Results 281-300 of 873 for speaker:Averil Power

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (16 Dec 2014)

Averil Power: I will begin by addressing recommendation No. 8, which is the crux of the issue in terms of the IASS and other schemes, namely, the single insolvency situation. As Senator O'Brien said, it stems from the legislation the Minister brought through the House which we opposed at the time, namely, the Social Welfare Bill. The OECD has made a recommendation that a defined benefit pension scheme...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (16 Dec 2014)

Averil Power: I second the recommendation. We all have experience, as I am sure the Minister of State and other Members of the House do, of people getting in touch with us who experience extraordinarily long delays in getting an initial decision on their application and then an appeal. The motion proposes 60 days or two months which should be long enough. It is extraordinarily unfair when people end up...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2014: Report and Final Stages (11 Dec 2014)

Averil Power: I second the recommendation. When the change to the lone-parent credit was being discussed in the House initially, we outlined many of these arguments and I do not want to go over them again. Where parents are sharing responsibility, they need to run two separate households. Even if a father or mother has a child for just the weekend rather than the rest of the week, he or she still needs...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Information and Communications Technology (10 Dec 2014)

Averil Power: I thank the Minister of State for his reply, but wish to stress that this strategy should be published as a matter of urgency. I have one final issue, namely, the price of e-books, that he might take up with the Minister, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan. It is bizarre that an e-book costs more than the paper book, even though the latter has to be printed, distributed and sold in shops, while an e-book...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Information and Communications Technology (10 Dec 2014)

Averil Power: I have tabled this matter to highlight the need for a proper digital ICT strategy for schools. When will the Government ensure that all primary schools are connected to high-speed broadband? When will the Government ensure that all schools, both primary and post-primary, have access to the equipment they need, curriculum relevant content and training for teachers? I welcome the fact that...

Seanad: Restructuring of Pensions at Aer Lingus: Statements (10 Dec 2014)

Averil Power: I also think it is absolutely extraordinary that in the week when a resolution for the Waterford Wedgewood workers has finally been achieved, members of the IASS scheme are in a worse position than the Waterford Wedgewood staff. It is ridiculous that the Waterford Wedgewood staff had to fight for so long to get their entitlements respected but it seems that the only way members of the IASS...

Seanad: Restructuring of Pensions at Aer Lingus: Statements (10 Dec 2014)

Averil Power: It doubled in two years. The Government Members do not want to hear.

Seanad: Restructuring of Pensions at Aer Lingus: Statements (10 Dec 2014)

Averil Power: The reality is that the deficit has doubled in two years. Of course, there is a longer term background to that and the scheme is in difficulty, as are many other schemes. Anybody in any other company in a similar situation should be very worried about what is happening because the Government has set a template through this legislation to ride roughshod over people's private pension...

Seanad: Restructuring of Pensions at Aer Lingus: Statements (10 Dec 2014)

Averil Power: How many were targeted deliberately by the Government?

Seanad: Restructuring of Pensions at Aer Lingus: Statements (10 Dec 2014)

Averil Power: How many had legislation introduced to-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Online Learning at University: Discussion (3 Dec 2014)

Averil Power: I thank the witnesses for their presentations. I have a few questions to pick up, in a little more detail, on some of the issues others have raised. In the opening presentation, Professor Brown said 3% is the current figure on online earning. Does he have a breakdown of the number of those which are part-time and which are full-time courses? One of the biggest difficulties with part-time...

Seanad: Situation in Middle East and Ukraine: Statements (27 Nov 2014)

Averil Power: I thank the Minister for his response. The article published in The Irish Timesyesterday refers to action by the European Union. Apart from products from Israeli settlements, does the Minister have any other actions in mind? To what specific actions was he referring?

Seanad: Situation in Middle East and Ukraine: Statements (27 Nov 2014)

Averil Power: The Minister invited questions.

Seanad: Situation in Middle East and Ukraine: Statements (27 Nov 2014)

Averil Power: Given that time is limited and each Senator only has five minutes, I wish to state that I share the Minister's concerns about ISIS and Ukraine but I will focus my remarks on Palestine, particularly the motion passed by this House just over a month ago calling on the Government to recognise the state of Palestine. I thank the Minister for attending the House today. The Leader gave a...

Seanad: Situation in Middle East and Ukraine: Statements (27 Nov 2014)

Averil Power: One question concerns when the Minister will listen to the motion from this House and recognise Palestine. In his article, the Minister alluded to the need for the EU to take action.

Seanad: Situation in Middle East and Ukraine: Statements (27 Nov 2014)

Averil Power: I ask him to outline in his closing remarks what action he had in mind in the article.

Seanad: Adoption (Identity and Information) Bill 2014: Second Stage (19 Nov 2014)

Averil Power: There is no need to do that. We have cross-party support across the House. I know there are Members in the Government parties who feel strongly about this as well and want to progress it as much as I do. I would be happy to have input from the Minister if he has amendments to suggest on Committee Stage, or if the health committee, interest groups or anyone else wants to feed into that. My...

Seanad: Adoption (Identity and Information) Bill 2014: Second Stage (19 Nov 2014)

Averil Power: I wholeheartedly thank Senators Burke and Moloney who were the main Government spokespersons on this issue. I know they researched and thought through the Bill before deciding to support it. I also note that in their opening remarks they said this Bill should be allowed to move forward and be amended if necessary on Committee Stage. I appreciate that they said we should all work to help...

Seanad: Adoption (Identity and Information) Bill 2014: Second Stage (19 Nov 2014)

Averil Power: One of them turned out right.

Seanad: Adoption (Identity and Information) Bill 2014: Second Stage (19 Nov 2014)

Averil Power: Earlier this year I spoke about what it was like growing up as an adopted child and not knowing anything about my natural mother until I was 29 years of age. Since then, I have been overwhelmed with e-mails and letters from other adoptees sharing their experiences. Some of their personal circumstances are very different to mine. However, their pain, sadness and anxiety are all too...