Results 8,841-8,860 of 11,477 for speaker:Ivana Bacik

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: There was a public session.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: Churchill was, of course, a noted orator. There are many good orators who do not know what they are going to say when they stand up, so I am not sure Senator Mooney was right about that. With regard to the household charge, as colleagues know, this was introduced as part of the EU-IMF programme. It is regrettable that it is a flat rate for the first year but the Government has made clear it...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: Three years ago.

Seanad: Small Business: Motion (28 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank the many representatives from the business organisations who were invited to the House for taking the time to attend and for putting forward constructive suggestions and ideas to Members. All Members are highly conscious of the difficulties faced by small businesses and those who are self-employed in this difficult time. I am grateful...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Female Genital Mutilation) Bill 2011 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (28 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: I thank the Minister for his kind words and all colleagues in the House for their support before and since the last election. It is good to see the Bill receive cross-party support. As Senator White said, it is a sign of what the Seanad can do in terms of initiating legislation on areas which have not been dealt with in the Dáil. Most importantly, as the Minister said, this legislation...

Seanad: Privacy Bill 2012: Second Stage (28 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister and the opportunity to debate the Bill. I commend Senator David Norris for taking the initiative and reintroducing a privacy Bill to the House. The 2006 Bill is on the Order Paper having been reintroduced by the Minister in June 2011. I pay particular tribute to the Senator who in litigation has done a good deal to give force and meaning to the privacy provisions in...

Seanad: Privacy Bill 2012: Second Stage (28 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: I was just about to say that. The Senator has highlighted the fact that my good friends and colleagues, Colm Mac Eoichaidh and Michael Smith, did the public interest a great service and in moving outside the jurisdiction of the State which they felt they had to do to prompt what ultimately transpired in the Mahon tribunal investigations. Clearly, there was a problem with investigative...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Female Genital Mutilation) Bill 2011 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (28 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister to the House and thank him for his kind comments on the Bill. It is almost two years since I introduced a Private Members' Bill in the House to prohibit female genital mutilation. I was delighted when the then Government took it up as a Government Bill and the current Government committed to introducing it. I thank the Minister for his personal interest and steering...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Female Genital Mutilation) Bill 2011 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (28 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: Now.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: On the future of the Seanad.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: The Labour Party's position remains the same.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: In common with Senator Darragh O'Brien, I also welcome the setting of 31 May as the date for the referendum on the fiscal treaty. It is important to have set a date towards which everyone can work. I am also glad to hear that Fianna Fáil will campaign actively for a "Yes" vote, as will the Labour Party, which is gearing up for that already.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: However, whichever side of the debate Members are on, it is important that they contribute, as public representatives, to making it an informed debate. It has been useful to have already had a debate in this House on foot of a briefing by the Oireachtas Library and Research Service, which has contributed greatly to everyone's understanding of the referendum and of the treaty. Hopefully, it...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: In response to Senator Norris, I very much share his concern about the appalling report of what happened in the Netherlands.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: I am grateful to the Senator for raising it in this House as it is important. Finally, I thank all those who attended a seminar last night on the future of the Seanad organised by the classics department in Trinity College. It was a worthwhile event chaired by a former Leader of the Seanad, Maurice Manning, and was part of a process that Members must help to initiate in the Seanad. Members...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: I agree with Senator O'Brien on the need for a debate on the Mahon tribunal report. All of us would appreciate generous time being spent debating the findings of the tribunal which we are all still absorbing. The report made some substantive findings and some very substantive recommendations which will require legislation if they are to be put into law. We need to debate how we do that,...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: Just as an aside.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: I thank Senator O'Brien for his very constructive comments on a number of issues. I agree with him that it is people's duty to pay the household charge. I disagree with him on the numbers paying. Over the coming days before the deadline of 31 March we will see an exponential rise in those paying. People always leave any payment until they absolutely have to pay it. I thank him for his...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: In my capacity last week as Acting Leader and further to my promise to the House then, I did write to the Taoiseach about the concerns expressed by Members on both sides about the delays in making progress on the problem of mortgage arrears. He and the Tánaiste spoke publicly about their concerns at the lack of progress and delays in this area at the end of last week. I hope our letter had...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: The Order of Business is No. 1, Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011, Report and Final Stages, to be taken at the conclusion of the Order of Business. The time allocated for this item shall not exceed two hours and 15 minutes.