Results 421-440 of 873 for speaker:Averil Power

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Sentencing Policy (29 Jan 2014)

Averil Power: Defendants in a number of serious sexual assault and domestic violence cases over the past several years have had some or all of their prison sentences written off in return for payment of financial compensation, much to the disgust of their victims. Most rape and domestic violence cases are not even reported to the Garda, let alone prosecuted in court. It is disgraceful that women who are...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Sentencing Policy (29 Jan 2014)

Averil Power: I accept that the Minister of State is responding on behalf of the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter. I welcome the fact that change in the 1993 Act on financial compensation will be considered. As far as I am concerned it must be changed. I do not see a case for leaving it as it is. It is never appropriate to give financial compensation in an assault case, be it sexual...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Social Enterprise in Ireland: Discussion (29 Jan 2014)

Averil Power: I thank the witnesses for their presentations. Their point is well made in terms of the necessity for equality budgeting in the context of the broader social consequences of budgetary measures and, in particular, their longer-term impacts. I was very strongly opposed to the proposal last year to take teachers out of DEIS schools, a decision that was subsequently and rightly overturned....

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Jan 2014)

Averil Power: I ask the Leader to arrange for the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to come to the House to discuss the recent revelations that RTE has paid financial compensation to individuals associated with the Iona Institute in response to complaints made about Rory O'Neill's interview on the "Saturday Night Show". It is incumbent on the Minister to appear in the House and...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Jan 2014)

Averil Power: I am asking the Leader to invite the Minister to come to the House to discuss this serious issue. The motivation of the Iona Institute in bringing the case is clear. It is afraid of the referendum and the fact that at the Constitutional Convention, in which people heard both sides of the debate over the course of two days, 80% of those involved voted in favour of equality. They voted to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Implications for Employees of Changes to Pension Age: Discussion (12 Feb 2014)

Averil Power: I thank each of those who spoke and presented to the committee this morning. It is evident from the last speaker how much anger there is about changes that have been made. I suppose when any change is being made to people's long-standing entitlements, there needs to be a sense of fairness and respect for legitimate expectation. I guess the difficulty in this area is that there is a...

Seanad: Free Speech, Homophobia and the role of the State Broadcaster: Motion [Private Members] (18 Feb 2014)

Averil Power: I welcome the Minister to the House for this important debate. As Senator Bacik pointed out, in the aftermath of the revelations of RTE's settlement last month with John Waters, Breda O'Brien and members of the Iona Institute, I called for the Minister to come before the House to discuss this issue. I did so for several reasons. First, I was horrified by the way that Rory O'Neill's...

Seanad: Free Speech, Homophobia and the role of the State Broadcaster: Motion [Private Members] (18 Feb 2014)

Averil Power: I just want to wrap up briefly. A little latitude was shown to others.

Seanad: Teaching Council of Ireland: Statements (19 Feb 2014)

Averil Power: I welcome the Minister to the House. As he has outlined, the Teaching Council of Ireland has a number of important functions, including to protect the standards of entry to the teaching profession; to advise the Minister on teacher supply; to promote teaching as a profession; to establish and maintain the register of teachers and to maintain and improve standards, professional practice and...

Seanad: Teaching Council of Ireland: Statements (19 Feb 2014)

Averil Power: That is true. I welcome the developments that are taking place. As the Minister mentioned, the council also has an important function in teacher education. The Minister adverted to several reforms that are under way. I urge the Minister to ensure sufficient resources are put in place to deliver on these reforms effectively because that aspect is crucial. We must ensure that teachers are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Role and Potential of Community and Vocational Education: Discussion (26 Feb 2014)

Averil Power: I thank everyone for their presentations. It has been great to have everybody together in one meeting. I have always felt that we undervalue vocational and community education and I was encouraged by Mr. O'Toole's comments on how that is all being brought together now to put a structure and strategy in place. It is a hugely important area. Ms Brady's point on the need to value education...

Seanad: Reform of Further Education and Training: Statements (5 Mar 2014)

Averil Power: I welcome the Minister of State and commend him on visiting New York at the weekend for the "St. Pat's For All" parade. It was important there was a Government representative at that inclusive function in New York. Unlike the official St. Patrick's Day parade in the city, the "St. Pat's For All" event recognises the diversity and inclusiveness of modern Ireland. I am glad the Minister of...

Seanad: Child Protection: Motion (5 Mar 2014)

Averil Power: I, too, welcome the motion and the fact that it has cross-party support. It is significant that the Minister has expressed her support for the motion. The background of this matter has already been outlined. It relates to the decision last year to hold a beauty pageant here. Most of us were shocked and surprised that such an event could take place in Ireland. Thankfully, as was pointed...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (26 Mar 2014)

Averil Power: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I tabled this debate to highlight the impact that the underfunding of Beechpark Services and child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, is having on children in the north Dublin area. It makes it impossible for children with autism and other special needs to get a proper education and puts their welfare and that of their fellow pupils...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (26 Mar 2014)

Averil Power: I appreciate that the Minister is replying on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Reilly, but I have written to the Minister about Beechpark Services previously and the issue has been raised by my colleague, Deputy Billy Kelleher, and other Deputies in the Dáil over the last two years. To be honest, the reply has not really changed since then. The Department is still referring to the fact...

Seanad: Higher Education and Research (Consolidation and Improvement) Bill 2014: Second Stage (2 Apr 2014)

Averil Power: I welcome the Senator's Bill on consolidating and improving the higher education sector as an important contribution to the debate on the future of higher education in Ireland. I welcome that the Government will allow the Bill to proceed to Committee Stage. It is a large, complex piece of legislation and it has clearly taken much work to consolidate the existing legislation, so it would be...

Seanad: Higher Education and Research (Consolidation and Improvement) Bill 2014: Second Stage (2 Apr 2014)

Averil Power: Yes, that is fine. One issue is the importance of a student voice in higher education. The CEO of the HEA mentioned this yesterday and it is crucial and should be central to any future vision for higher education. I am concerned about allowing institutions to set their own fees because it would create a two-tier system of an expensive, elite and cheaper higher education institutions. I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Accreditation for the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland Facility in Bahrain: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Apr 2014)

Averil Power: I will start with a bit of background for members who were not at the Ceartas briefing. In fairness, the last speaker, Ms Doyle, referred at least to the human rights context.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Accreditation for the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland Facility in Bahrain: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Apr 2014)

Averil Power: A lot of latitude has been given to those making presentations.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Accreditation for the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland Facility in Bahrain: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Apr 2014)

Averil Power: For those who were not at the Ceartas meeting on the last occasion, the background to this is the violent crackdown on peaceful protestors in early 2011 in Bahrain, and that those protesters were then brought to the hospital for treatment and the doctors, seeing that protesters had been shot in the back of the head, that they had been unarmed and that they were clearly just making a peaceful...