Results 1,841-1,860 of 4,608 for speaker:Joe O'Toole

Seanad: Fairtrade: Statements (4 Mar 2008)

Joe O'Toole: I welcome the Minister of State and congratulate him on his good work in drawing attention to various aspects of Third World development and his openness to meeting various groups. It is very encouraging to many of us who are involved in various Third World and developing world initiatives and related matters that the Minister of State makes himself available to meet people and tries to see...

Seanad: Order of Business. (4 Mar 2008)

Joe O'Toole: As a member of the committee referred to by Senator Fitzgerald, I am a solid supporter of its Chairman, Deputy Cregan and will defend his right to the death to say what he has to say. However, the letter does not represent the views of the committee and this should be corrected. The committee should not be drawn into the personal views he is entitled to hold and the criticisms he is...

Seanad: Order of Business. (4 Mar 2008)

Joe O'Toole: This is a serious issue. With the costs of maintaining helicopters and changing planes, one must have some level of sympathy for them.

Seanad: Order of Business. (4 Mar 2008)

Joe O'Toole: This is a serious issue, particularly with the recent demand from the CIF that construction workers should take a 30% drop in salary and agree to a pay-freeze for the foreseeable future. We should give this serious consideration because the workers in the construction industry, ungrateful wretches that they are, have shown little consideration for the hardship reduced profits have forced upon...

Seanad: Order of Business. (4 Mar 2008)

Joe O'Toole: The construction industry is an issue. Over the past five years the Seanad has debated difficulties with the construction industry, first-time buyers being screwed and their parents being oppressed, suppressed and being taken advantage of by profiteering, greedy and grasping builders. The builders now have the cheek to tell us that the people working for them should take a reduction in...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Feb 2008)

Joe O'Toole: I will also speak on a point raised by Senator Fitzgerald, the funding of primary schools. It is a good time to remind the House this Government promised during the election that the capitation grant for primary schools would be doubled but this has not happened. This is the outcome. Parents and teachers met around the country, organised by the INTO, prior to the last election. Meeting...

Seanad: Civil Marriage: Motion (27 Feb 2008)

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

Seanad: Civil Marriage: Motion (27 Feb 2008)

Joe O'Toole: Tá an díospóireacht atá ar siúl againn anocht thar a bheith tábhachtach. Caithfidh mé a rá go raibh an méid a dúirt an Seanadóir Ó Murchú as thoughtful as ever.

Seanad: Civil Marriage: Motion (27 Feb 2008)

Joe O'Toole: I acknowledge the important points he has made. B'fhéidir nach n-aontaím le gach rud atá ráite aige, ach tuigim an tábhacht a bhaineann le mór-chuid dá bhfocail. Tá sé thar a bheith tábhachtach go bhfuil sé sin ráite againn anocht. I welcome the Minister of State to the House. These issues are important. When I first came to Dublin I did not understand the issues of equality...

Seanad: Civil Marriage: Motion (27 Feb 2008)

Joe O'Toole: I do not always agree with everything he says and I have taken issue with some of the matters he has tabled tonight but that is not the point because I believe these issues should be discussed. I always think of these debates in terms of how the loyal, perhaps Christian, honest, gay citizen of Ireland hears this debate. Do people feel we are representing that person here? Senator Ó...

Seanad: National Waste Strategy: Statements (Resumed) (27 Feb 2008)

Joe O'Toole: I ask the Minister to speak about volume and weight.

Seanad: National Waste Strategy: Statements (Resumed) (27 Feb 2008)

Joe O'Toole: The last time I checked, Mayo and Kerry county councils did not operate volume or weight based systems. That was last year, however.

Seanad: Coast Guard Stations: Statements (Resumed). (27 Feb 2008)

Joe O'Toole: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Coast Guard Stations: Statements (Resumed). (27 Feb 2008)

Joe O'Toole: That is the Senator's quote now.

Seanad: Coast Guard Stations: Statements (Resumed). (27 Feb 2008)

Joe O'Toole: I think the Senator will be voting with us. He is saying all the right things.

Seanad: Coast Guard Stations: Statements (Resumed). (27 Feb 2008)

Joe O'Toole: I wish to share my time equally with Senator Doherty.

Seanad: Coast Guard Stations: Statements (Resumed). (27 Feb 2008)

Joe O'Toole: The two previous speakers, who also hail from County Kerry, have discussed much of the detail on this issue. Consequently, I will make some broader points and will focus on some narrower ones thereafter. The saddest thing about the congregation of Members for this debate, with the honourable exception of Senator Paschal Donohoe, is that it reflects all that is wrong with regional...

Seanad: National Waste Strategy: Statements (Resumed) (27 Feb 2008)

Joe O'Toole: I welcome the Minister to the House and congratulate him on his announcement yesterday regarding car emissions and registration costs. I am delighted to have the opportunity of contributing on the question of waste. If he did nothing else as Minister except to take control of a number of small issues about waste, a lot could be achieved. Before Deputy Gormley rose to the high office of...

Seanad: National Waste Strategy: Statements (Resumed) (27 Feb 2008)

Joe O'Toole: The Minister should not worry about air miles. It will be worth it because a great deal will be saved by that one trip.

Seanad: National Waste Strategy: Statements (Resumed) (27 Feb 2008)

Joe O'Toole: Hear, hear.