Results 1,721-1,740 of 4,608 for speaker:Joe O'Toole

Seanad: WTO Negotiations: Statements (Resumed) (21 May 2008)

Joe O'Toole: Hear, hear.

Seanad: WTO Negotiations: Statements (Resumed) (21 May 2008)

Joe O'Toole: I wish to share time with Senator Norris.

Seanad: WTO Negotiations: Statements (Resumed) (21 May 2008)

Joe O'Toole: Go raibh míle maith agat. Ar an gcéad dul síos ba mhaith liom a rá leis an Aire nua comhgairdeachas as ucht a phost nua a fháil agus de bharr seo a bheith ina bhall den Rialtas nua. It is well deserved for a diligent hardworking politician and I congratulate the Minister. I look forward to him doing well. Like the previous speaker, I also listened to the Minister on "Farm Week" which,...

Seanad: WTO Negotiations: Statements (Resumed) (21 May 2008)

Joe O'Toole: I do not blame the Government for this. This is not a political point. With my trade union background, if I had to face into negotiations where the people I represented were paid less now for labour than they were five, six or seven years ago, I would kick the door off the hinges on the way in and no one would leave until we had a deal. I have great sympathy for the farmers in this matter....

Seanad: Order of Business (21 May 2008)

Joe O'Toole: We have all of July.

Seanad: Order of Business (21 May 2008)

Joe O'Toole: I refer to the issue of public private partnerships, which I have defended and proposed on many occasions. I have looked for details regarding the regeneration projects in Dublin but cannot find any, which is why I am raising the matter in the House. I ask the Leader to provide Members with information or invite the appropriate Minister to the House. My understanding is that decisions on...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 May 2008)

Joe O'Toole: I advise the Leader that is an important position to articulate on behalf of the House. The House should indicate that we do not consider the President should have a role in this regard, that it appreciates she has been put in an embarrassing position and that we expect her simply to park that rogue correspondence.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 May 2008)

Joe O'Toole: It was interesting to hear the debate on the hijab taking place in other fora during the past week. As a young child in Dingle, I recall that our teachers, who were nuns, were veiled. At that time when women went to church, they always covered their heads with a hat, mantilla or a veil. It was accepted as normal practice. I make that point because the question of the wearing of the hijab...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 May 2008)

Joe O'Toole: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (15 May 2008)

Joe O'Toole: The Leader will sell those houses yet.

Seanad: Order of Business (15 May 2008)

Joe O'Toole: In recent days the Taoiseach raised issues regarding the delivery of public service. These comments have been interpreted in the newspapers as anti-public service or anti-public service unions. I do not see them in that way. The issues raised by the Taoiseach are genuine. How we deal with them is the question. No one in the leadership of the trade union movement would have a difficulty...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 May 2008)

Joe O'Toole: On a point of order, Members should wait for the Leader's reply. The Leader in the past two days has told the House there is a debate and an all-party motion on Burma next Tuesday. It happens all the time that Members raise issues on the Order of Business, do not wait for the reply and then raise them again two days later. It is just——

Seanad: Legal Practitioners (Irish Language) Bill 2007: Second Stage (14 May 2008)

Joe O'Toole: Ba mhaith liom, chomh maith, fáilte a chur roimh an Aire Stáit nua agus comhghairdeas a ghabháil leis. Go n-éirí go maith leis ina jab nua. Cuirim fáilte ar leith roimh an mBille seo. Is mór an trua é go bhfuil an tAire, an Teachta Ó Cuív, imithe. Tá mé chun rud a rá anois nach bhfuil ráite agam le fada — go n-aontaím 100% leis an méid atá á mholadh aige inniu. Is...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 May 2008)

Joe O'Toole: Tacaím go mór leis an méid atá ráite ag an Seanadóir Frances Fitzgerald, go mórmhór mar gheall ar an Ghaelainn. Gan amhras, d'iarr mé go mbeadh díospóireacht ar an Ghaelainn cúpla seachtain ó shin. At that stage the Leader indicated he would be happy to have a debate on Irish language development. Ba mhaith liom go mór go ndéanfá sin. Tá sé thar a bheith tábhachtach ag...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 May 2008)

Joe O'Toole: That is okay. There was a commitment to have a debate on Burma next Tuesday. I expected to see the motion on the Order Paper today. Can we expect to see it tomorrow? Some who are against the European treaty might consider an aspect of European foreign policy with which they might agree. Individuals such as I, who support the treaty, would be very opposed to President Sarkozy and all he...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 May 2008)

Joe O'Toole: I thank the Cathaoirleach. Is it a matter that could be agreed upon at some stage?

Seanad: Order of Business (14 May 2008)

Joe O'Toole: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (13 May 2008)

Joe O'Toole: Cover to cover.

Seanad: Order of Business (13 May 2008)

Joe O'Toole: Senator Fitzgerald's point on the World Trade Organisation and farmers' attitudes towards the Lisbon treaty is something to which we should return. As I understand it, that debate remains to be continued. As parliamentarians and elected public representatives, we should keep a close watch on this. I was in France when the referendum on the European constitution was held and on the evening...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 May 2008)

Joe O'Toole: ——and we have to respect their positions and live with those. Similarly with health and hospital lobby groups, whatever the cost politically we all should have the courage to say that it is unfair, unacceptable and unpatriotic of people to use local issues to use the State as a hostage to fortune in the future. Whatever their views, people should champion their issues for the good of...