Results 401-420 of 873 for speaker:Averil Power

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Second Stage (11 Dec 2013)

Averil Power: There is no VAT on printed textbooks but a rate of 23% applies to e-books, which reflects the fact that at the time that the VAT rules and rates were agreed, both here and at EU level, there was no such thing as an e-book. It is time for the entire VAT system to be reviewed. This issue has been raised repeatedly in this and the other House. I am a member of the Oireachtas Committee on...

Seanad: Critical Utilities (Security of Supply) Bill 2013: Second Stage (11 Dec 2013)

Averil Power: I welcome the Minister to the House. I echo many of the sentiments expressed by the previous speaker. There is much agreement across the House that the ESB strike, if it had gone ahead, would have been disproportionate. No doubt workers have a right to protect conditions of employment such as their wages and, as was at issue here, their pensions. The ESB showed bad faith in appearing to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: General Scheme of Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2013: Discussion (Resumed) (11 Dec 2013)

Averil Power: The submissions from all the groups have raised issues about having an appropriate appeals mechanism and the removal of section 29. Equally, different groups have indicated that the current system is not perfect either. In the view of the delegates, what is an appropriate replacement mechanism which would not involve the Department or the Secretary General? I have concerns that removing...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: General Scheme of Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2013: Discussion (Resumed) (11 Dec 2013)

Averil Power: I will take speakers from the list order. Mr. Whyte will reply to Senator Healy Eames.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: General Scheme of Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2013: Discussion (Resumed) (11 Dec 2013)

Averil Power: The witnesses can only answer in the context of their own areas of experience.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: General Scheme of Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2013: Discussion (Resumed) (11 Dec 2013)

Averil Power: We need to wrap up proceedings. Ms Harmon is next on the list of contributors.

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Dec 2013)

Averil Power: I move recommendation No. 6: In page 20, line 19, to delete "100 days" and substitute "75 days".This was tabled in error. We oppose the 100-day rule. I will refer more broadly to the single parent tax credit when we discuss our later recommendations and why we feel it is unbelievably regressive and will have a huge impact on parents' ability to co-parent and to have as much contact with...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Dec 2013)

Averil Power: We will also oppose the section. As I indicated at the outset, we consider this change to be incredibly regressive and we are very disappointed that none of the recommendations tabled by Members on different sides of the House has been accepted this afternoon. The Minister indicated at the start of his contribution that he accepts the principle that it is more expensive for people to...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2013)

Averil Power: Why?

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Company Registration (12 Dec 2013)

Averil Power: I tabled this matter to highlight the need for a public register of the beneficial owners of companies. Arguments for such a register were set very eloquently in The Irish Times last week in an article by Sorley McCaughey, the head of policy and advocacy with Christian Aid. The problem is that currently companies are able to use complex legal structures to separate their legal and...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Company Registration (12 Dec 2013)

Averil Power: I note the Minister of State indicated that Ireland supports the Lithuanian approach whereby each State would have a register of this type of information. It is crucial that any such register be public. He also indicated that the chairperson of the Revenue Commissioners stated that information, especially third party information, is the lifeblood of tax administration. Access to such...

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2013)

Averil Power: I concur with Senator O'Donovan's comments on the serious issue of water fluoridation. It is vital that people have confidence in the quality and safety of drinking water. I understand the reasoning behind the decision to add fluoride to the water supply in the past. I have been corresponding with the Minister for Health on this issue for the past year. A number of jurisdictions have...

Seanad: Pyrite Resolution Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Dec 2013)

Averil Power: I second the comments made by Senator Darragh O'Brien. I have received many representations from individuals who had to carry out the work before the scheme was put in place. It was not necessarily that they could afford to undertake this work but some found themselves in a situation where they had no choice, given that the houses were so badly damaged. I received representations from...

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report Stage (17 Dec 2013)

Averil Power: The Dublin City Manager raised a very serious matter today when he said that this transfer had the potential to cause serious financial and operational risks to the council. I agree with the points that have already been made about the transfer of €2 billion worth of assets while leaving the council with the pension liabilities. That is a very serious issue. It is very important...

Seanad: Protection of Children's Health from Tobacco Smoke Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2013)

Averil Power: I strongly support this legislation. The last it was discussed in the House the Minister expressed several concerns about making it workable. I understand that Senators have been going back and forth - indeed Senator Crown has catalogued all the correspondence over that period - with a view to trying to reach agreement on this issue. The amendments before us today present a scheme that is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: General Scheme of Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2013: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Jan 2014)

Averil Power: I echo the comments made by other speakers. This is a particularly informative debate. I am sorry I missed the first two submissions but I will read the transcript. I was delayed at an earlier meeting. I wish to pick up on two specific issues. Like other members I was intrigued by the points made about children in care. That was probably more of an oversight from the point of view of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: General Scheme of Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2013: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Jan 2014)

Averil Power: I just wanted to be clear about what Mr. McCabe wants. On the second issue, every group that has come before the committee mentioned its concerns about section 29. The management bodies told us they were nervous about being put in that position. The boards of management do not want to be the last port of call in deciding on an application only to find they are exposed to legal action...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: General Scheme of Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2013: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Jan 2014)

Averil Power: They do teacher training. They are a location for training courses.

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Mr. Tom Arnold (16 Jan 2014)

Averil Power: I, too, welcome Mr. Arnold and his officials to the House. As a member of the Constitutional Convention I have been very impressed by how Mr. Arnold has chaired it and the efficient way his team organised all our meetings, communicating with us before the event, ensuring things worked well on the day, as has been mentioned ensuring everybody got an opportunity to speak. The role of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Proposed Incinerator at Poolbeg: Dublin City Council (22 Jan 2014)

Averil Power: I will be brief as other members have teased out already the deficiencies in the process thus far at the various levels. I appreciate Mr. Keegan is a new city manager and did not preside over the incinerator plans in that position in the past. I find it shocking that so much was spent and that the figure for consultancy rose from €8 million to more than €30 million. I...