Results 21-40 of 879 for his speaker:Joe O'Toole

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

Joe O'Toole: ..., the jury is out on what would have happened to senior bondholders. I concur with the Minister's thesis because I am not comfortable with the idea of burning the bondholders but that should be his answer. Fine Gael was clear in its support for the guarantee and Professor Honohan was explicit on the need for one. The Minister's constituency colleague should be told that the argument has...

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

Joe O'Toole: I thank the Minister for his response. I read something recently about whether a central bank can go bust. It is a question which goes to the heart of the point the Minister just made. Since we left the gold standard, central banks cannot go bust. Quantitative easing is the proof of this. There is a row in the United States currently. They will print $600 billion extra and buy bonds...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: The House has debated air traffic, flights, etc., on a number of occasions recently. I ask the Leader to walk down the road to his neighbour, Mr. Michael O'Leary of Ryanair, and ask him whether he misled us. While I accept people from Castlepollard would not promulgate untruths-----

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: I hope the Leader is not defending him. Mr. O'Leary promised to deliver 6 million additional passengers to Ireland if the airport travel tax was abolished. His response to last week's decision by the Government to reduce the air travel tax from €10 to €3 was to cut six routes out of the country. The same individual told us he would save Shannon Airport, but he cut the number of flights...

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

Joe O'Toole: ...clearer understanding. I will undertake to organise for Mr. Fitzpatrick come in some time in January to brief a few people informally on what is happening. Fair questions have been raised on this side of the House and I am not for one second saying otherwise. There are questions which need to be answered. I have stress tested Mr. Fitzpatrick on difficult issues on a number of...

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: ...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 with registered employment agreements or joint industrial council agreements...

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

Joe O'Toole: ...in its entirety. It must be acknowledged that caring for the aged is very difficult. With the best will in the world, dny family member who has had to care for an elderly relative would express his or her frustration. It is a continuous commitment. We should recognise that carers need support, counselling and advice. It is very difficult for them to continue in what is an almost...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: ...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 recent days about what happened in the banks is appalling. The...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: I was delighted last night when Senator Boyle stated his party should press to have its legislation passed and that he regretted the fact that there would be no legislation on Seanad reform. It is an extraordinary jump from not being able to reform the Seanad to discussing its elimination. This point needs to be responded to by the Government. I am trying to be helpful, as the Green Party...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: ...timescale involved in the production of postcodes? How close are we to having them? Will they be based on co-ordinates or random numbering? What system does the Minister favour? I accept that this is not his final decision; therefore, I do not intend to challenge him later if something different is chosen. However, Members would learn something if they knew his current position on the...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: I am happy the Minister will get back to the Attorney General's office on this matter. However, I caution him that attorneys make work for other attorneys. I hope the Minister will listen to his advice and then make his decision. Unless the Minister is convinced that this provision is necessary, will he take it out of the legislation?

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: The effect of section 29 will be the same as asking a shopkeeper to give up a counter in his shop to his opposition to come in and sell the same products as himself. The Minister has made it clear where he stands. I accept section 28(9) provides that the commission "shall take into account any costs avoided by a universal postal service provider", which is good, "and network costs of the...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: I agree with my learned colleague. He and I have tramped those by-lanes and roads and I support his view on this.

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: I do not doubt the Minister's good intentions and I hope he sees this issue from our point of view. I accept his point, but we are trying to take it on board and determine what concerns remain. The subject of these amendments is one such issue of concern. There will be no ministerial oversight or intervention. ComReg is not answerable. The idea behind introducing independent mediation...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: ...provisions. There is no direct flow between the Minister's policy statements and the issue about which we are speaking. In other words, if he were dealing with a really bad group of regulators, this would be a more appropriate discussion. However, I take his point. I am not referring to the current regulator's staff, with whom Senator O'Reilly and I have dealt. They are persons of the...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: ...has not dealt with Senator O'Reilly's second amendment, which refers to costs and quality. That is where we are being caught out all the time. The Minister of State said to Senator O'Reilly that this is something we can talk to the Minister about. One of my biggest problems with this Bill is that Ministers are being taken out of the equation. I failed to pass an amendment the last day...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Toole: The Bill proposes ComReg can put a price cap on certain services being supplied. This is an interference with the market and we heard a lot earlier from the Minister of State, Deputy Cuffe, about its importance. I have no problem with interfering with the market. That is what regulation is supposed to be about, as long as it is done on a qualitative basis. We know the problem created by...