Results 81-100 of 4,608 for speaker:Joe O'Toole

Seanad: Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second and Subsequent Stages (20 Jan 2011)

Joe O'Toole: I welcome the Minister of State to the House to deal with important legislation to reflect changing times and attitudes. It is one of a number of areas in which we are involved globally. No fair-minded person could argue against the objectives and what is proposed in this legislation. A fair-minded person might propose it should go further but the reality is that one must take steps...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jan 2011)

Joe O'Toole: There is no question but that the House should discuss this issue, although I accept the Cathaoirleach's point that the Government is answerable to the other House. However, the political situation is causing incredulity and bemusement among ordinary people who cannot understand what is occurring. To have some knowledge, it would be useful to provide time to discuss events which we should...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jan 2011)

Joe O'Toole: It occurs regularly and there is nothing new about it. However, in our history, economic or otherwise, there has never been such uncertainty and instability as there is now. The idea of Ministers leaving the Cabinet a couple of weeks before a general election and being replaced by others who will hardly find their way into their new jobs before an election is not just incredulous, it...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jan 2011)

Joe O'Toole: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jan 2011)

Joe O'Toole: It could be e-mailed.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jan 2011)

Joe O'Toole: Regarding mental health, in response to a private Members' debate yesterday on the part of the main Opposition party the Minister made a statement in the Dáil to the effect that the VHI could save 10% of its costs. This is the most significant statement in some time concerning savings that could be made for people. The increases in VHI costs, to which we referred last week, need to be...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jan 2011)

Joe O'Toole: I see Senator Boyle smiling. I ask this in all seriousness. The efficient way to do business is to conclude matters.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jan 2011)

Joe O'Toole: The Seanad knows my views on that. Rather than hearing how long the legislative programme will be and what will be added to it let us hear everything on the list today. For example, will the political relationship with the Green Party survive? We have not heard the Fianna Fáil position. Apart from economic and financial Bills are there other matters about which we do not know? We need...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jan 2011)

Joe O'Toole: I can assure the Leader-----

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jan 2011)

Joe O'Toole: I can assure the Leader that wherever two Senators are there also am I. The fact that I was not present does not mean I did not follow the information provided. If it had been clear last week there would not be a meeting this morning in order to sort out certain points.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jan 2011)

Joe O'Toole: I want to know exactly what will be discussed. The other side of the House is very defensive. I do not say this in a critical manner----

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jan 2011)

Joe O'Toole: If the Leader knew more last week than the Taoiseach or the other party leader that would be an important point for this House to be aware of.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jan 2011)

Joe O'Toole: What we need to know is whether the Leader told the Taoiseach and the leader of the Green Party what we are all going to be doing for the next two months.

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: I wish to be associated with Senator Fitzgerald's words of appreciation to the staff of the House and to the Cathaoirleach, to the ushers and all the staff who help Members through the course of the year. However, unlike Senator Fitzgerald I find it quite optimistic that for the past then days there have been announcements on job creation every day and that there has been growth in the third...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: We need to deal with that issue. While criticising the Government for being laggardly, I understand it has given a commitment it will be done. However, having failed for years to get any movement from the Church leadership to move to protect abused children and to deal with perverted clerics, where that arose, is it anything short of outrageous to witness the antics from Armagh in the past...

Seanad: Credit Institutions (Stabilisation) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: This is the last opportunity to speak on the Bill. I support the objective of the Minister but I do not believe the Bill will survive. I think it is unsafe and unconstitutional. In many ways, it undermines and perverts an existing body of legislation in a variety of areas. It also undermines existing regulation and undermines and perverts common law of many centuries before there was any...

Seanad: Credit Institutions (Stabilisation) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: The amendment needs to be taken in the context of the entire section. Section 7(4) appears to be contradictory to section 7(1)(a) - assuming that somebody can understand section 7(1)(a). First, I will explain my understanding of that subsection and then explain how the amendment fits into that. Section 7(1)(a) provides that "the Minister may make a proposed direction order proposing that a...

Seanad: Credit Institutions (Stabilisation) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: I will listen to the Minister on it. I am just confused on it. It states, "without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing," and if the Minister can bring me to an understanding of that, then the next clause in it is, "the alteration of the rights of shareholders".

Seanad: Credit Institutions (Stabilisation) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: No. The Minister is giving power to do all of these things and this amendment seems to be supporting that, in other words, by taking a catch-all clause out of it to undermine the Minister's powers after the Minister had given himself all of these powers. The Bill provides, "(including, without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing," the Minister can make a specified alteration,...

Seanad: Credit Institutions (Stabilisation) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: I want to be clear about one point, I am not querying the objective or the purposes of the Bill. The query is a purely legislative one. I am not arguing the case for what the Minister is trying to achieve. I am merely raising questions on the method in which the Minister is doing it. The questions that come up for me are the ones that I raised. AIB, for example, is currently listed on...