Results 661-680 of 873 for speaker:Averil Power

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Business of Joint Committee (25 Feb 2015)

Averil Power: To be fair, the proposal was in the email circulated to us earlier in the week. I replied, earlier in the week, to say that I agreed with the proposal so it would not be fair to change my position. The proposal was flagged to us.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Higher and Further Education Grants: Discussion (25 Feb 2015)

Averil Power: I commend SUSI, Student Universal Support Ireland, for the fact that the applications process is much better. I know that there were teething problems in the first year, but most of the complaints I now receive are about the criteria to be applied under the scheme. We have, therefore, come a long way. Mr. Brian Power stated: "The assessment of income from the same starting point [gross...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Higher and Further Education Grants: Discussion (25 Feb 2015)

Averil Power: And the recommendations of the appeals board?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Higher and Further Education Grants: Discussion (25 Feb 2015)

Averil Power: The difficulty is that they both come out of the same pot. The money going to the student assistance fund has decreased from €8 million to €6.6 million in the past two years. I understand that the overall fund is the same, but more is going to the disabilities side. The students who can avail of the student assistance fund are our most vulnerable students. They have to be in...

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Mar 2015)

Averil Power: I call for a debate with the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation on the job cuts announced by Cadbury last week. A total of 145 of the 220 job losses will be in Coolock alone, an area which already has a high rate of unemployment. The job cuts came as a major shock last week to employees in Coolock and to those in Kerry and Tallaght as well. However, it is evident that the...

Seanad: Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill 2014: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (3 Mar 2015)

Averil Power: May I come in after-----

Seanad: Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill 2014: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (3 Mar 2015)

Averil Power: Can I speak-----

Seanad: Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill 2014: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (3 Mar 2015)

Averil Power: May I speak on the Bill after it passes?

Seanad: Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill 2014: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (3 Mar 2015)

Averil Power: I strongly welcome the fact that this legislation will pass today. It has taken much personal leadership on behalf of the Minister. It has inspired all his initiatives in the tobacco area. This is a horrible, cynical and dangerous product and the more we can do to help people quit smoking, the better.I congratulate the Minister and I welcome the fact that the Bill started in this House and...

Seanad: Ambulance Services in Dublin: Statements (10 Mar 2015)

Averil Power: I welcome the opportunity to speak in this debate, albeit just for one minute. I came to the House last Tuesday and asked the Leader to schedule a debate on this issue because I was deeply concerned to hear the city manager had gone ahead and announced a major change to the service without the consultation that was promised initially. Like Senator O'Brien, I do not doubt the Minister's bona...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Dublin Docklands Development Authority (11 Mar 2015)

Averil Power: I have tabled this debate to highlight the need for the Government to ensure that a certain percentage of jobs are allocated to local people during the Dublin docklands redevelopment, similar to arrangements that were put in place for the Grangegorman development. Recently, I met Mr. Tony McDonnell of the North Wall residents association and a local representative for the area, Mr. Brian...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Dublin Docklands Development Authority (11 Mar 2015)

Averil Power: I welcome that work is under way to develop a strategy and a consultative forum for residents but the engagement needs to go beyond consultation to real involvement. The Minister of State stated that one of the key objectives of the DDDA was to secure the social and economic regeneration of the area. The area will only be regenerated when the existing community is properly integrated. It...

Seanad: Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Second Stage (24 Mar 2015)

Averil Power: I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important legislation. There is no doubt that Irish family law is totally out of date and does not reflect the diversity of modern families. It is focused generally, as the Minister has said, on marital families and does not provide adequate protection or support for those living in other forms of loving family environments. That is a huge gap...

Seanad: An Bille um an gCeathrú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Comhionannas Pósta) 2015: An Dara Céim - Thirty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution (Marriage Equality) Bill 2015: Second Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Averil Power: Fianna Fáil strongly supports the legislation before the House today. We held a vote at our Ard-Fheis in 2012 where our members endorsed equal marriage for same-sex couples. They also voted in favour of equal adoption rights for same-sex couples. As a republican party, we believe in equality for all citizens, be they male or female, black or white, gay or straight. It is a core...

Seanad: An Bille um an gCeathrú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Comhionannas Pósta) 2015: An Dara Céim - Thirty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution (Marriage Equality) Bill 2015: Second Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Averil Power: -----regardless of whether it is reflective of where anyone stands on an issue. In spite of the fact that all political parties, major children's rights organisations, human rights organisations, trade unions, medical organisations and every type of civil society group are in favour, media debates look as though it is an issue on which people are equally divided. People constantly tell me...

Seanad: An Bille um an gCeathrú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Comhionannas Pósta) 2015: An Dara Céim - Thirty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution (Marriage Equality) Bill 2015: Second Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Averil Power: As things stand, gay people can adopt. As of today, they can only do so as individuals, which only penalises the children, because when a couple adopts and only one of the parents has a legal relationship with the child, that is damaging for the child because it does not give him or her a legal connection and support from the second parent. Under the family law Bill that is currently going...

Seanad: An Bille um an gCeathrú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Comhionannas Pósta) 2015: An Dara Céim - Thirty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution (Marriage Equality) Bill 2015: Second Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Averil Power: Those judgments have done untold damage to us as a society. They have done untold damage to families in the past and they have done untold damage to children. It is time we put all of that prejudice behind us and ensured that all families, regardless of their shape, get equal support and recognition. I wish to deal with one other red herring, namely, assisted human reproduction, AHR....

Seanad: Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Committee Stage (26 Mar 2015)

Averil Power: On a point of order, I am a little confused as to which amendment the Senator speaking on. I am concerned. We have 112 amendments and this is really important legislation. It is important that we have time to go through all of them. It sounds to me as though the Senator is speaking on the Bill in general and not on a specific amendment.

Seanad: Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Committee Stage (26 Mar 2015)

Averil Power: I want to hear Senator Mullen's points, but I would rather he made them about the specific sections as we go through them so we can do our business in an efficient way and ensure we get to all of the sections and tease through the issues in a sensible way. This would be preferable to people giving general speeches and going on at length.

Seanad: Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Committee Stage (26 Mar 2015)

Averil Power: I am genuinely lost as to how this is relevant to amendment No. 2.