Results 2,801-2,820 of 5,732 for speaker:Fidelma Healy Eames

Seanad: Agriculture and Fisheries: Statements, Questions and Answers (26 Jan 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Does the memorandum with China relate only to food?

Seanad: Order of Business (31 Jan 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (31 Jan 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: When will this Chamber have a debate on rural schools? I have requested it for the past two weeks. This evening and tomorrow the Dáil will have a comprehensive debate on a motion and on a Government amendment to a Private Members' motion on small primary schools. We are trying to be relevant to the lives of Irish people so let us debate it here in a reasoned way with the Minister. Small...

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 Jan 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I apologise for coming late to the debate. I seek clarification on a number of matters. Will the Department of Education and Skills have the power to compel the HSE to deliver the service?

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 Jan 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Will the Department have a say in how the service should be delivered, for example, as regards whether it would be better if it were school or cluster based?

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 Jan 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I welcome the Minister's absolute certainty with regard to what the Bill does and does not do. I take his point about the HSE not responding to anyone in the past in a reliable way. However, should I take from what he said that the legislation will not improve the position for anyone? If, for example, a psychologist makes a recommendation to the effect that a child needs speech therapy...

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 Jan 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I accept what the Minister has said. Would it not have been desirable, for the sake of the children and the service they need to improve their learning or social skills, for the legislation to introduce a measure whereby it would be possible for the Minister to compel the Department of Health to deliver the service? I ask this because two weeks ago the Minister for Health spoke at a...

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 Jan 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I seek a number of clarifications on this issue. As the Minister stated, this is probably one of the main sections in the Bill. The Minister will recall we had a lengthy discussion on Second Stage on the issue of the agreement in place previously as opposed to consultation now. I seek clarification on one or two issues with regard to that. In the case of panel redeployment, for example,...

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 Jan 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: We are on section 6.

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 Jan 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I will revisit the point I was making later.

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 Jan 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I ask the Minister for clarification on the question of redeployment of a teacher who is on a panel when, after consultation, there is no agreement by a school to take a particular teacher from the panel, or a teacher remains on the panel. With this legislation, the Minister will have the power to overrule that decision following consultation and appoint a teacher from the panel. For...

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 Jan 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I am grateful for the Minister's explanation. He has indicated what he considers reasonable and that he does not see the point, for example, of imposing a teacher who is not fluent in the Irish language on a school in the Gaeltacht. That explanation is very helpful. I also welcome the Minister's undertaking that in another domain - through an industrial relations framework, for instance -...

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 Jan 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: This debate on this amendment is useful because it has given us the opportunity to discuss other issues. I acknowledge the way in which the Minister answered my previous question on ethos and the competence of teachers in the context, for example, of the teaching of Irish. As Senator Mullen pointed out, however, there have been cases where matters relating to the redeployment panel could...

Seanad: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (1 Feb 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I welcome the Minister of State, my county colleague. I am grateful to Senator Whelan for allowing me to go first, as the timing clashes with my motion at a parliamentary party meeting. On behalf of the Minister for Education and Skills, will the Minister of State review the Government's position on small rural schools in light of the impact on education and communities? The Government is...

Seanad: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (1 Feb 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I will summarise my recommendations, as making them is important. I could keep going.

Seanad: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (1 Feb 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: My apologies. I believed it was five. I have made the education argument, but the community argument is even more important. The Minister should not be seen to be forcing amalgamations. He should ask schools to consider amalgamating and allow communities to plan their own futures. Let us not have Government policy engineering a solution that will erode rural life. The recession is...

Seanad: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (1 Feb 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I thank the Minister of State for his reply, although it did not provide any additional enlightenment. Many questions remain - too many of them to address in this debate. I ask only that the Minister of State and his senior colleague would meet the people who may have solutions to this problem. There are solutions that have not yet been put forward and which should be discussed. I thank...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Feb 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Feb 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Feb 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Senator Cullinane does not know that.