Results 5,521-5,540 of 11,695 for speaker:Ivana Bacik

Seanad: Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Naturalisation of Minors Born in Ireland) Bill 2018: Second Stage (21 Nov 2018)

Ivana Bacik: I do not.

Seanad: Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Naturalisation of Minors Born in Ireland) Bill 2018: Second Stage (21 Nov 2018)

Ivana Bacik: On a point of order, I certainly do not see discretion in negative terms. Like many others, I have sought discretion but I want us to build a whole system.

Seanad: Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Naturalisation of Minors Born in Ireland) Bill 2018: Second Stage (21 Nov 2018)

Ivana Bacik: I thank the many colleagues from across the House who spoke to express their strong support for this important Bill.

Seanad: Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Naturalisation of Minors Born in Ireland) Bill 2018: Second Stage (21 Nov 2018)

Ivana Bacik: I include Senator Conway, who was quite supportive in his speech despite speaking for the Government party. However, I must express my serious disappointment in the Minister of State's speech, his opposition to the Bill, and the most inappropriate and indeed scare-mongering language in his speech, with which I take serious issue.

Seanad: Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Naturalisation of Minors Born in Ireland) Bill 2018: Second Stage (21 Nov 2018)

Ivana Bacik: The speech is peppered with innuendo and imputations of bad faith, malice and of people coming to the State with the intention of abusing our system. That is the language that is used throughout the speech.

Seanad: Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Naturalisation of Minors Born in Ireland) Bill 2018: Second Stage (21 Nov 2018)

Ivana Bacik: I am being suffocated with kindness and support.

Seanad: Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Naturalisation of Minors Born in Ireland) Bill 2018: Second Stage (21 Nov 2018)

Ivana Bacik: I think the language here borders on the Trumpian. There have been references to the President of the US and his views on immigrants. I would be very concerned about this language. I do not see any welcome or compassion in the Minister of State's speech. I see a conspiracy theory underlying it, suggesting that any sort of concession to compassion in our immigration law would operate as a...

Seanad: Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Naturalisation of Minors Born in Ireland) Bill 2018: Second Stage (21 Nov 2018)

Ivana Bacik: I disagreed fundamentally with the motivation behind holding the referendum and I disagree with Senator McDowell's description of the motivation, as I disagree with the Government's depiction of the background to the 2004 referendum. I still say it was a dog-whistle referendum - no doubt about that. It was opportunist. However, I am grateful to Senator McDowell for expressing his support....

Seanad: Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Naturalisation of Minors Born in Ireland) Bill 2018: Second Stage (21 Nov 2018)

Ivana Bacik: To finish on a very personal note, I was a candidate in the European elections in 2004 and I remember very clearly the appalling rhetoric that was used against me personally, against many of us, and against anyone who did not have an Irish name. I am very proud of the fact that my grandfather came here in the 1940s-----

Seanad: Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Naturalisation of Minors Born in Ireland) Bill 2018: Second Stage (21 Nov 2018)

Ivana Bacik: -----and made an enormous contribution to the State through refounding Waterford Glass and giving employment to many people in Waterford over many decades. Let us be positive about what migration has done.

Seanad: Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Naturalisation of Minors Born in Ireland) Bill 2018: Second Stage (21 Nov 2018)

Ivana Bacik: That was a previous relative and he did not shoot him. On a serious note, inward migration is greatly beneficial to this country and has been. Our emigrants have made massive contributions in the US, as Senator Lawless will tell us, in London and all across the world. We need to be positive and welcoming but I do not see any of that from the Government's side. I am very disappointed about...

Seanad: Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Naturalisation of Minors Born in Ireland) Bill 2018: Second Stage (21 Nov 2018)

Ivana Bacik: Next Tuesday.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Gender Equality (15 Nov 2018)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank him for coming in to take this issue. The matter I raise on the Commencement is the need for the Taoiseach to outline the numbers by gender breakdown of those employ in small, medium and large businesses, respectively. I have been asked by the National Women's Council to raise this issue. I first tabled it as a Commencement matter to...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Gender Equality (15 Nov 2018)

Ivana Bacik: I thank the Minister of State for his response. I find it extraordinary that the precise data sought in the question are not available. It would seem to be a very simple matter to obtain a gender breakdown of those employed in small, medium and large businesses, respectively. Surely it is important for policymakers, particularly those in Government, to know the gender breakdown of...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Nov 2018)

Ivana Bacik: I second the proposal from Senator Humphreys regarding the Labour Party Private Members' Bill, No. 14 on the Order Paper, the Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Naturalisation of Minors Born in Ireland) Bill 2018. I join in commending the fact that we have some agreement on Brexit, with the strong proviso that we are already seeing resignations from the British Cabinet. There is serious...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Nov 2018)

Ivana Bacik: However, it does mark a real achievement by the Irish Government and Irish negotiators and is a sign of the solidarity of the other member states of the EU who have stood by the principle of the backstop. The case for a people's vote on a second referendum in Britain has become much stronger because of the unlikelihood of this agreement passing. I echo the comments of my colleagues who have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces: Discussion (15 Nov 2018)

Ivana Bacik: I thank the Chairman for facilitating those of us who have other commitments this morning. I thank the Chief of Staff for appearing before the committee today and commend the great work of the Defence Forces in peacekeeping and in contributing to international peace and security through various missions, as outlined by Dr. Mellett. As a neutral country, Ireland has an important role to play...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Nov 2018)

Ivana Bacik: This section is headed "Confidential Information". I think I am right in saying that most but not all the amendments to the section were Government amendments. I will wait for quiet in the Chamber. We have not yet had an opportunity to debate the section itself and I wish to take up a few points that were raised on the previous dates on 6 and 8 November by Senator McDowell and if I may,...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Nov 2018)

Ivana Bacik: I was referring to the point raised by Senator McDowell on a previous occasion in regard to section 27, his point being that the provision would put the Attorney General in an invidious position, as he suggested the Attorney General would effectively be restricted on expressing his or her view frankly as to the merits of candidates before the Cabinet. The question was whether the Attorney...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Nov 2018)

Ivana Bacik: I will. I am happy, if the Minister would prefer-----