Results 2,921-2,940 of 5,732 for speaker:Fidelma Healy Eames

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 Jan 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Will the Department have a say in how the service should be delivered, for example, as regards whether it would be better if it were school or cluster based?

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 Jan 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I welcome the Minister's absolute certainty with regard to what the Bill does and does not do. I take his point about the HSE not responding to anyone in the past in a reliable way. However, should I take from what he said that the legislation will not improve the position for anyone? If, for example, a psychologist makes a recommendation to the effect that a child needs speech therapy...

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 Jan 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I accept what the Minister has said. Would it not have been desirable, for the sake of the children and the service they need to improve their learning or social skills, for the legislation to introduce a measure whereby it would be possible for the Minister to compel the Department of Health to deliver the service? I ask this because two weeks ago the Minister for Health spoke at a...

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 Jan 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I seek a number of clarifications on this issue. As the Minister stated, this is probably one of the main sections in the Bill. The Minister will recall we had a lengthy discussion on Second Stage on the issue of the agreement in place previously as opposed to consultation now. I seek clarification on one or two issues with regard to that. In the case of panel redeployment, for example,...

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 Jan 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: We are on section 6.

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 Jan 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I will revisit the point I was making later.

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 Jan 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I ask the Minister for clarification on the question of redeployment of a teacher who is on a panel when, after consultation, there is no agreement by a school to take a particular teacher from the panel, or a teacher remains on the panel. With this legislation, the Minister will have the power to overrule that decision following consultation and appoint a teacher from the panel. For...

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 Jan 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I am grateful for the Minister's explanation. He has indicated what he considers reasonable and that he does not see the point, for example, of imposing a teacher who is not fluent in the Irish language on a school in the Gaeltacht. That explanation is very helpful. I also welcome the Minister's undertaking that in another domain - through an industrial relations framework, for instance -...

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 Jan 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: This debate on this amendment is useful because it has given us the opportunity to discuss other issues. I acknowledge the way in which the Minister answered my previous question on ethos and the competence of teachers in the context, for example, of the teaching of Irish. As Senator Mullen pointed out, however, there have been cases where matters relating to the redeployment panel could...

Seanad: Order of Business (31 Jan 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: When will this Chamber have a debate on rural schools? I have requested it for the past two weeks. This evening and tomorrow the Dáil will have a comprehensive debate on a motion and on a Government amendment to a Private Members' motion on small primary schools. We are trying to be relevant to the lives of Irish people so let us debate it here in a reasoned way with the Minister. Small...

Seanad: Order of Business (31 Jan 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Agriculture and Fisheries: Statements, Questions and Answers (26 Jan 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: We are delighted with the work the Minister is doing. He is really thorough and his interest is very obvious. My first question relates to his big project, the organic salmon project off Inis Oirr. I received a proposal which I sent to the Minister from some small fishermen keen to invest in that. I know Bord Iscaigh Mhara is going all over the world to try to get investors but would the...

Seanad: Agriculture and Fisheries: Statements, Questions and Answers (26 Jan 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I would appreciate answers to the three questions I put to the Minister.

Seanad: Agriculture and Fisheries: Statements, Questions and Answers (26 Jan 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: That is fine. What is the position on the memorandum with China?

Seanad: Agriculture and Fisheries: Statements, Questions and Answers (26 Jan 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Does the memorandum with China relate only to food?

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Jan 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I am delighted to see that the Government has published the personal debt and insolvency Bill. Personal and mortgage debt is, arguably, the greatest issue facing Irish families. It is a huge burden. I am really looking forward to debating a Bill that will help Irish families to feel less worried and to grow again. Can the Leader invite the Minister for Education and Skills to the House for...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Jan 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I want us to have that debate. Otherwise we cannot possibly represent the real concerns about Gaeltacht schools, rural DEIS schools and disadvantage in rural areas. The difficulties of multiple classes in rural schools, as distinct from single classes in urban schools, are not really understood. Let us have this debate in the House.

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Jan 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Senator MacSharry must be pleased by the publication of the heads of the new Bill.

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Second Stage (25 Jan 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I welcome the Minister and his officials. This is a fairly significant Bill. As I see it, it amends the Education Act 1988. It is not a small matter at all. The previous Minister, Mary Coughlan, introduced a Bill in 2010 but she did not bring it to the Seanad so this is our first chance to give it a good reading. I am really only in the process of fully understanding the whole thing but...

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Second Stage (25 Jan 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: We used to do that all the time.