Results 1,501-1,520 of 4,608 for speaker:Joe O'Toole

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2008)

Joe O'Toole: I second the amendment. I would like a commitment from the Leader that there will be questions and answers tomorrow. I agree with the points raised by Senator Fitzgerald. During a discussion two weeks ago on related matters, the Minister of State at the Department of Finance took questions from Members and it is difficult to go along with this change without debate. Like Senator...

Seanad: Unemployment Levels: Statements (15 Oct 2008)

Joe O'Toole: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I see the Government side is losing its appetite for debates on unemployment and the budget. However, I hope there is a full attendance at the debate on the budget later so that Members can do their duty. In terms of unemployment, the budget is regressive. There are a number of points that will create difficulty. In fairness, Senator Hanafin...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Oct 2008)

Joe O'Toole: I feel wasted. I spent one career trying to reduce class sizes and another trying to keep the minimum wage out of the tax net. In one short speech yesterday, the Minister turned on its head a large amount of good, hard, committed and energetic work done by many people over the years. It will return to haunt the Government. There is nothing wrong with the 1% and 2% income levies. Asking...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Oct 2008)

Joe O'Toole: It is very interesting to note where we find ourselves with the decisions of central banks around the world to reduce interest rates. The ordinary people of this country are discussing the point raised by Senator Fitzgerald, namely, whether the banks will pass on the benefit of the interest rate cut. It would be interesting to contextualise the debate in terms of the comments made over the...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Oct 2008)

Joe O'Toole: Let us blame the unions for the recession.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Oct 2008)

Joe O'Toole: We certainly do not.

Seanad: Primary School Funding: Motion (8 Oct 2008)

Joe O'Toole: I am not nearly as impressed with progress by the Government as the Senator.

Seanad: Primary School Funding: Motion (8 Oct 2008)

Joe O'Toole: I compliment Senator Keaveney on buying well into the chapter. I remind her that her Government talks about looking forward rather than back. What happened last year is eaten bread and is soon forgotten, despite how well it might have been received. I welcome my old friend, the Minister for Education and Science, to the House. I support the Fine Gael motion and will use the opportunity it...

Seanad: Primary School Funding: Motion (8 Oct 2008)

Joe O'Toole: We cannot understand it.

Seanad: Primary School Funding: Motion (8 Oct 2008)

Joe O'Toole: I know it is not meant to be understood, but the ordinary people of Ireland do not realise this. There are various bands and procedures. If any school could understand where it was in the process, it would be great, but this is not the case. There are two serious issues, the first of which concerns the quantum or sum of money. I am not talking about that today because, as a realist, I...

Seanad: Primary School Funding: Motion (8 Oct 2008)

Joe O'Toole: I accept the Minister's word that it is on its way.

Seanad: Primary School Funding: Motion (8 Oct 2008)

Joe O'Toole: In any case, a magic line is coming through. The Greens would not get it because they are against building, are they not?

Seanad: Primary School Funding: Motion (8 Oct 2008)

Joe O'Toole: The issue is that whatever comes through, it will not be somebody in the building section but somebody in the Department of Education and Science who will have to go through the whole process all over again. Despite this, we will not get an answer and Deputies must put down a parliamentary question or Senators must raise a matter on the Adjournment. Senator Doherty has a matter on the...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Oct 2008)

Joe O'Toole: Let us do that.

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Oct 2008)

Joe O'Toole: It is reasonable to ask for the Government to outline its position on the scheme. A commitment was given to bring in the regulation this week. While supporting the call for an explanation, I am not saying the Government should rush the delivery of the scheme. If I were in Government, I would favour examining the detail some more. However, if there has been a change of mind by the...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Oct 2008)

Joe O'Toole: There are bands which determine the order of priority of applications, there are stages of building, there are teams which are changed at will, and there is ministerial intervention built into the process without any criteria. The system is opaque and there is a lack of transparency and understanding. Will the Minister for Education and Science come to the Seanad to discuss the matter...

Seanad: Orders of Reference of Select Committee: Motion (7 Oct 2008)

Joe O'Toole: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Roche, to the House. The Minister of State knows my position on these matters.

Seanad: Orders of Reference of Select Committee: Motion (7 Oct 2008)

Joe O'Toole: That suits my comments. I see the need for a committee such as the proposed sub-committee. I look forward to proposing my colleague Senator Rónán Mullen to represent the independent group on the sub-committee. As long as we ask the people to give a single answer to seven different questions, we will never get the answer we seek. We must contrive, find, invent or develop a way to have six...

Seanad: Orders of Reference of Select Committee: Motion (7 Oct 2008)

Joe O'Toole: Yes, it is a moral question. I want to bring something to the attention of the Minister and the Department of Foreign Affairs. The way we select these people is through the Committee of Selection in both Houses. Standing Order 88 states, "There shall be appointed at the commencement of every Seanad a committee to be known as the Committee of Selection, which, unless it shall have been...

Seanad: Orders of Reference of Select Committee: Motion (7 Oct 2008)

Joe O'Toole: That is a distraction.