Results 841-860 of 873 for speaker:Averil Power

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: General Scheme of Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2015: Department of Children and Youth Affairs (8 Oct 2015)

Averil Power: However, it is only in a non-identifying way. One is not entitled to know the name of one's sibling.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: General Scheme of Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2015: Department of Children and Youth Affairs (8 Oct 2015)

Averil Power: And if they are not registered?

Seanad: Marriage Bill 2015: Second Stage (20 Oct 2015)

Averil Power: I have never been more proud to be Irish than I was on 23 May, when Ireland became the first country in the world to bring in marriage equality by popular vote. Not only did we vote “Yes” but we did so by an incredible margin. Young and old, urban and rural, we united to send a message of love and support to our LGBT friends, family members, colleagues and neighbours. Each...

Seanad: Marriage Bill 2015: Second Stage (20 Oct 2015)

Averil Power: Exactly. I would have no time left to say anything else. I am deeply grateful to each and every one of them for the contribution they made to the campaign. They achieved something phenomenal and extraordinary and I very much appreciate that. The campaign was an exercise in positivity, determination and courage. The courage shown by people such as Ursula Halligan, Pat Carey and Leo...

Seanad: Marriage Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Oct 2015)

Averil Power: I too wish to add my voice to the voice of celebration in the House today as the Seanad passes the Marriage Bill 2015. I thank everyone who campaigned for a "Yes" vote in the referendum. I pay particular credit and tribute to the leaders of the Yes Equality campaign who are with us in the Gallery today. I thank the leaders of the Yes Equality campaign for their leadership, determination...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: General Scheme of Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2015: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2015)

Averil Power: I thank Dr. Geoffrey Shannon for his presentation and for his work on this issue over many years. He has long championed the right to identity and general improvements in adoption law. An issue that already has been touched on is that of compelling reasons, which is something about which I am deeply concerned because members do not know precisely what that involves. There is a risk it then...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: General Scheme of Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2015: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2015)

Averil Power: I thank Mr. McBride for his opening statement. He mentioned the number of social workers. Is that the full complement in Tusla, including child protection, or just those devoted to the adoption side? What level of extra staffing and funding would the organisation need to make the records accessible - Mr. McBride stated that cross-referencing the information would be a large job - and run...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: General Scheme of Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2015: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2015)

Averil Power: Ms Mugan said a compelling reason may be that hearing the adopted son or daughter is seeking information may cause distress to the parent. It is really important to make the distinction between information and contact. Surely what causes distress in those situations is the prospect of unwanted contact, not the information. I completely understand the situation. That is why our Bill...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: General Scheme of Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2015: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2015)

Averil Power: I asked a question earlier about whether there is really a necessity for it to be a social-worker-driven process. Does Mr. Quinlan have a view on that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: General Scheme of Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2015: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2015)

Averil Power: I welcome the fact that the Minister is before the committee to discuss the heads of the Bill. We have come a long way since he was in the Seanad with us earlier in 2015 to discuss the Bill Senator van Turnhout and I brought forward last year. He expressed a desire to do something but also a concern that he might not be able to introduce a retrospective system. I acknowledge that we have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: General Scheme of Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2015: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2015)

Averil Power: Will the Minister consider the requirement to avail of a social worker under the new model? The proposed model will be highly resource intensive, particularly given the difficulties being experienced in recruiting a sufficient number of social workers in the area of child protection as matters stand. Will the Minister consider changing the model? While a meeting with an appropriate...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Accident and Emergency Departments (3 Nov 2015)

Averil Power: On 22 October last, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO, called for Beaumont Hospital to go off-call as the accident and emergency department was dangerously overcrowded. By the early evening, there were 41 admitted patients in the accident and emergency department awaiting a hospital bed and numbers were set to rise as the night went on. As the Minister will be aware, the...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Accident and Emergency Departments (3 Nov 2015)

Averil Power: I thank the Minister for his reply and acknowledge that there has been an increase in short-stay convalescent beds in the area, which is very positive. I also welcome the review of D-Doc and hope it leads to improvements in the service, given that it has great potential to deflect patients from Beaumont accident and emergency. However, as I pointed out, and the Minister acknowledged, the...

Seanad: Services for People with Asthma: Motion (18 Nov 2015)

Averil Power: I second the motion. I thank my Independent colleague, Senator Mary Ann O'Brien, for tabling this important motion. The statistics she read into the record are stark indeed. Two figures struck me in particular. First, every 26 minutes someone visits an accident and emergency department due to asthma. Second, someone dies every week because of asthma, yet 90% of these deaths are...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Middle East Issues (26 Nov 2015)

Averil Power: On 22 October and 10 December 2014 Seanad Éireann and Dáil Éireann, respectively, adopted motions calling on the Government to recognise the state of Palestine. A wave of EU parliaments, including those in the United Kingdom, France and Spain, have passed similar motions. In most cases, recognition is part of an overall approach to the Middle East peace process. In May 2015...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Middle East Issues (26 Nov 2015)

Averil Power: I thank the Minister of State for his reply and appreciate that he will bring this issue to the attention of the Minister. I wish to stress that recognition by itself will not end occupation and only Israel can do so. Ireland's recognition of the state of Palestine would have enormous symbolic significance. Last year, after this House passed a motion that I had initiated, I was invited to...

Seanad: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Report Stage (Resumed) (1 Dec 2015)

Averil Power: How could it possibly be in order for us to discuss amendments without having the Bill as passed on Committee Stage? It is very confusing.

Seanad: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Report Stage (Resumed) (1 Dec 2015)

Averil Power: Although I have the list of amendments, we are working from the Bill as passed by Dáil Éireann, not the Bill as passed on Committee Stage in the Seanad.

Seanad: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Report Stage (Resumed) (1 Dec 2015)

Averil Power: To my knowledge, this is the first time we have been in this situation, even with other rushed legislation.

Seanad: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Report Stage (Resumed) (1 Dec 2015)

Averil Power: This is very important legislation.