Results 521-540 of 873 for speaker:Averil Power

Seanad: Services for People with Disabilities: Motion (25 Sep 2013)

Averil Power: I move: That Seanad Éireann: recognises - - the fact that there are over 600,000 people with disabilities in Ireland; - the deep concern among those with disabilities that services affecting them are being cut or reduced further; and - that it is unfair and unjust to cut services for people with disabilities;notes pledges in the Programme for Government to -- ensure that the quality of...

Seanad: Junior Cycle Reform: Motion (18 Sep 2013)

Averil Power: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank the Independent Senators and Taoiseach's nominees for tabling the motion. As previous speakers noted, history is an extremely important subject, not only in terms of understanding the past but also in terms of the generic skills it provides, which are useful across the curriculum. The Minister places great emphasis on literacy....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Down's Syndrome Education Equality: Discussion (11 Sep 2013)

Averil Power: I thank Professor Buckley for her presentation, which I found very interesting along with her interaction with the members, Ms Griffin and Ms Grant. If I have taken her up correctly, Professor Buckley appears to be saying that a properly organised and resourced generalised system is better than one that is overly individualised. What we had before the general allocation was that every child...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Down's Syndrome Education Equality: Discussion (11 Sep 2013)

Averil Power: Are any of them more frequent than Down's syndrome?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Down's Syndrome Education Equality: Discussion (11 Sep 2013)

Averil Power: Does one then end up with-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Down's Syndrome Education Equality: Discussion (11 Sep 2013)

Averil Power: From an enrolment perspective, would one end up with the risk that some schools become identified as the ones that have the resources because they tend to have a higher incidence of children with special needs? That links up with the other issue we are trying to address as part of the education system, namely, the fact that not all schools are taking children with special needs and reaching...

Seanad: SI 325 of 2012 - European Union (Quality and Safety of Human Organs Intended for Transplantation) Regulations 2012: Motion (20 Aug 2013)

Averil Power: I will be brief. Most of the points I had intended to make have been made by other Members in the past few hours. I do not wish to repeat them. I commend Senator Daly on introducing this motion and on facilitating this extremely important debate. I share the views of those on both sides of the House who have said that this will be a job well done - it will have been worth it for us all to...

Seanad: An Bille um an Tríú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Cúirt Achomhairc) 2013: Céim an Choiste agus na Céimeanna a bheidh Fágtha - Thirty-third Amendment of the Constitution (Court of Appeal) Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 Jul 2013)

Averil Power: I commend the Minister for bringing forward this Bill. It is very important legislation. The Supreme Court is completely overburdened at the moment, with 121 judgments considered last year, which is twice the number that went through the US Supreme Court. The Minister strongly made the point in his speech that justice delayed is justice denied. As things stand, people are waiting four...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: National Asthma Programme (23 Jul 2013)

Averil Power: I thank the Minister of State for the positive tone of his reply. I welcome the fact that he met with representatives of the society last week. This is a very important issue and I am glad that it is a priority for the Minister of State heading into the budget process. I am encouraged by his response. The Minister of State mentioned that it is hoped that the model of care will be prepared...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: National Asthma Programme (23 Jul 2013)

Averil Power: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. The national asthma programme was developed in 2010, modelled on a successful pilot project carried out by the Asthma Society of Ireland. The aim of the programme is to bring about a reduction in asthma deaths by 90% over ten years and a 10% reduction in hospital admissions, out of hours and emergency department visits over three years. This...

Seanad: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2013)

Averil Power: The Minister indicated that this had not been established from a constitutional perspective and there has not been a Supreme Court case. We put legislation through this House every day that enjoys the presumption of constitutionality. We work on the basis of advice from the Attorney General or other counsel, and we assume that the interpretation we work with is consistent with the...

Seanad: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2013)

Averil Power: We will not get to amendments Nos, 4, 37 and 38 until after we finish this grouping and start the next one.

Seanad: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2013)

Averil Power: I thank Senators O'Donnell and Mac Conghail for tabling these amendments which I strongly support. Like many other Members of the House, I met several of the women from the Terminations for Medical Reasons, TFMR, group who have gone through the terrifying and upsetting experience of having babies with fatal foetal abnormalities. I listened to their heart-breaking stories. These ladies...

Seanad: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (16 Jul 2013)

Averil Power: I welcome the opportunity to contribute on this important legislation. I was an adopted person. I have always been deeply conflicted on the issue of abortion. When people speak about unwanted pregnancies I cannot but reflect on the fact that I was one. I was the unplanned daughter of a single woman for whom keeping me was never a real option in the Ireland of 1978. I am grateful for the...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Visa Applications (4 Jul 2013)

Averil Power: I thank the Minister of State for his reply on behalf of the Minister for Justice and Equality. It is welcome that a new, more liberal multi-entry visa system was put in place last year and that the Minister will examine how we can develop it further. I appreciate that it is new, so there are probably some teething problems in rolling it out. As I said, I have written to the Minister to...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Visa Applications (4 Jul 2013)

Averil Power: I would like to thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to discuss the issue I have raised today, the issue of visitor access from China and the visa regime for Chinese visitors. Over the past few years, great emphasis has been put by the current Government and the previous government on improving relations with China and on the effort to encourage more Chinese people to visit...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Visa Applications (4 Jul 2013)

Averil Power: I would like to thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to discuss the issue I have raised today, the issue of visitor access from China and the visa regime for Chinese visitors. Over the past few years, great emphasis has been put by the current Government and the previous government on improving relations with China and on the effort to encourage more Chinese people to visit...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Visa Applications (4 Jul 2013)

Averil Power: I thank the Minister of State for his reply on behalf of the Minister for Justice and Equality. It is welcome that a new, more liberal multi-entry visa system was put in place last year and that the Minister will examine how we can develop it further. I appreciate that it is new, so there are probably some teething problems in rolling it out. As I said, I have written to the Minister to...

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: An Dara Céim (Atógáil): An Dara Céim (Atógáil) - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed): Second Stage (Resumed) (4 Jul 2013)

Averil Power: I welcome the Minister of State to the House today. Like other Members I do not believe that the Seanad should stay as it is. It has been an enormous privilege for me to be here for the past two years. I am extremely grateful to the members of the county councils around the country who elected me. It was a tough campaign, harder than the general election campaign, believe it or not, for a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Issues Facing Small Primary Schools: Discussion (3 Jul 2013)

Averil Power: I cannot say that I will throw any bombshells but I must also go. I am sorry but I will read the transcripts.