching the budget. It was also interesting to hear the Minister for Social and Family Affairs talk about a three tier approach to certain aspects of social welfare on the same day we are told the EU is considering giving Ireland a fourth year to get its finances below the 3% budget deficit. As I...

Seanad: National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Second Stage (9 Nov 2009)

Joe O'Toole: It was as an objective of NAMA about which I said was sceptical.

Seanad: National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Second Stage (9 Nov 2009)

Joe O'Toole: It was a consequence as opposed to an objective.

Seanad: National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Second Stage (9 Nov 2009)

Joe O'Toole: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Pat Carey. I hope he is enjoying the debate which is slightly more informative than what he might have heard in the other House. It is interesting to hear the point made by previous speakers who asked whether there were alternatives or whether this was the only game in town. It is not true to say that this is the only game in town. A number of other...

Seanad: National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Second Stage (9 Nov 2009)

Joe O'Toole: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Nov 2009)

Joe O'Toole: Unlike my esteemed colleague, Senator Fitzgerald, I welcome the Taoiseach's statement over the weekend. It was called for, measured and people listened and paid attention to it. He has got himself into the driving seat to ensure he will push and deliver on public sector reform. It was an important statement and one that now allows him to follow his own agenda and the wider agenda, in that...