Results 781-800 of 873 for speaker:Averil Power

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (7 Feb 2012)

Averil Power: I thank the Minister for accepting the amendment tabled by the Fianna Fáil Party. We will revisit the issue of untrained personnel when the Bill comes before the Dáil as we remain concerned about the provisions in place in this area.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Political Funding Bill 2012: Second Stage (Resumed) (7 Feb 2012)

Averil Power: The Minister is going to extraordinary lengths.

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (7 Feb 2012)

Averil Power: I thank the Minister for accepting the amendment. It is an important issue and it is good that we have been able to reach a consensus on it.

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (7 Feb 2012)

Averil Power: I move amendment No. 11: In page 8, after line 49, to insert the following: "(11) The Minister may from time to time prescribe the conditions attaching to the employment of an appropriately qualified and registered retired teacher, in circumstances where all reasonable efforts to secure an appropriately qualified registered teacher who is not retired fail.". I outlined the rationale for this...

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Report Stage (7 Feb 2012)

Averil Power: On the basis of the assurances given by the Minister to the House today and on Committee Stage, we are prepared to support the aspect of the Bill under discussion. It is critical that there be real partnership in education. I welcome the fact that, in addition to the assurances the Minister gave us last week, he stated specifically today that the teachers' conciliation council will be used,...

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Report Stage (7 Feb 2012)

Averil Power: The Minister stated "teachers' conciliation council" in his address.

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Report Stage (7 Feb 2012)

Averil Power: I support the amendments tabled by Senators Mullen and Quinn for the reasons I outlined on Committee Stage. While I understand the motivation behind the amendments introduced on Committee Stage in respect of the Department, I continue to share the concern of management bodies about the lack of a positive obligation on the Minister for Health to ensure the health service steps up to the plate...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment)(Political Funding) Bill 2011: Second Stage (2 Feb 2012)

Averil Power: I welcome Minister. I also welcome those in the Visitors' Gallery. It is great to see so many women in the Chamber, although there is a good gender balance in the Seanad, due in large part - this should be acknowledged - to the fact that the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste in appointing the 11 nominees to the House wisely chose seven women. We have seen the contributions these women have made...

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

Averil Power: I raise the same concerns I raised regarding the earlier amendments. Can the Minister reassure me and the House that the Minister for Health has that positive responsibility for delivery of health therapies in schools and that this will not leave a gap in that regard? The reality for many children with special needs is that they cannot avail of an education without the appropriate health...

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

Averil Power: Yes, there are a number of later amendments to it.

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

Averil Power: Are we still also dealing with amendments Nos. 16, 42, 46 and 47?

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

Averil Power: Yes, I wish to speak to amendment No. 16. I thought the Cathaoirleach was only dealing with amendment No. 6.

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

Averil Power: I accept we will discuss the substantive issue about untrained teachers later but I oppose amendment No. 16 on the basis that it proposes to remove the words "purpose of implementing section 30". As I will discuss later, I am strongly of the view that at this juncture we should implement section 30 of the Act of 2001 in regard to the restriction on the use of untrained teachers.

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

Averil Power: I agree with the remarks made by Senator Quinn. I accept that there are times when it is difficult to reach 100% agreement. However, I hope that "consultation" will mean real consultation and that concerns will be taken into account. As the Minister mentioned in his own speech last week, partnership has been a key aspect of education, and I trust the Minister will use his power to make...

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

Averil Power: I join other speakers in welcoming the Minister's assurances in this regard. I support the provision on that basis.

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

Averil Power: I will respond to the Minister's remarks about redeployment being required, by implication, by the troika and issues with our economic sovereignty. Redeployment is good in itself and work was started on it many years ago. It is important to acknowledge that often, when different education changes are being discussed in the House, there is a tendency to rely on the current economic...

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

Averil Power: Are we not on section 10?

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

Averil Power: I appreciate that the Minister's amendment is to make the provision more limited. However, it is still regrettable to provide, for the first time, for statutory recognition for unqualified personnel, particularly in the current economic environment when there are so many young, qualified teachers looking for work. As I did on Second Stage, I urge the Minister to follow through on his...

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

Averil Power: I look forward to receiving the Senator's support for amendment No. 35.

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

Averil Power: No one on this side of the House is saying the alternative should be to send children home if there is not a qualified teacher available. Except in the case of one teacher schools, this should not be necessary. Certainly, in the short term it should be possible for the other teachers in the school to fill in for a day or two. I accept it may have been necessary to do this in the past when...