Results 241-260 of 4,608 for speaker:Joe O'Toole

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: That is fine. Amendment No. 7 relates to a matter that goes to the heart of the rural postal service. Section 16 states that universal postal services means"that on every working day, except in such circumstances or geographical conditions as the Commission considers to be exceptional, there is at least ... one delivery to the home or premises of every person in the State [everyone agrees...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: The Minister has made a valid point. It is not a service of delivery but of transport. It makes sense to accept the point he make in the two amendments.

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: I move amendment No. 4: In page 16, line 7, after "Directive" to insert ", unless otherwise determined by the Minister". This amendment concerns the involvement of the Minister in the consideration of directives. The reason for it relates to our experience in other places. I would like the Minister to think back over the discussions we have had in the past couple of years on issues such as...

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: Come on, Senator. This is just absolutely-----

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: This award relates to music.

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: While it is a good reflection on what has happened in the time which has passed, I remember some 20 years ago seconding a motion tabled by my colleague, Senator Norris, on the importance of dealing with on AIDS. There was a big question at the time as to whether politicians should even be discussing the issue. This was the first House to discuss it. At the time many Members were...

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: This is no reflection on the Minister of State who made good points but we either put a time limit on the speeches of Ministers or we do not count it as Private Members' time in terms of the two hours allocated.

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: We should do one or the other. Ministers are used to time limits, just like everybody else. It should be, say, a 15 minute slot, or else the time taken by a Minister should be added to the two hours allocated for Private Members' time. I gently correct the Leader, as there is a slight contradiction in what was proposed. He said Committee and Remaining Stages of the Communications...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Nov 2010)

Joe O'Toole: I congratulate former Senator Pearse Doherty on his election. It is important that the House does so. Perhaps it would be better to avoid mentioning that the main Government party came third in the by-election. In light of comments made in the House last week, including by Senator Paul Bradford, I congratulate the ICTU on organising an effective, responsible and civic-minded demonstration...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Nov 2010)

Joe O'Toole: On a point of order, I wish to object on two grounds. First, a Senator is required to declare a conflict of interest when making these kinds of points. Second, this is a matter before the courts. I would be very happy to discuss it otherwise. Raising it here is completely out of order. This is an example of riding roughshod over the rules of the House.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (30 Nov 2010)

Joe O'Toole: Will we have it by Thursday?

Seanad: North-South Co-operation on Sex Offenders: Statements (30 Nov 2010)

Joe O'Toole: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Barry Andrews, and acknowledge the good work he has done in this area since his appointment. However, I do not share the same kind of enthusiasm expressed by certain other groups in respect of the matters to which he refers. My great hope for the British-Irish Agreement and the commitment to shadow legislation was that the area which we are discussing...

Seanad: Renewable Energy: Statements (25 Nov 2010)

Joe O'Toole: Never.

Seanad: Renewable Energy: Statements (25 Nov 2010)

Joe O'Toole: I welcome the Minister of State. He and I soldiered together on the Joint Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security for some time. The committee still has not made any progress with this recalcitrant Government which refuses to accept the two legislative measures the Minister of State and I struggled hard to draft. Perhaps he will outline our current position with regard to climate...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Nov 2010)

Joe O'Toole: The issue raised by Fine Gael is one I have raised before. We should be aware of this and it should discussed here next week in the Croke Park agreement debate. There are 32 local authorities replicating each others' work in grant applications and college fees. There are then 32 different places sending cheques to different colleges. The students then go to the college authorities, prove...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Nov 2010)

Joe O'Toole: Hear, hear.

Seanad: National Recovery Plan 2011-2014: Statements (24 Nov 2010)

Joe O'Toole: I could speak about special needs assistants, school secretaries and so on. They are important, but no one would deny that school secretarial and caretaker staff give bang for their buck. I wish to make two more points about education. I am sorry about the reduction in the capitation grant for primary schools, although I can see from where it is coming. The amount is not being taken from...

Seanad: National Recovery Plan 2011-2014: Statements (24 Nov 2010)

Joe O'Toole: This is an important document at which we must look in a level-headed way and to which we should try to take a balanced approach. I congratulate the Minister of State for what he said, that he wanted to hear from Members and that extra time had been provided for a response. I have no doubt he will return to this later. After we finish discussing this, it is important we have another day's...

Seanad: National Recovery Plan 2011-2014: Statements (24 Nov 2010)

Joe O'Toole: The points I am making are important to the people on the ground. Public servants believe they are being hammered in all sorts of ways by every commentator. When debating the health service, people discuss the significant administrative burden. Senator MacSharry is a good example and I tend to agree with him. However, every time someone makes that point, he or she should also consider...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Nov 2010)

Joe O'Toole: People say that we should not play the blame game but it must be played to learn from it. The Honohan report on banking outlined the level of responsibility the Government should take. It is not 100% and that balance needs to be reflected in the debate.