Results 3,981-4,000 of 11,469 for speaker:Ivana Bacik

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Oct 2013)

Ivana Bacik: One of the strengths on which we in this House have always prided ourselves is that we conduct debate in a respectful and courteous manner. In fairness to Senator Darragh O'Brien, he has listened courteously as I tried to respond fairly to the questions he asked. I cannot say the same for all of his colleagues. I ask Members to treat whoever is standing in the Leader's position with the...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Oct 2013)

Ivana Bacik: Senator Clune referred to the childhood obesity campaign and called for a debate on the issue. Such a debate certainly would be worth having. Senator Catherine Noone raised the same issue and suggested it might be a matter for the Seanad Public Consultation Committee. I agree that it would be a useful follow-up to the previous debate and the report we produced on lifestyle and cancer...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Oct 2013)

Ivana Bacik: I agree with the Senator's comments in support of efforts by the Garda Síochána to combat child trafficking. Senator Jim D'Arcy called for a debate on the one-parent family credit changes and referred to a potential unintended consequence thereof in the form of discrimination against a particular group. I agree with the Senator's comments, particularly in the context of the recent...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Oct 2013)

Ivana Bacik: Senator Conway made the same point more generally with reference to bankers. As we know, trials are pending against certain individuals involved in the former Anglo Irish Bank, but I certainly agree that the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement must be facilitated with any resources necessary to ensure prosecutions are brought for the type...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Oct 2013)

Ivana Bacik: No wonder there is such cynicism in politics when Fianna Fáil accuses the Government of presiding over a broken health service, when it was a Fianna Fáil Government that presided over the formation of the HSE and the establishment of its bureaucratic structure which is proving extremely difficult to dismantle - a structure which has had a very negative effect on our health care...

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Statements (23 Oct 2013)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Taoiseach to the House. We are very glad to have him here, particularly in a spirit of peace and, dare I say, reconciliation following the very welcome outcome of the referendum. The outcome gives us more than a chance to reform. It was clear from the debate that there is now an imperative for us to reform not only Seanad structures but also, as colleagues have said,...

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Statements (23 Oct 2013)

Ivana Bacik: These are constructive proposals that any task force should consider. It might also be worth considering, in accordance with Article 19 of the Constitution, reservation of one panel for election by councillors to preserve existing links with local government. We should also see provision made for gender balance on the panels. Third, we might look at the timing of the Seanad election....

Seanad: Asylum Support Services: Motion (23 Oct 2013)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter, to the House. I also welcome the opportunity to have this debate. I commend Senator van Turnhout and her colleagues in the Taoiseach’s nominee group because it is an important debate to have. I further thank the Minister and the Government for not tabling an amendment. As Senator Power said, it is appropriate that we...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Oct 2013)

Ivana Bacik: The Senator is right to urge caution in the commentary on the very difficult and traumatic cases of the two Roma children. We all welcome the fact that they were returned to their families and that in the end there were no grounds for the concern that was raised by the Garda. However, the two cases have raised very serious questions. It was good to be in the Chamber last night when the...

Seanad: EU Scrutiny and Transparency in Government Bill 2013: Second Stage (24 Oct 2013)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I shall not avail of the full six minutes and shall speak briefly on a couple of issues that arose during the debate. I welcome the opportunity to debate the issue of EU scrutiny, particularly following our comprehensive debate with the Taoiseach yesterday on Seanad reform. It was also good to hear the Tánaiste's remarks in his speech...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Nov 2013)

Ivana Bacik: For somebody who was a Member of the Dáil when his party was in government, Senator Darragh O'Brien is betraying an astonishing ignorance of the role of the Revenue Commissioners.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Nov 2013)

Ivana Bacik: Revenue is, of course, independent of Government.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Nov 2013)

Ivana Bacik: Any confusion arising out of the letters sent by the Revenue Commissioners is unfortunate. Clarification is certainly required, and the Government has moved swiftly to provide it. The Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, has already met with the head of Revenue. The Oireachtas is moving on the issue, and rightly so. Deputy Ciarán Lynch has called representatives of the...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Nov 2013)

Ivana Bacik: It is very clear from what the Minister, Deputy Noonan, has said that there is no obligation to pay the money due in 2014 by the end of 2013, nor was that the intention of the Revenue letter. The Fianna Fáil Party is simply scaremongering on this issue.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Nov 2013)

Ivana Bacik: Any responsible legislator on either side of the House should be calling for clarification, which is exactly what the Labour Party and other parties are seeking. To try to muddy the water and stir up even further confusion, as Fianna Fáil has been doing, is irresponsible and unhelpful to ordinary citizens who are seeking to understand their tax obligations.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Nov 2013)

Ivana Bacik: It is not helpful to be calling for amendments to the Order of Business-----

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Nov 2013)

Ivana Bacik: -----and seeking to muddy the waters on this issue. People simply want clarification.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Nov 2013)

Ivana Bacik: Clarification is what is being sought and what Revenue will give us in due course.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Nov 2013)

Ivana Bacik: I support Senator Darragh O'Brien's call for a debate in the coming weeks on water infrastructure, which has become a matter of pressing concern to householders not just in Dublin but throughout the country. The current situation, where Dublin City Council is imposing restrictions on supply, is causing enormous problems, particularly for night-time industries such as restaurants, bars and...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Nov 2013)

Ivana Bacik: It is currently a severe difficulty for many in the Dublin region and it is true that there has been years of under-investment in water infrastructure, which is what appears to be giving rise to the particular problems we are experiencing at the moment. It is a real concern if we cannot guarantee proper water supplies in our capital city. We need to have a debate on this issue and on water...