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Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of Children and Family Relationships Bill 2014: Discussion (9 Apr 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I thank the witnesses for their valuable contributions, which can be of great assistance to us in considering the heads of the Bill. It is good to hear a general welcome expressed for the long overdue introduction of these heads. I would like to acknowledge former Senator Mary Henry in the Visitors Gallery, who I know has done a lot of work on this issue over many years to try to bring...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of Children and Family Relationships Bill 2014: Discussion (9 Apr 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I thank Dr. Wingfield for her comprehensive answer. Should we therefore be instituting some sort of arrangement in this Bill, whereby we can certify that a country from which a surrogate mother may be coming has appropriate protections in place, both for the surrogate mother and for any child born? That would be similar to the Hague convention on adoption. Would that not make sense in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of Children and Family Relationships Bill 2014: Discussion (9 Apr 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I have one final point for One Family. I thank its representatives for their work on the child contact centres. Anybody with any experience in child law in the District and Circuit Courts would be aware of the need for this sort of arrangement. Is Ms Kiernan saying there should be some provisions specifically in the legislation for such contact centres? Head 58 reproduces the section 47...

Seanad: Fines (Payment and Recovery) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (8 Apr 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I commend the Minister of State and his officials on bringing forward this Bill. As Senator Barrett has noted and we all agree, the main purpose of the Bill is reduce substantially the number of people sent to prison for non-payment of fines. That number is still scandalously high despite the well-intentioned passage of the Fines Act 2010. Once this Bill is passed I envisage a broader...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Apr 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the state visit of President Michael D. Higgins to Britain. I know Senators on all sides will be extremely proud of Uachtaráin na hÉireann today. The nature of the welcome extended to the President and the huge amounts of goodwill shown towards him on the streets of London and Windsor indicate that this is a genuinely good news story. There are two really positive...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Apr 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I did not interrupt the Senator.

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Apr 2014)

Ivana Bacik: Apart from anything else and as I pointed out last week, calling for the Attorney General to come before the House is an utterly futile exercise because she is subject to lawyer-client privilege.

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Apr 2014)

Ivana Bacik: However much I disagree with Senator Darragh O'Brien's silly gesture, at least I did not interrupt him when he was speaking.

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Apr 2014)

Ivana Bacik: Now that I have a moment of silence I wish to welcome the terms of reference of the commission of investigation. I also welcome the fact that the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality's almost unanimous recommendation to the Government has been accepted and that the commission will investigate correspondence routes within the Department of Justice and Equality, particularly that...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Apr 2014)

Ivana Bacik: -----that it is to report to the Government no later than 31 December 2014. I think there is a misunderstanding on the Senator's part.

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Apr 2014)

Ivana Bacik: The Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, has been doing a superb job and has defended the spend relating to psychiatric and mental health services. She has managed to ensure that the relevant funding has been ring-fenced. I am sure all Senators are very much aware of the contribution the Minister of State has made. She has come before the House on many occasions

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Apr 2014)

Ivana Bacik: -----to discuss this matter.

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Apr 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome Mr. Michael Murphy and Ewald Hoffmann to the Gallery. They are here at the invitation of Senator Mary White and have a long-standing connection with Waterford Glass. Senator O'Brien has proposed an amendment to the Order of Business and I know the Leader dealt with the issue very comprehensively yesterday. I also spoke to the matter and pointed out that it seems to be a rather...

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Apr 2014)

Ivana Bacik: In that context I very much welcome the decision we took on the justice committee last night to seek to include certain matters in the terms of reference of the commission of investigation. We have written to the Taoiseach today in that regard. That decision was agreed by almost all the members on the committee. I welcome two issues which emerged yesterday. The first is a very welcome fall...

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Apr 2014)

Ivana Bacik: For the first time it will do away with the two-tier health care system that we have had for far too long, with people being able to buy faster treatment and better outcomes in health care simply because they have more money. For the first time we will move to a health care system based on need rather than means, which I welcome. I will also mention the establishment of the new Educate...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Report on Human Trafficking: Scoil Phobail Bhéara (2 Apr 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I am still blown away by that story about William Wilberforce, with which I was not familiar. I join with others in congratulating all the students on a really good presentation that was clear, insightful and full of useful ideas. It is very good to hear, as this is an area of great interest to this committee. Members reported last year on the issue of prostitution and of course as the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Report on Human Trafficking: Scoil Phobail Bhéara (2 Apr 2014)

Ivana Bacik: Absolutely. Senator Mullen is an NUI Senator.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Report on Human Trafficking: Scoil Phobail Bhéara (2 Apr 2014)

Ivana Bacik: In respect of debating and public speaking, the students have already proven themselves here today, so well done to them.

Seanad: Higher Education and Research (Consolidation and Improvement) Bill 2014: Second Stage (2 Apr 2014)

Ivana Bacik: We would all probably agree with this. This is not unique to Ireland. I remember being very conscious of it when I lectured in London; I was there when the polytechnics were being turned into universities. It is a process which must be approached with care. I absolutely approve of the reforms proposed by the Minister but we need to ensure the transition is carried out in a way which is...

Seanad: Higher Education and Research (Consolidation and Improvement) Bill 2014: Second Stage (2 Apr 2014)

Ivana Bacik: It is the gold. It is keeping the blue.