Results 681-700 of 873 for speaker:Averil Power

Seanad: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Jul 2012)

Averil Power: Our amendment is similar to Senator Reilly's if somewhat more restrictive. I raised this issue yesterday on Second Stage. I share the concern that the Bill excludes people who did not avail of the redress scheme. There were many reasons people did not do so. Some people were homeless or out of the country and, despite the best efforts of the present and previous Governments, may have been...

Seanad: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Jul 2012)

Averil Power: I thank the Minister for his reply. I remain of the opinion that restricting the fund only to those who would have been eligible to apply to the Residential Institutions Redress Board is the wrong move, particularly as some of the most vulnerable people will be excluded. Some of the survivor groups have made representations to me in this regard. The Minister indicated that there were 900...

Seanad: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Jul 2012)

Averil Power: I wish to raise two issues in response to what the Minister said. I made the point yesterday about Garda vetting and the fact that we have still not dealt with the existing teachers. As the Minister is fully aware, while the Government is committed to overall targets under the EU-IMF framework, there is discretion within the targets and it is unfair to claim that we cannot act in an area as...

Seanad: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Jul 2012)

Averil Power: I must respond to the Minister's point. It was a party political remark and, with respect to the Minister, we tend not to behave in that way in this House. The Minister and I have a good working relationship in this House and I thought the point should be made. He is aware that there is flexibility and it is important that action is taken. To return to the narrower concept of the Bill, the...

Seanad: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Jul 2012)

Averil Power: I move amendment No. 2: In page 7, subsection (1), between lines 22 and 23, to insert the following: "(c) former residents who would have been eligible to receive an award under the Act of 2002 but who failed to apply under the Act of 2002.".

Seanad: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Jul 2012)

Averil Power: I move amendment No. 3: In page 7, subsection (2), line 24, after "section (1)(a)" to insert the following: ", save where such an award allowed/allows for a child of a former resident to avail of that which applies in section 8(1)(c), such child of a former resident shall continue to be eligible to avail of that approved service which applies in section 8 (1)(c)".

Seanad: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Jul 2012)

Averil Power: I move amendment No. 9: In page 12, subsection (2)(a), line 7, to delete "and financial". I raised this issue in my comments on the earlier amendments. I am proposing to delete the words "and financial" in this subsection in order to ensure victims can access the fund on the basis of the hurt and torment they endured as children, without being subjected to an unfair means test. I have...

Seanad: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Jul 2012)

Averil Power: Yes.

Seanad: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Jul 2012)

Averil Power: I join with colleagues in congratulating the Minister on getting the Bill through. We agree in principle on most of it. I have made arguments on the aspects I consider too restrictive. We have had a fine debate in the past two days, in particular yesterday in the Minister's emotive contribution and the contributions of others in the House. He remarked yesterday that it showed the...

Seanad: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Bill 2012: Second Stage (19 Jul 2012)

Averil Power: I thank the Minister for his address to the House and for being here for the debate. I shall start where he finished and before dealing with the technicalities of the Bill by offering my sincere sympathy to the victims of residential child abuse. As he said, many of the victims are in the Visitors Gallery. Earlier I met Christine Buckley on my way into the Chamber. To everybody in the...

Seanad: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Bill 2012: Second Stage (19 Jul 2012)

Averil Power: They have not accepted the principle that they should. I would go further. It is ten years since this process started. It took a long time before the journey started. It was a long journey for the survivors in the Visitors' Gallery to get an apology from the Taoiseach. The then Taoiseach apologised in 1999. The redress board was set up under the Residential Institutions Redress Act...

Seanad: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Bill 2012: Second Stage (19 Jul 2012)

Averil Power: The record will also show that the Senator suggested 50% was not a reasonable contribution.

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Jul 2012)

Averil Power: I want to raise two issues. The first is a proposal that the Order of Business be amended to take No. 23, motion 8 on the Order Paper, which states: "That the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2012 (Section 12) (Commencement) Order 2012 (S.I. No. 206 of 2012) be and are hereby annulled." Members on all sides of the House have had correspondence over recent weeks from the free legal advice...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Jul 2012)

Averil Power: We should have a debate on this issue in this House. We should show our commitment to supporting equality for all and not put it off. Let us be clear, particularly to the Labour Members of this House-----

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Jul 2012)

Averil Power: ----- that all that will happen as a result of referring this issue to the constitutional convention is that we will ensure there is no referendum in the lifetime of the Government, and that is wrong. Members should ensure parties show real leadership on this issue.

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Jul 2012)

Averil Power: Yes.

Seanad: Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Bill 2011 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (11 Jul 2012)

Averil Power: I thank the Minister for tabling amendment No. 42 and for accepting the arguments made by Deputy Smith and I in respect of learner representation. This is wise. Given that the body will cover further and adult education right up to PhD level, it is important that students are adequately represented at the table. I welcome the Minister's acceptance of the points made in the debate.

Seanad: Draft Building Regulations (26 Jun 2012)

Averil Power: Priory Hall residents never had a desire to become experts on building regulations, but, having been to hell and back in the last few years and studied and traced how these fire traps - their apartments - were allowed to be built in the first place, they have gained huge expertise. Apart from wanting to see their current problems solved, they are determined to do what they can to highlight...

Seanad: Draft Building Regulations (26 Jun 2012)

Averil Power: I will reserve judgment until we see the final draft. I appreciate the Minister's statement that he has taken on board the issues raised by the former resident of Priory Hall and the fact that he, the Minister, appreciates how well informed and well balanced the resident's contribution is.

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Jun 2012)

Averil Power: I welcome the powers granted to the Minister to set these regulations and agree that effective interventions should not have to wait on the outcome of court cases. However, while I welcome the improvements in animal welfare provided for in the Bill I am disappointed that the Government decided against banning live hare coursing. As the Minister is aware, the practice has been banned in most...