Results 141-160 of 4,608 for speaker:Joe O'Toole

Seanad: Croke Park Agreement: Statements (15 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Áine Brady, and acknowledge the generous comments of the Minister of State, Deputy Calleary. I was stunned by my colleague's remark that P.J. Fitzpatrick does not inspire confidence because I know he has a vision. Perhaps there is a communication issue and people need to have clearer understanding. I will undertake to organise for Mr. Fitzpatrick come...

Seanad: Croke Park Agreement: Statements (15 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Croke Park Agreement: Statements (15 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: I look forward to the discharge of the commitment given by the Fine Gael Party to reverse this appalling measure as soon as it gets into government. I thank the Government for making it easier for Fine Gael to do so because the reversal can be effected by ministerial order rather than by legislation. All could be well in the future.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: That is a complete red herring.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: The Minister of State's reply had nothing to do with the minimum wage. What is worse is the argument being given to his parliamentary party members who are peddling that line and trying to create a connection between registered employment agreements, joint labour agreements and the minimum wage. I listened very carefully to the Minister of State but I could find no logical connection. I...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: I listened to every word the Minister of State said.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: I would like to know what kind of businesses are struggling because of the minimum wage. I have not come across such businesses. I have asked for information about them but I have not found them. Perhaps the Department has the information and it would be very helpful if this information was shared with us. The people on the minimum wage are people without a voice. They have no connection...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: The Minister of State is right; I could continue for some time yet, but I will take a break at some stage to hear a little of what is coming back to me. We are making the inequality in our society even worse and I do not believe it will create an extra job or save any industry. I ask the Minister of State to come back and contradict me with hard evidence. I am not talking about a shop here...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive reply and accept the point about employment agreements. He did not deal with the issue of where the jobs would be created and where they would be lost. He half dealt with the issue of the gap between welfare and minimum wage by dealing with jobseeker's allowance. That does not take from the force of the argument I made previously. I have...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, Deputy Kelleher, who will hardly be surprised to hear I will be opposing vehemently this legislation on the national minimum wage. There will be very little agreement from this side of the House. We will be explaining to him why it is absolutely disgraceful that those on the lowest pay rates should have...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: I thank the Minister of State.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: They will simply be sacked and replaced by people on the lower rate, for God's sake.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: Why is the Senator doing it then?

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2010: Second Stage (14 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Barry Andrews. The two previous speakers could swap speeches in six months' time if they swap sides of the House. That is what we will see in the future. Everyone recognised these were difficult times for the Government and hard decisions would have to be taken. The Government has taken them. In fairness to it, the fact the focus of Opposition...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: Like Senator Fitzgerald, it is not possible to accept an Order of Business providing for the taking of all Stages today of such important legislation. On the question of the bonuses for bankers, I have some experience on both sides of the table of dealing with this issue, negotiating for and against bonuses. I have chaired and served on remuneration committees. What we have heard during...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (9 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: I thank the Minister of State, draftspersons and advisers for responding so positively. As the Minister of State mentioned, I tabled an amendment to include the term "trade unions". Draftspersons are horrified by that term. They find it distasteful and have great difficulty using it.

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (9 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: I have needed to concede this point a number of times. They do not find the term "trade unions" amenable. On a more serious point, the staff unions were concerned about their apparent exclusion while everyone else seemed to have been remembered. Will the Minister of State convey this point? I am grateful for the positive response, which deals with my issue completely, but it is also...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (9 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: I second amendment No. 2.

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (9 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: I second the amendment. We are just trying to avoid a race to the bottom. We want to ensure that what has happened in other places does not happen to the Irish postal service in the effort to undercut everybody. We want to ensure we get efficiency and quality as well as good value. We are talking about value for money here, but we do not want to see advertisements for half the rates the...