Results 1-20 of 879 for his speaker:Joe O'Toole

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Seanad: Economic Situation: Statements (20 Apr 2011)

Joe O'Toole: It is my great pleasure to welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Hayes, to the House and congratulate him on his elevation to office. I wish him well, not just in his career but also in his ministry, in these difficult times. Last week, there was a classic example of which economic expert should we believe. Various international and domestic experts were asked to give their prediction...

Seanad: European Directives: Motion (20 Apr 2011)

Joe O'Toole: I welcome the Minister back to the Seanad. He is adorning the House with his presence and he could be the reason for its retention. I would like to hear his response on two issues. First, Senator Leyden raised a question in respect of the Data Protection Commissioner. Has the directive crossed the Commissioner's desk? He is inclined to raise issues where one least expects them. Second, I...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Mar 2011)

Joe O'Toole: We would also like to be associated with the words of Senator Cassidy in congratulating Senator Cummins on his elevation to the important role of Leader of the House. I wish him well in that regard. I also thank Senator Cassidy for his support and co-operation in recent years as Leader of the House. On the question raised by Senator Cassidy, I seek a reassessment of where we are in the...

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

Joe O'Toole: ...decisions are being taken without sufficient thought. It is a small point which will never affect me and I make it for that reason. The people who are advising the Government need to think about this issue. I thank the Minister for his attention during the course of this debate. I wish the programme for Government well. This was an important debate in terms of allowing us to raise...

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: Order of Business (8 Mar 2011)

Joe O'Toole: ...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, they...

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

Joe O'Toole: I pay tribute to Senator Quinn and the work he has done on the Bill. I am pleased to have played a small part along the way. It is crucial to view the passage of the Bill in this House as a recognition of how good work can be done. I also pay tribute to the Minister of State, Deputy Dara Calleary, and appreciate the commitment he has shown in coming to the House. He could have been doing...

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

Joe O'Toole: I have no doubt the Minister of State is correct. It is very difficult to go to an adjudicator and expect his or her decision to be completely binding at all times. The adjudicator could make a mistake in some cases and this must be allowed for. I agree with the point that the process should be quick and this would be the most attractive option but I do not think it can be done as simply...

Seanad: Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy (8 Mar 2011)

Joe O'Toole: I am privileged to add to what has been said and offer from the Independent benches our condolences and sympathy to the family of the late Willie Farrell and Fianna Fáil. I remember Willie for his argumentative nature and because he was always willing to take up a challenge. He never let his party down and Fianna Fáil could do no wrong, although in private he might say if it had acted in...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Report and Final Stages (29 Jan 2011)

Joe O'Toole: ...I do not propose to rehearse all the arguments from that stage. The implementation of that legislation became important and it was believed any issues arising would be dealt with in the course of this legislation. For the reasons the Minister outlined this morning and given the pressure on the Bill, it turns out this will not be the case. We maintain the simplest approach for the...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Committee Stage (Resumed). (29 Jan 2011)

Joe O'Toole: ...to get attachment of Mr. Gilligan's property. It has to go through all sorts of hoops to do that. Any professional body, say, the Medical Council, that wants to strike off or deprive somebody of his or her salary must go to the High Court to get approval for that decision, and it is the same for almost every professional body. If the Law Society of Ireland wants to deprive somebody of...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Jan 2011)

Joe O'Toole: First, I do not believe it is in company law and, if it is, the relevant section in the 2003 Act has not been commenced. There is much merit in this recommendation. Despite the fact that the Minister said it might not be relevant, I noticed he took the opportunity in his speech on Second Stage yesterday to make a passing reference to his relationship to the bonus scheme. He can hardly...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Committee Stage (29 Jan 2011)

Joe O'Toole: ...they said is an argument in favour of the recommendation. It is the reason I am supportive of the recommendation so that I would know that 40% or 60% came back and that we would see the way this operates. That is hugely important. Senator Cassidy said we should remember that all of this money is back in the Exchequer even before the doors of the hotel, nursing home or whatever are...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2011: Second Stage (28 Jan 2011)

Joe O'Toole: One of the great things from the boom has been the infrastructure in this country. Metro north would create 4,000 jobs plus a further 2,000 were it to be put in place. This is the gain which could result from moving the project forward immediately. Another issue of importance is water-metering. The company with which this State has had the longest relationship is Siemens, which built the...

Seanad: Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy (26 Jan 2011)

Joe O'Toole: ...'s common sense approach to the world that I saw in the late Gordon Wilson. They were solid as a rock and one felt one would not be able to turn them around easily. Séamus lived out the rest of his life in County Cavan, but before he went into politics bhí sé ina mhúinteoir náisiúnta agus thosaigh sé ag múineadh i mBéal Tairbirt, áit ina raibh sé an-chairdiúil le cara liom...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: ...ready to take it on. I ask the Leader if in the course of the day he would ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs to send a cable to Armagh to outline where we stand and let the cobbler stick to his last. They can do the praying up there and we will do the legislating down here. If we want to legislate for Sharia law or whatever kind of fundamentalism they want to peddle to us, we will...

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: ...involved. In the first place, I see the function of the special manager as that of an examiner or a person appointed to run the business for a period of time. I wrote a letter to the Minister this week, although he will not have seen my name on it. My name was not on the bottom, but the letter came from a board of which I am a member and was an excellent one of its type. Let me...

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

Joe O'Toole: I know what the Minister is trying to do, but this is not the way to do it. There are other ways to do so. If a case was taken to the Four Courts, the Minister might state his case and rely on the public interest, as mentioned in the Preamble or whatever precedes the Bill proper, but I do not believe that would hold sway or be what was required. The Minister used the word "proportional"...

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

Joe O'Toole: I have another question. I am deeply uncomfortable with this. I have listened to the Minister's answers and know they were given to me in good faith but I believe he is being overly influenced by his objectives, with which I agree. However, I do not believe this legislation will work. There is no mention of directors. I nearly had to be tied down last week when I heard the debate on the...