Results 401-420 of 1,311 for speaker:Sheila Terry

Seanad: Disability Bill 2004: Committee Stage (Resumed). (15 Jun 2005)

Sheila Terry: I apologise to Senator O'Meara because I did not read this amendment beforehand.

Seanad: Disability Bill 2004: Committee Stage (Resumed). (15 Jun 2005)

Sheila Terry: Had I realised that this amendment was forthcoming, I would not have said what I did concerning the previous one. I wish to support the amendment, which reflects the importance of the complaints officer's position being totally independent. I favour the appointment of a complaints officer being made by the Ombudsman. If we leave the complaints officer in the position as outlined in the...

Seanad: Disability Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Jun 2005)

Sheila Terry: The Minister of State stated the Bill provides that an assessment would be carried out within three months. Does that cover every assessment carried out within the three month period?

Seanad: Disability Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Jun 2005)

Sheila Terry: I accept that. However, I am not clear on the end point — the timeframe for the completion of the assessment. It is important we should have an end point or the assessment could be open-ended, which would not deliver a valuable service to anybody. My amendment seeks to have the assessment commence immediately in urgent cases, a point the Minister did not address. What does he envisage as...

Seanad: Disability Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Jun 2005)

Sheila Terry: Why does the Minister not accept my amendment and provide for this in the Bill? We seem to be leaving a lot to the regulations. Anything we can do to strengthen the Bill has to be positive. My amendment would strengthen the Bill rather than taking away from it. As Senators we do not have an input into the regulation and can only deal with the legislation. I am therefore recommending that we...

Seanad: Disability Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Jun 2005)

Sheila Terry: The Minister of State said that any assessment would be carried out within three months.

Seanad: Disability Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Jun 2005)

Sheila Terry: I move amendment No. 20: In page 14, between lines 22 and 23, to insert the following new subsection: "(2) A liaison officer shall be independent in the performance of his or her functions.". The amendment seeks to ensure that the liaison officer will be independent in the carrying out of his or her duties, in the same way as the assessment officer will be independent. The legislation...

Seanad: Disability Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Jun 2005)

Sheila Terry: I mean independent in terms of making decisions. I can see that assessment officers could also be the liaison officers, but I am talking of independence in making their decisions when drawing up their statements.

Seanad: Disability Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Jun 2005)

Sheila Terry: I move amendment No. 25: In page 16, subsection (3), between lines 31 and 32, to insert the following new paragraph: "(b) The public body shall communicate with the persons in this subsection the information regarding services that may be provided by the public body that it considers that the applicant is entitled to, as soon as practicable after receiving the assessment report, but within a...

Seanad: Disability Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Jun 2005)

Sheila Terry: I am disappointed the Minister of State is taking this line. This is where the legislation will fail to deliver an adequate service or deliver it on time. We are leaving delivery of the service open-ended which is not a good way to deal with legislation. As I said earlier, we need to strengthen the legislation and provide for timeframes. It all comes back to financial constraints. The problem...

Seanad: Disability Bill 2004: Committee Stage (Resumed). (14 Jun 2005)

Sheila Terry: I thank the Minister of State for introducing amendments Nos. 26 and 28, which meet the need I tried to address in amendment No. 27. I am happy to support the Government's amendments.

Seanad: Disability Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Jun 2005)

Sheila Terry: I move amendment No. 1: In page 5, subsection (1), line 30, to delete "Disability" and substitute the following: "Assessment and Services For People with Disabilities and Miscellaneous Provisions". I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I am suggesting that the definition of "disability" should be broader, with a broader Title encompassing more of what we really intend to provide for...

Seanad: Disability Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Jun 2005)

Sheila Terry: I will not press the amendment but I am disappointed by the Minister of State's response. I do not accept his argument. The proposed Title would more accurately deal with what we are seeking to achieve. The Minister of State's concerns could and should have been dealt with later if the amendment has an impact on other sections, which we will be dealing with through later amendments.

Seanad: Disability Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Jun 2005)

Sheila Terry: I thank Senator Quinn for his remarks, with which I agree. There is no one better placed than Senator Quinn to speak on behalf of people with disabilities as he has given employment to such people. His work in this regard is highly commendable. He is sensitive to the matter and I respect the work he has done in this area. I do not agree with what Senator Dardis said. We should not accept that...

Seanad: Disability Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Jun 2005)

Sheila Terry: I move amendment No. 3: In page 7, subsection (1), between lines 9 and 10, to insert the following new paragraph subsection (1): "(i) any private body which provides services and products to the public;". The accessibility of public and private services provided to the public needs to be guaranteed in this legislation within the broadest possible definition, so that it includes the right to...

Seanad: Disability Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Jun 2005)

Sheila Terry: I accept in principle what the Minister of State says, but what guarantee can he offer that any private body which provides a service to people with disabilities will make its buildings accessible? I am not sure that will be done, while incorporating the amendments into the legislation would guarantee accessibility. We must set high standards, though I accept that costs can be incurred....

Seanad: Disability Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Jun 2005)

Sheila Terry: I will not press it now, but I will bring it forward again on Report Stage. I accept the case could be made that the thrust of amendment No. 3 may be too broad, for example, requiring the corner shop to be accessible. Of course, any new corner shop being built should be accessible and the regulations will ensure that. In amendment No. 4, I suggest that "any body which is publicly appointed,...

Seanad: Disability Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Jun 2005)

Sheila Terry: I accept that the Disability Legislation Consultation Group asked the Minister of State to propose the amendment before the House in the interests of improved wording. I support the many groups which are seeking to ensure that adequate funding will be allocated for disability services. They do not want the disability sector to be at the bottom of the Government's list of priorities when funds...

Seanad: Disability Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Jun 2005)

Sheila Terry: My amendment No. 9 provides that the Minister shall: (a) carry out a review of this Act, in particular the definition of disability, within a maximum period of 2 years of operation or 3 years of enactment, whichever is the soonest. (b) for the purpose of assisting him or her in making such a review under this section, consult any such organisations or representatives as he or she considers...

Seanad: Disability Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Jun 2005)

Sheila Terry: I accept the amendment was tabled in the Dáil and I thank the Minister of State for reminding the House that the legislation has been many years in gestation. The Government has been dragged kicking and screaming to this point and people are still dissatisfied with the legislation. The Minister of State has accepted significant work must be done to appoint all the necessary professionals to...