Results 301-320 of 468 for speaker:Liam Fitzgerald

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion. (13 Apr 2005)

Liam Fitzgerald: With regard to the rights afforded to parents to enable them to go for judicial reviews——

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion. (13 Apr 2005)

Liam Fitzgerald: Any legal opinion will confirm that under the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004, there is, for the first time in the history of legislation of this nature, a legal onus on the Minister for Finance to take account of the limited resources——

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion. (13 Apr 2005)

Liam Fitzgerald: The Minister must allot the limited resources when dealing with children with special needs in the same way he allots the limited resources available to children without special needs. On the basis of the facts before us, I rest my case.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed). (4 May 2005)

Liam Fitzgerald: With regard to special educational needs, the Government has a proud record on the delivery of services.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed). (4 May 2005)

Liam Fitzgerald: I will not go into the details of this issue.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed). (4 May 2005)

Liam Fitzgerald: With regard to the recent announcement, a special needs assistant is assigned to an individual schoolchild. No mechanism exists for redeployment. Discussion is ongoing on the redeployment of the 70 or 75 special needs assistants referred to and the matter should not be trivialised. On the resignation in Coláiste Mhuire, Marino——

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed). (4 May 2005)

Liam Fitzgerald: I am not debating but ask the Leader of the House to assist me in clarifying a point. Would the Leader agree that we all share the deep concern expressed on the resignation of the principal of Coláiste Mhuire, who is held in esteem throughout the education sector? We are also disturbed at the statements from the only Christian Brother on the teaching staff at that college and from Mr. Ó...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed). (4 May 2005)

Liam Fitzgerald: I call on the Leader of the House to ask the Minister for Education and Science to ensure that the important educational needs of the students at the college are met. That is a primary concern.

Seanad: Disability Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed). (2 Jun 2005)

Liam Fitzgerald: I thank Senator Dooley for sharing his time with me. I believe that the Bill is affirmative and empowering. However, it plays only one part in a wider strategy. When reading the Bill I was struck by its resemblance to the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004. The two pieces of legislation are similar in many respects and share a common framework. They must be...

Seanad: Disability Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed). (2 Jun 2005)

Liam Fitzgerald: The strategy will be reinforced to end forever the culture of indifference and resources will be an integral part of the process. Over the past couple of days, two suggestions were made of which I am very much in favour. As the tone is set and culture is established at the top management level in public administration, there is a great deal of merit in Senator Kett's proposal to initiate...

Seanad: Disability Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed). (2 Jun 2005)

Liam Fitzgerald: ——should not forget that Deputy Mary Wallace put a great deal of work, effort and commitment into the provision through legislation of the rights and services to disabled people which were their just entitlement as human beings. Sadly, she came in for a barrage of criticism, much of which was unjustified and some of which was over the top. I regret that very much and pay special tribute...

Seanad: Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage. (22 Jun 2005)

Liam Fitzgerald: I welcome the Minster to the House. I am sorry I could not hear SenatorHenry's full contribution as the little I heard suggested she made a number of points on which I would have liked to be able to comment. I heard her discuss the inspectorate issue, which is relevant in other areas and which the Minister and ourselves will bear in mind. As we were told growing up, a mistake is no longer a...

Seanad: Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (23 Jun 2005)

Liam Fitzgerald: I want to say to the Minister that while I had some sympathy in the early stages with the sentiments expressed by Senator Ulick Burke — although I would not have supported his amendments for the reasons I will give — I have little sympathy, if any, for the point he makes at this stage. I said yesterday that justice delayed is justice denied. To go down the road the Senator proposes would...

Seanad: Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (23 Jun 2005)

Liam Fitzgerald: I do not see much difference between subparagraph (ia) and the wording of the proposed amendment and have few quibbles with Senator Tuffy's comments, as supported and amplified by Senator Henry. All of us, including the Minister, approach this issue from the same perspective. My only reservation relates to the issue of crossing the line in terms of judicial independence, to which Senator...

Seanad: Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (23 Jun 2005)

Liam Fitzgerald: I am sympathetic to most of what has been said. However, these concerns were elaborated on by the Minister yesterday on Second Stage. She made it clear that the individual applicant's case that will be called will be the one deemed by the committee to be the most representative of what happened at a particular institution. I am happy from what she said yesterday and from her contributions on...

Seanad: Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (23 Jun 2005)

Liam Fitzgerald: I endorse the sentiments expressed regarding the Minister. I compliment her on the manner in which this Bill has been taken in both Houses. It is no great surprise to me that the Minister is a person of great clarity, as I have come to know over the years in her work in other areas. I am delighted that she has piloted this Bill through the Houses. It establishes a further milestone in the...

Seanad: Grangegorman Development Agency Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2005)

Liam Fitzgerald: I see merit in Senator Burke's proposal. However, the Bill provides that the agency has a resident as a member and provides for a wide set of consultations involving local residents. Moreover, while the subparagraphs of section 12(2) have little or no relevance to consultation with local residents, section 12(3)(b) states that in preparing a draft of the strategic plan, the agency shall...

Seanad: Grangegorman Development Agency Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2005)

Liam Fitzgerald: I would like to respond to the last point made by Senator Tuffy. Members are engaging in a degree of wild speculation about the ulterior motives which may inform the actions of a future Minister. They have suggested that such a Minister might use ill health as an excuse to remove a member of the proposed agency. Senator Brady put it cogently when he said that a Minister could not declare in a...

Seanad: Grangegorman Development Agency Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2005)

Liam Fitzgerald: No.

Seanad: Grangegorman Development Agency Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2005)

Liam Fitzgerald: It is not a valid comparison.