Results 7,121-7,140 of 11,695 for speaker:Ivana Bacik

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Oct 2014)

Ivana Bacik: It is ironic that members of the political party that has been in power the longest during the lifetime of the State are arguing that these measures are belated. That party did nothing in respect of this matter.

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Oct 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I would like the opportunity to make my point, which is uncontroversial. This is the first time in the history of the State that there will finally be a need for Cabinet approval for an objective and transparent system of appointments to State boards.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (2 Oct 2014)

Ivana Bacik: It should also not be forgotten-----

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (2 Oct 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I acknowledged that Senator Mooney took a much more measured approach to this issue than many of his colleagues.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (2 Oct 2014)

Ivana Bacik: It is important to put on the record the large number of appointments made.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (2 Oct 2014)

Ivana Bacik: Balance is important.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (2 Oct 2014)

Ivana Bacik: It is interesting to note that less than one-third of all appointments by Fianna Fáil during its 14 years in government were women. I agree there is a need for the appointment of more women and to ensure a better gender balance in terms of State appointments.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (2 Oct 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I hope that will be the result of the new measures to be introduced by the Minister, Deputy Howlin, which recently received full Cabinet approval.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (2 Oct 2014)

Ivana Bacik: Senator Mullins also welcomed the decrease in unemployment as set out in the live register statistics. It is genuinely a good news story that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is 11.1%, down from a crisis peak of 15.1% in 2012. It is hugely significant that there has been a 9% year-on-year decrease in unemployment, with long-term unemployment having decreased by 5.5% year on year....

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (2 Oct 2014)

Ivana Bacik: -----following which 129 applicants where whittled down to eight. It is important that this House gives credit to good practice regardless of by whom it was instituted or which committee engages in it. The media does not pay enough attention to the many Ministers who have been utilising this open and transparent system of State board appointments. Senator Brennan also expressed the hope...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (2 Oct 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I propose to ignore Senator Wilson's gratuitous comments about the Labour Party.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (2 Oct 2014)

Ivana Bacik: It is nice not to be ignored. Senator Wilson also raised the plight of Defence Forces personnel. I am sure all of us, on reading some of the reports from the Defence Forces representatives organisation, would share his concern. The Minister, Deputy Coveney, has said that he has not received representations on that matter. He will be in the House next Wednesday at which time these matters...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (2 Oct 2014)

Ivana Bacik: Senator O'Donovan raised the John McNulty saga and confessed to eavesdropping and listening in corridors after the Fine Gael parliamentary party meeting. I have no comment on his eavesdropping skills but my view on this issue has been expressed consistently on the record on a number of occasions. I have serious concerns about the manner and timing of the appointment of Mr. McNulty to the...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (2 Oct 2014)

Ivana Bacik: Go on.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (2 Oct 2014)

Ivana Bacik: That really is a dead horse.

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Oct 2014)

Ivana Bacik: The Order of Business is No. 1, Freedom of Information Bill 2013 - Report and Final Stages, to be taken at 11.45 a.m.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: The Benefits of e-Conveyancing: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I thank the witnesses for coming back to the committee. It is particularly good to hear from the bankers this time because, as Mr. Dorgan said, we did hear there was a concern about buy-in and engagement on that side while the Law Society was keen to promote the idea and we on the committee felt it was a positive development. The Law Reform Commission also seemed to endorse it very...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: The Benefits of e-Conveyancing: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2014)

Ivana Bacik: At the meeting in June several of us asked about security. This seems to be very positive for consumers, which was our main concern but is there an issue about conveying information on the Internet? Will the data be encrypted?

Seanad: Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy (1 Oct 2014)

Ivana Bacik: Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Chathaoirligh. I wish to join with others on behalf of the Labour Party group, and as leader of the Labour Party group, to pay tribute to the late Dr. Edward Haughey, who as others have said served as a Senator in this House for two terms, from 1994 and again in 1997. As we know, he died very tragically earlier this year. I particularly wanted to speak...

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Oct 2014)

Ivana Bacik: On a point of order, as leader of the Labour group in the Seanad, I never said that. I have been very clear about putting concerns on the record.