Results 21-40 of 4,608 for speaker:Joe O'Toole

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Mar 2011)

Joe O'Toole: In dealing with the banks, as many on both sides of the House have stated in the past few months, €50 billion, €60 billion or €70 billion of the money we are paying back is going to German and French banks. Of course, they do not want us to default or see a rescheduling, as it would not be in the interests of their people. Chancellor Merkel faces four or five Lånder elections between...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Mar 2011)

Joe O'Toole: It is all about perspective.

Seanad: Mental Health (Involuntary Procedures) (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Mar 2011)

Joe O'Toole: That is not correct.

Seanad: Mental Health (Involuntary Procedures) (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Mar 2011)

Joe O'Toole: I wish to add to my earlier contribution. With all due respect to Senator Prendergast, whom I know is very committed, she undermined her own argument. It may well be the case that relatives and other people should be consulted but in her contribution she made it quite clear that she was only referring to two consultants. In 2007, my former colleague, Dr. Mary Henry, and I put forward a...

Seanad: Mental Health (Involuntary Procedures) (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Mar 2011)

Joe O'Toole: As the Senator well knows.

Seanad: Programme for Government: Motion (23 Mar 2011)

Joe O'Toole: I thank the Minister for staying in the House for the entire debate. I ask him to take three points away with him for discussion in higher places. First, it would be worthwhile if every three months the Seanad carried out a similar assessment to that requested from other public bodies in regard to the progress made on the programme for Government. On the basis of what the Minister has...

Seanad: Mental Health (Involuntary Procedures) (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Mar 2011)

Joe O'Toole: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch. I am delighted for her and wish her well in her new position. I know she will work to the best of her ability. I have full confidence that she will give her best judgment as she goes along. I am pleased to be discussing this Bill. It is important that state exactly what we are talking about. Senator Boyle's proposal, with which I...

Seanad: Mental Health (Involuntary Procedures) (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Mar 2011)

Joe O'Toole: Sorry——

Seanad: Mental Health (Involuntary Procedures) (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Mar 2011)

Joe O'Toole: Section 1 proposes to delete section 58 of the Act. That is what is being proposed. As there are some conflicting amendments, I want to be absolutely clear. We have moved well beyond psycho-surgery, lobotomy and so on. There are many who are concerned about such procedures and this has a negative impact on the perception of mental health issues. We, therefore, need to be seen to take a...

Seanad: Mental Health (Involuntary Procedures) (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Mar 2011)

Joe O'Toole: No.

Seanad: Mental Health (Involuntary Procedures) (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Mar 2011)

Joe O'Toole: I have read much of the literature on ECT and I have seen the arguments for and against it. I do not make a value judgment on ECT. I support this matter for another reason, which concerns rights and how we make decisions. The item of legislation we are proposing to remove protects doctors and ignores patients.

Seanad: Mental Health (Involuntary Procedures) (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Mar 2011)

Joe O'Toole: I do not oppose the points made by Senator Harris. ECT has worked for some people and not for others. In the same way as a tooth extraction or chemotherapy, people make decisions on all areas and that is the issue that concerns me. This is the classic example of protecting the profession and ignoring the receptor. I am a professional in a different profession. We should not allow this to...

Seanad: Mental Health (Involuntary Procedures) (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Mar 2011)

Joe O'Toole: This is true. Allow me to restate.

Seanad: Mental Health (Involuntary Procedures) (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Mar 2011)

Joe O'Toole: While this is an imperfect argument that we are putting forward, I could come up with the perfect result. I will explain it shortly. We must deal with the issue raised by Senator Harris when we reach a situation that the best thing for a person is a particular treatment and the person does not want it. That happens every week in hospitals. A doctor might ask a patient to take a course of...

Seanad: Programme for Government: Motion (23 Mar 2011)

Joe O'Toole: I move: That Seanad Éireann notes the programme for Government recently agreed by the Government parties. I welcome the Minister and appreciate that he has made himself available to participate in this important debate. I would like to share my time with Senator Harris.

Seanad: Programme for Government: Motion (23 Mar 2011)

Joe O'Toole: It is easy to take a cynical view of programmes for Government. This is a very positive programme for Government and the real issue is whether it will be delivered upon. As it contains too much to address in a five-minute slot, I wish to deal with a number of issues which I ask the Minister to take back and consider closely. Shared decision making, dealing with quangos and cloud computing...

Seanad: Programme for Government: Motion (23 Mar 2011)

Joe O'Toole: I am also attracted to the NewERA document. The Minister will be met with cynicism on this issue, which he will have to ride out. The document refers to important issues, some of which the previous Government was also considering, including a smart grid combining EirGrid and the gas network, which could be extraordinarily powerful. EirGrid is the single most important and crucial link in...

Seanad: Programme for Government: Motion (23 Mar 2011)

Joe O'Toole: We do not apply the restrictions applied in the Dáil.

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Mar 2011)

Joe O'Toole: I support the points offered in congratulating our colleagues elected to the other House. People often speak about Senators being elected to the Dáil. The vast majority of the people elected to the Dáil from this House are people who would have worked diligently as Senators in here and in their constituency. I do not have a problem with Senators being elected to the Dáil but when in the...

Seanad: Construction Contracts Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Mar 2011)

Joe O'Toole: It is a rare occasion on which I agree with Senator Walsh but we agree this time. I see the Minister of State's advisers smiling but I hate the phrase "on such a day as the Minister may so appoint." I am of the old school and believe an Act should come into operation when it is passed by the Oireachtas and signed by the President. A Minister should not have any further function in signing...