Results 6,601-6,620 of 11,695 for speaker:Ivana Bacik

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2015)

Ivana Bacik: We are discussing amendments Nos. 1 to 11, inclusive, to amendment No. 13.

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2015)

Ivana Bacik: There are 11 amendments to amendment No. 13 which are being discussed with amendment No. 14.

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2015)

Ivana Bacik: In welcoming the Minister of State, I should have acknowledged his long personal commitment in respect of this issue and the fact that he was an original sponsor of the Bill when we introduced it in 2013. In respect of amendment No. 14, I echo the words of Senators Zappone and Power. My personal preference without reference to any laws would be simply to delete section 37(1)(b) as well. As...

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2015)

Ivana Bacik: I echo the comments of the Minister of State who helpfully provided context for this issue, on which I spoke on Second Stage. Unlike Senator Norris, I am an atheist and I believe it is outrageous that we continue to-----

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2015)

Ivana Bacik: I am always grateful for Senator Norris's prayers. Many people have offered to pray for me in the past. On a serious note, it is outrageous that any teacher should have to be of a particular religion and that 95% of schools are under religious patronage. As a parent, I fought against this and was instrumental in the establishment of a new multidenominational school to try to break the...

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2015)

Ivana Bacik: Present company excepted.

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2015)

Ivana Bacik: I do not think any Member has suggested during this debate that the State would decide everything. I think we have moved quite significantly away from the Committee Stage debate on the amendments.

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2015)

Ivana Bacik: We are taking them together.

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2015)

Ivana Bacik: Senator Power is discussing related ones as well.

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2015)

Ivana Bacik: I support the making of amendment No. 5 having had a small hand in it with Senator Zappone. It would be useful to include a specific reference to the employee's or prospective employee's right to privacy to strengthen the already strong test and high bar that I have already referred to as the "one plus five" test. A specific reference to privacy in subsection (1C)(c) would be helpful and...

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2015)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome very much the acceptance by the Minister of amendment No. 5, which is a very straightforward amendment which seeks to capture the spirit of all of our concerns. We must put to rest the concern that somebody's marital status might be a ground of discrimination following this. Even without the amendment on privacy, it is clear from the wording of subsection (1C) that the action of...

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2015)

Ivana Bacik: That is explicit.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Legal Highs: Discussion (9 Jul 2015)

Ivana Bacik: I am a member of the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality and "herbal highs" is the more correct term in the sense that these are not legal highs in this jurisdiction. Is that right? The report said there is a lack of clarity regarding the substances' legal status. I wanted to clarify that. Did the witnesses mean that people who are taking them are not necessarily clear as to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: National Drugs Strategy: Minister of State at the Department of Health (9 Jul 2015)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister of State and thank him for attending the committee today. I also welcome his appointment, which, as others have said, is hugely important. As a member of the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality, I welcome, in particular, the fact that the Minister of State is now in charge of developing a national drugs strategy which is to commence after 2016. I welcome...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Jul 2015)

Ivana Bacik: I add my voice to those who have welcomed the announcement yesterday of the new allocation of special needs assistants by the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan. Up to 610 additional SNAs will be allocated from September 2015. When the Minister spoke on radio this morning, she made explicit the Government's commitment that every child with an assessed care need would...

Seanad: Report of Working Group on Seanad Reform 2015: Statements (8 Jul 2015)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome former Senators, Dr. Maurice Manning and Mr. Joe O'Toole, to the House again. I thank the Leader for organising the debate which follows the debate on Seanad reform that we had on 5 May, and in particular on the findings contained in the report of the working group on Seanad Reform. I commend both of them on producing the report. We all share in the hope and expectations...

Seanad: Report of Working Group on Seanad Reform 2015: Statements (8 Jul 2015)

Ivana Bacik: I am just coming to that point. That is a very particular instance. How many people would be eligible to vote on the university panel if it is extended to all higher education graduates? The estimate is between 500,000 and 700,000-----

Seanad: Report of Working Group on Seanad Reform 2015: Statements (8 Jul 2015)

Ivana Bacik: -----and that would be for six seats, while there might be just 100,000 electors on another panel, resulting in very skewed numbers on different panels. There is a further possible consequence from the proposal in section 8 and I am offering this point in a constructive spirit. It is likely or possible that people would organise registration campaigns on a particular panel to ensure they...

Seanad: Report of Working Group on Seanad Reform 2015: Statements (8 Jul 2015)

Ivana Bacik: It is a draft Bill.

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Jul 2015)

Ivana Bacik: I thank all colleagues who at 1 p.m. today in front of Leinster House joined members of the Bosnian community to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre during the genocide that occurred 20 years ago this July. Also today, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, following representations made to him, has issued a statement officially commemorating the genocide from an...