Results 201-220 of 873 for speaker:Averil Power

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Budget 2013: Discussion with Minister for Education and Skills (19 Sep 2012)

Averil Power: I thank the Minister for his presentation and for appearing before the joint committee so far in advance of the budget. I appreciate that he has a difficult job to do. Responsibility for protecting education should not be solely the task of the Minister but should extend to everyone who sits around the Cabinet table because the impact of some cuts in the Department are felt across other...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Budget 2013: Discussion with Minister for Education and Skills (19 Sep 2012)

Averil Power: Will the Minister ensure he gets legal advice from the Attorney General as to his potential liability on this ground?

Seanad: Homophobic Bullying: Statements (25 Sep 2012)

Averil Power: I thank the Minister of State. I welcome both her contribution and that Members specifically are debating homophobic bullying today. Although they have had debates in the past on mental health and bullying in general, as the Minister of State has pointed out, while all young people are at risk of bullying and intimidation in schools, young lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, LGBT,...

Seanad: Homophobic Bullying: Statements (25 Sep 2012)

Averil Power: I thank the Minister of State. I welcome both her contribution and that Members specifically are debating homophobic bullying today. Although they have had debates in the past on mental health and bullying in general, as the Minister of State has pointed out, while all young people are at risk of bullying and intimidation in schools, young lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, LGBT,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Budget 2013: Discussion with Minister for Social Protection (26 Sep 2012)

Averil Power: I apologise to the Minister in advance if I do not return to hear her responses to members' questions. However, I will read the transcript of the proceedings. I would like to raise a number of issues, the first of which is consistency across Departments in terms of the impact and cost on the social welfare programme as a result of changes being made in other Departments, in particular, the...

Seanad: Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution (Children) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (3 Oct 2012)

Averil Power: The Minister is very welcome to the House. I support comments made by other colleagues in that I consider this wording as a very careful balance. We must all be conscious of the fact that it has been worked on at Cabinet level only during the past year and a half. It is very similar to the wording agreed before the election by the previous Cabinet which was brought to that point after more...

Seanad: Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution (Children) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (3 Oct 2012)

Averil Power: I agree with the point the Minister made about the voice of the child, which is a significant issue. I welcome the insertion of the new provision that the views of the child will not only be ascertained during judicial proceedings but will be given due weight. Often the courts listen to what children have to say but there is little evidence their views are considered or given any real...

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (10 Oct 2012)

Averil Power: I move amendment No. 2: In page 4, to delete lines 24 to 27.I welcome the Minister to the House. My colleague, Senator Marc MacSharry, spokesperson on health, will give the Fianna Fáil position on the Bill as a whole and propose a range of amendments to improve it. I want to speak to my amendments which seek to ensure greater accountability within the health service for mental health, in...

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (10 Oct 2012)

Averil Power: I welcome the commitment given by Minister that on withdrawal of my amendment he will seek further advice on it. I appreciate that he probably needs to take a timeout with his officials and to think it through with a cool head. I can resubmit my amendment on Report Stage. The deletion still gives the Minister the discretion that he needs because it leaves him with the overall powers. I...

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (10 Oct 2012)

Averil Power: I move amendment No. 3: In page 4, paragraph (c), between lines 36 and 37, to insert the following:?(8) The Director General shall publish any reports presented by the Executive to the Minister concerning its compliance with a Ministerial Direction.?.

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (10 Oct 2012)

Averil Power: I move amendment No. 4: In page 4, lines 41 and 42, to delete all words from and including ?priorities? in line 41 down to and including ?service? in line 42 and substitute the following:?priorities in accordance with which the Executive shall prepare its service?.The intention behind section 6 is to strengthen the accountability of the HSE to its service delivery. It provides for the HSE to...

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (10 Oct 2012)

Averil Power: I explained the rationale behind amendment No. 4 in my opening address. We are discussing the amendments together and the Minister gave his position on amendments Nos. 4 and 21 to 24, inclusive. All of the amendments are structured in the same way. They are about changing terminology and using stronger wording. Amendment No. 21 wishes to substitute the words "is consistent with" with...

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (10 Oct 2012)

Averil Power: I move amendment No. 11:In page 6, between lines 45 and 46, to insert the following:?(6) The post of Director for Mental Health shall be a publicly advertised position, subject to strict criteria.?.The amendment has two purposes. The first is to ensure that one of the directors appointed will be a director for mental health. The second is to address, in the context of the mental health...

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (10 Oct 2012)

Averil Power: I move amendment No. 12: In page 7, after line 46, to insert the following: ?16D.?The Director for Mental Health shall be responsible for planning, budgeting for and reporting on the implementation of mental health policy. His delegated functions shall include but are not limited to producing a multi-annual plan to implement the Government?s mental health policy; consulting with patients,...

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Second Stage (11 Oct 2012)

Averil Power: As other speakers mentioned, this is an area in which reform is badly needed. There is no question about that. There was much expectation that this Bill would change all the things that were wrong, particularly the pressures the current valuation system is putting on struggling businesses at the worst possible time. Senator Byrne said there were businesses in his constituency paying more...

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Second Stage (11 Oct 2012)

Averil Power: I have read the Constitution. I hope the Minister of State will read in detail the John Grace Fried Chicken case. The last Government fell foul of this with the system that had been put in place for the JLCs. I encourage him to read that carefully, because many of the principles set out in that case seem to apply here. Instead of giving a half-hearted response in the House, I hope he will...

Seanad: Junior Certificate Reform and the Literacy and Numeracy Strategy: Statements (23 Oct 2012)

Averil Power: I welcome the Minister to the House. I will begin where he left off, with the reform of the junior certificate. The Minister referred to some of the work done by the NCCA, and the ESRI report last year pointed out quite strongly the deficiencies in the current junior certificate, providing a very strong evidence base for the reforms being brought forward. The ESRI report followed a cohort...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Pre-Budget Audits: Discussion with Social Justice Ireland and TASC (7 Nov 2012)

Averil Power: I have to go but my colleague, Deputy O’Dea, is due to arrive presently and he is the spokesperson in this area.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Student Grant Application System: Discussion with SUSI (13 Nov 2012)

Averil Power: I thank the delegation for attending the meeting at such short notice. It is disappointing, however, we do not have any Department officials or the Minister here which is a matter the committee should consider. The questions about students’ access to services, sitting examinations at Christmas and submitting projects can only be answered by the Minister. It is not the job of SUSI to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Student Grant Application System: Discussion with SUSI (13 Nov 2012)

Averil Power: I asked for the number of extra staff requested, as opposed to the number that were granted.