Results 1,961-1,980 of 4,608 for speaker:Joe O'Toole

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2007)

Joe O'Toole: Much as I admire the Minister and defer to his greater level of knowledge on the Constitution and matters parliamentary, I have to gently correct him on a number of issues. Despite the fact that Senator Norris agreed with him that the Seanad is continuous, this is an incorrect belief.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2007)

Joe O'Toole: I beg the Senator's pardon. The Seanad in not continuous; it may be continual, which I doubt, but it certainly is not continuous. This is the reason we describe it as the "new" Seanad and the reason each new Seanad is given a new number.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2007)

Joe O'Toole: This Seanad is a new body. The House agreed for the Bill to be reinstated, as the Minister said, but in practical terms there are 35 Members who have never seen this Bill before. I supported the Bill and voted for it in the last Seanad and I still support it even though I will support many of Senator Norris's amendments because they will improve it. The Minister has an extraordinary way of...

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2007)

Joe O'Toole: I ask for a certain amount of leeway. Members should be permitted to make points. It is a parliamentary convention rather than a rule that Members table amendments on Committee Stage which reflect and follow on from the points made on Second Stage. In this case, 35 out of 60 Members do not have this opportunity. It would be a gentle and open decision to allow a wider debate.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2007)

Joe O'Toole: The Minister should note that an important issue arises in this regard, which reverberates with the issue of provisional licences. While I had intended to raise this matter in the debate on section 1, all Bills that contain a variety of commencement dates should include a covering statement, namely, provided that the Act will be commenced fully by a particular date. An issue comes into...

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2007)

Joe O'Toole: I appreciate very much the response the Minister gave on the timelines. I would be much reassured to have a "not later than" date or a commencement date introduced on Report Stage. I have a very good reason for doing this. On two occasions in the past year I have come across legislation where a Minister exercised a power under a subsection but where there was a qualification to that...

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2007)

Joe O'Toole: I appreciate that.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Dec 2007)

Joe O'Toole: On a point of order, the screen shows 30 voting "Tá".

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Dec 2007)

Joe O'Toole: I wish to bring to the attention of the House a well-produced document on social and economic indicators from the Oireachtas Library and Research Service. This is the kind of document that would cost a lot of money in the private sector. It is superb and the people who prepared it should understand we appreciate it is an outstanding piece of work. I bring it to the attention of the House...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Dec 2007)

Joe O'Toole: The votes may be transferable next time.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Dec 2007)

Joe O'Toole: Hear, hear. It was a public service well done.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Dec 2007)

Joe O'Toole: We might also congratulate the teachers.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Dec 2007)

Joe O'Toole: The Minister might be left until last.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Nov 2007)

Joe O'Toole: There is a bit of help for Senator McFadden.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Nov 2007)

Joe O'Toole: Set that to music.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Nov 2007)

Joe O'Toole: Senator Fitzgerald's point on grants is certainly worth considering. We should remind ourselves that last week we raised with the Minister for Education and Science the fact that we expect management grants for primary schools to be doubled, as was indicated or promised at the Fianna Fáil Ard-Fheis. We expect this to be announced next week. We have recently raised the question of ethos....

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Nov 2007)

Joe O'Toole: That is outrageous. The job of the trade unions is not to preserve inefficiencies. They have led the charge against inefficiency in the public service.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Nov 2007)

Joe O'Toole: One should sack those who do not do their work.

Seanad: Report on Seanad Reform: Motion (28 Nov 2007)

Joe O'Toole: Good man. That is very polite of him.

Seanad: Report on Seanad Reform: Motion (28 Nov 2007)

Joe O'Toole: Hear, hear.