Results 441-460 of 873 for speaker:Averil Power

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 wish to clarify one issue.

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 seek clarity on one point.

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: Several speakers have referred to the desirability of the RCSI remaining in Bahrain. I did not call for it to withdraw from there. I made it clear, in fact, that that was not what I wanted. I am asking for an independent structure to be established to ensure the education provided meets the standards we demand here. As long as the college is in Bahrain, we need structures that protect the...

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 am due in the Seanad for an education debate in a few minutes. I agree with Senator O'Donnell but that is only true if there are genuinely equal opportunities for education and employment and I do not accept that there are.

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: The problem is, as I have outlined, I met a group of students who said they had been discriminated against on the basis that they are Shia and not Sunni. Professor Kelly referred to the distinction between the different hospitals. No Shia muslims work in King Hamad hospital. For anybody wondering why someone did or did not get a job, whatever about saying that the qualifications of a...

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 am not sure. I would like more detail. Professor Kelly referred to making sure he had a good sample of students. I would like to see that it is not just the college which is involved in offering him enough students. I have no problem with the fact that he is being given enough but it is important that he would speak to former students, visit and talk to Ali al-Ekri, whose background is...

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Apr 2014)

Averil Power: In broad terms I support the point Senator Zappone is trying to make in the amendments. It is important to refer, and I will do so in very brief terms, to the overall impetus behind the Bill, which was introduced last May. I made the point during the last debate that while I welcomed the fact that any move was being made to address this legislation, I am strongly of the view that the Bill...

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Apr 2014)

Averil Power: I did not realise I had such distinguished visitors behind me. I support the overall point Senator Zappone is making. Senators Zappone and Norris have argued there is a distinction to be made between a court saying that the Bill in its original form is consistent with the Constitution, but it is a hell of a long stretch from that to assert that it is required by the Constitution. That has...

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Apr 2014)

Averil Power: I will respond to the Minister of State's comments and not go over the ground covered. In terms of the original Bill being judged to be constitutional, she acknowledged in her contribution that it does not mean that other Bills, with different approaches, would not be found to be constitutional. I express again, as I mentioned in my opening remarks, my concern about how long this process has...

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Apr 2014)

Averil Power: On a point of order, it was suggested that we could deal with Committee Stage next week but that we would not have the report by then. I would prefer to leave Committee Stage for a few weeks so that at least we would be in a position to have a proper debate. I have a real difficulty with this because I put forward detailed amendments, as did Senator Zappone. However, how am I supposed to...

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Apr 2014)

Averil Power: I want to get this Bill finished in proper form as soon as possible. Instead of having another utterly uninformed and speculative debate next week, however, I would rather wait for two weeks, have the report, and the Minister could then come here to respond.

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Apr 2014)

Averil Power: Yes, let us do it on the Tuesday after the Easter recess. The Minister could then respond to each Committee Stage amendment tabled by myself and Senator Zappone. We can deal with Report Stage two weeks after that. I do not see the point in rushing Committee Stage and having another speculative debate without a Minister responding.

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Apr 2014)

Averil Power: It will really hamper our ability to draft something properly for Report Stage that responds to the Minister's arguments because we will not know what the Minister's arguments are.

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Apr 2014)

Averil Power: I would still push the idea that it should be the week after Easter because it gives us more time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Leadership in Schools: Discussion (9 Apr 2014)

Averil Power: I welcome the groups that are before us today. I asked for this issue to be tabled a few months ago because it is one of the most important issues in education. In any profession or employment, the quality of leadership at the top and the management and leadership structure that is available throughout the system is essential in ensuring that employees feel supported and that there is a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Leadership in Schools: Discussion (9 Apr 2014)

Averil Power: I will get to questions in a second. I wanted to touch on that issue of performance management. Although we are a long way from the Canadian system, one of the issues with the Teaching Council that was highlighted when we were having the debate about the extra power that it is being given in the performance of teachers was that in the OECD research on performance management and whether...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Leadership in Schools: Discussion (9 Apr 2014)

Averil Power: My question is for the Department about the issue of clustering. Does the system as it is facilitate that for a group of schools? I realise the Department is open to the idea that there would be a principal across three or four small rural schools, rather than a teaching principal in each one. Can something like that be done under the current structures or would it require change? With...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Leadership in Schools: Discussion (9 Apr 2014)

Averil Power: The Department would just examine deciding what the entitlement is, such as the number of pupils from the combined schools in terms of deciding that they are entitled to a full principal.

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Apr 2014)

Averil Power: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. It is welcome that in the intervening period since our last discussion, the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission published its report last Friday. This is an important development as the report has clarified what is required in amending the legislation, in particular, what is required of us under European law which is superior to all Irish...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of Technological Universities Bill: Discussion (16 Apr 2014)

Averil Power: I appreciate the Chairman's letting me speak now. Given that the Seanad is debating education legislation at 3 p.m., I will have to leave. However, I will read the transcripts to see all the answers and other issues that arise after I leave. I thank the witnesses for all their presentations. It is good to have the different perspectives of so many groups. Both Mr. Boland of the HEA and...