Results 5,241-5,260 of 11,695 for speaker:Ivana Bacik

Seanad: Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (12 Jun 2019)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Zappone, and welcome the opportunity to again debate the Bill, which has been a long time coming. As some of us pointed out on the Order of Business this morning, Second Stage of the Bill was taken on 22 March 2017, which is over two years ago. We had awaited the amendments and I know we will now have a full debate on those...

Seanad: Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (12 Jun 2019)

Ivana Bacik: My apologies but I should have repeated something that I said on the Order of Business earlier today, namely, that given the lateness of the publication of the Minister's amendments on Monday night, Labour Party Senators had not tabled any amendments. We wanted to wait and see what the Government amendments would contain and did not want to submit duplicate amendments. That said, I reserve...

Seanad: Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (12 Jun 2019)

Ivana Bacik: I am quite well aware of that and thank the Acting Chairman for the reminder.

Seanad: Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (12 Jun 2019)

Ivana Bacik: The Acting Chairman is quite right. I thank him for that and reserve the right to submit additional lists of amendments on Committee Stage. It is in everyone's interest that this Committee Stage debate will adjourn at 6 p.m. because that will give us more time to consider the Government's amendments and consider our own position in terms of whether we wish to submit additional amendments.

Seanad: Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (12 Jun 2019)

Ivana Bacik: I thank the Minister for her very comprehensive reply and her openness to the debate. I wish to acknowledge the spirit in which the Minister always comes to the Seanad and it is great to have her back here to debate this. The strength of Seanad Committee Stage debates is that they take place in the House. That is very important. I accept, as we all do, that there is an urgency to this...

Seanad: Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (12 Jun 2019)

Ivana Bacik: I was going to ask that. That was my next question.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Jun 2019)

Ivana Bacik: Hear, hear.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Jun 2019)

Ivana Bacik: I join others in congratulating our colleague, Senator Grace O'Sullivan, on her election to the European Parliament. I commend our colleagues, Senator Gavan and Nash, who hosted a briefing earlier in the audiovisual, AV, room on the National Minimum Wage (Protection of Employee Tips) Bill 2017. Senator Gavan will be bringing the Bill before the House tomorrow for Report Stage. This is a...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 May 2019)

Ivana Bacik: Hear, hear.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 May 2019)

Ivana Bacik: I do not know if I can follow that contribution from Senator Norris. On a serious note, I would like join Senator Ardagh in sending condolences to the families of the gardaí who died. I had the pleasure of meeting with local gardaí in Kevin Street in Dublin 8 yesterday and working with them on street parties and community policing in the area. I commend the significant work that...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 May 2019)

Ivana Bacik: That is the model that makes it easier to register to vote. It does not place unnecessary obstacles in the way of those who wish to register to vote but who, in many cases, simply have not got around to doing it by the necessary deadline. We need to make it easier and look at ways by which we can do so. I refer to the Irish Family Planning Association which next week will celebrate 50...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 May 2019)

Ivana Bacik: I hope other colleagues will join in and attend the celebrations next Tuesday.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 May 2019)

Ivana Bacik: I commend the Minister on accepting those amendments, in the spirit of making constructive changes to this Bill, with which many of us who have been opposing it have so many difficulties. I commend the Minister on his constructive approach in accepting these two minor but important and significant amendments from Senator McDowell.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 May 2019)

Ivana Bacik: Senator Gavan has beaten me to it as I was about to second Senator Ó Ríordáin's amendment. I support the Senator's practical proposal to amend the Order of Business by adjourning Committee Stage of the Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2016 at 6 p.m. to enable more colleagues to participate in the debate on our very important Private Members' Bill. I also commend Senator Ó...

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (8 May 2019)

Ivana Bacik: This is a very important Bill, and I very much hope it will be brought into law very swiftly. I acknowledge the fact that this Bill is an initiative of Deputies Shortall and Catherine Murphy.The Bill was passed by the Dáil nearly a year ago, on 13 June 2018, and came to the Seanad in November but Second Stage was only taken in the Seanad when Fianna Fáil gave its Private Members'...

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (8 May 2019)

Ivana Bacik: I do not intend to speak again.

Seanad: Free Education (Prohibition of Fees and Charges) Bill 2018: Second Stage (8 May 2019)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and I thank him for stepping in for the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy McHugh. It gives me great pleasure to second the Bill proposed by Senator Ó Ríordáin on behalf of my Labour Party colleagues. I commend Senator Ó Ríordáin on bringing this Bill forward. All of us here are aware of his long commitment...

Seanad: Statement by the Taoiseach (18 Apr 2019)

Ivana Bacik: I am sharing time. I will take four minutes, my colleague, Senators Norris, will take two minutes and Senator Humphreys will take one minute.

Seanad: Statement by the Taoiseach (18 Apr 2019)

Ivana Bacik: I am hoping it will add up to seven minutes. I welcome the Taoiseach to the House on behalf of my colleagues in the Technical Group and my Labour Party colleagues. As he said, this is an auspicious date marking 70 years since we became a Republic. I am delighted that I will be sharing a platform with the Taoiseach later at the Royal Irish Academy. We might consider, as he has hinted...

Seanad: Civil Registration Bill 2019: Second Stage (18 Apr 2019)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome this long-overdue Bill on behalf of the Labour Party Senators. I welcome into the Public Gallery Paula Fagan and her colleagues from LGBT Ireland. I commend them for the work they have done to ensure that this Bill remains a political priority. It is great to see it here. It is most unfortunate and regrettable that so many couples have been waiting for four years, since the...