Results 21-40 of 873 for speaker:Averil Power

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Accident and Emergency Departments (3 Nov 2015)

Averil Power: On 22 October last, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO, called for Beaumont Hospital to go off-call as the accident and emergency department was dangerously overcrowded. By the early evening, there were 41 admitted patients in the accident and emergency department awaiting a hospital bed and numbers were set to rise as the night went on. As the Minister will be aware, the...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Accident and Emergency Departments (3 Nov 2015)

Averil Power: I thank the Minister for his reply and acknowledge that there has been an increase in short-stay convalescent beds in the area, which is very positive. I also welcome the review of D-Doc and hope it leads to improvements in the service, given that it has great potential to deflect patients from Beaumont accident and emergency. However, as I pointed out, and the Minister acknowledged, the...

Seanad: Marriage Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Oct 2015)

Averil Power: I too wish to add my voice to the voice of celebration in the House today as the Seanad passes the Marriage Bill 2015. I thank everyone who campaigned for a "Yes" vote in the referendum. I pay particular credit and tribute to the leaders of the Yes Equality campaign who are with us in the Gallery today. I thank the leaders of the Yes Equality campaign for their leadership, determination...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: General Scheme of Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2015: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2015)

Averil Power: I thank Dr. Geoffrey Shannon for his presentation and for his work on this issue over many years. He has long championed the right to identity and general improvements in adoption law. An issue that already has been touched on is that of compelling reasons, which is something about which I am deeply concerned because members do not know precisely what that involves. There is a risk it then...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: General Scheme of Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2015: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2015)

Averil Power: I thank Mr. McBride for his opening statement. He mentioned the number of social workers. Is that the full complement in Tusla, including child protection, or just those devoted to the adoption side? What level of extra staffing and funding would the organisation need to make the records accessible - Mr. McBride stated that cross-referencing the information would be a large job - and run...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: General Scheme of Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2015: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2015)

Averil Power: Ms Mugan said a compelling reason may be that hearing the adopted son or daughter is seeking information may cause distress to the parent. It is really important to make the distinction between information and contact. Surely what causes distress in those situations is the prospect of unwanted contact, not the information. I completely understand the situation. That is why our Bill...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: General Scheme of Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2015: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2015)

Averil Power: I asked a question earlier about whether there is really a necessity for it to be a social-worker-driven process. Does Mr. Quinlan have a view on that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: General Scheme of Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2015: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2015)

Averil Power: I welcome the fact that the Minister is before the committee to discuss the heads of the Bill. We have come a long way since he was in the Seanad with us earlier in 2015 to discuss the Bill Senator van Turnhout and I brought forward last year. He expressed a desire to do something but also a concern that he might not be able to introduce a retrospective system. I acknowledge that we have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: General Scheme of Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2015: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2015)

Averil Power: Will the Minister consider the requirement to avail of a social worker under the new model? The proposed model will be highly resource intensive, particularly given the difficulties being experienced in recruiting a sufficient number of social workers in the area of child protection as matters stand. Will the Minister consider changing the model? While a meeting with an appropriate...

Seanad: Marriage Bill 2015: Second Stage (20 Oct 2015)

Averil Power: I have never been more proud to be Irish than I was on 23 May, when Ireland became the first country in the world to bring in marriage equality by popular vote. Not only did we vote “Yes” but we did so by an incredible margin. Young and old, urban and rural, we united to send a message of love and support to our LGBT friends, family members, colleagues and neighbours. Each...

Seanad: Marriage Bill 2015: Second Stage (20 Oct 2015)

Averil Power: Exactly. I would have no time left to say anything else. I am deeply grateful to each and every one of them for the contribution they made to the campaign. They achieved something phenomenal and extraordinary and I very much appreciate that. The campaign was an exercise in positivity, determination and courage. The courage shown by people such as Ursula Halligan, Pat Carey and Leo...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: General Scheme of Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2015: Department of Children and Youth Affairs (8 Oct 2015)

Averil Power: Like Senator van Turnhout, I welcome the fact that we are at the point where heads of a Bill are before us. It is an issue I have been working on for some time both as a Member of the Oireachtas and as an adopted person myself. It is something that has been promised for a long time and finally we are at the start of a legislative process at least. It is, of course, positive. I also...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: General Scheme of Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2015: Department of Children and Youth Affairs (8 Oct 2015)

Averil Power: I have two additional questions. The witness said the birth certificate will be given out but other information will only be released with the consent of the natural parent. Is it only the birth certificate or the birth certificate and some other information that can be given without consent? For example, if the natural parent cannot be contacted, what information will the adoptive person...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: General Scheme of Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2015: Department of Children and Youth Affairs (8 Oct 2015)

Averil Power: Where does the existence of siblings fall in the hierarchy?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: General Scheme of Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2015: Department of Children and Youth Affairs (8 Oct 2015)

Averil Power: However, it is only in a non-identifying way. One is not entitled to know the name of one's sibling.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: General Scheme of Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2015: Department of Children and Youth Affairs (8 Oct 2015)

Averil Power: And if they are not registered?

Seanad: Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015: Second Stage (6 Oct 2015)

Averil Power: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy English, who has just arrived to take over from the Minister for Justice and Equality. I wish to say to her, before she leaves, that I commend her initiative to push this Bill. Over the past few years we have consistently raised the issue to which it relates in the House and pressed the Government on it. It is remarkable that within a short period of...

Seanad: European Council Decisions: Motions (1 Oct 2015)

Averil Power: Last February, I raised the issue of the Syrian crisis in this House in a Commencement debate at the request of the Ireland Syrian Solidarity Campaign. At the time I pointed out that thousands of people risked their lives on overcrowded boats sailing to Europe. I also urged the Irish and European authorities to do more to help the refugees and address the root causes of the crisis. As...

Seanad: European Council Decisions: Motions (1 Oct 2015)

Averil Power: For weeks Ministers produced different figures on how many refugees Ireland would take.

Seanad: European Council Decisions: Motions (1 Oct 2015)

Averil Power: Of course it is not. I recognise that in other areas, particularly the work done by the Irish Naval Service, good work was undertaken.