Results 4,341-4,360 of 11,469 for speaker:Ivana Bacik

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (13 May 2014)

Ivana Bacik: Senator Katherine Zappone is not a Government Senator.

Seanad: Abduction of Nigerian Children: Motion (13 May 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Costello to the House and thank him for taking this important debate. I second the motion, which has been put forward with cross-party support. I am really glad we have been able to achieve that support as it shows the strength of feeling across Ireland on this horrible abduction. As Senator Mullins has said the motion deals with the abduction of more...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 May 2014)

Ivana Bacik: Following on from yesterday's Order of Business, at which I spoke on the Guerin report and sought a debate on it in this House, I wish to report to the House that the Secretary General of the Department of Justice and Equality is going to attend before the justice committee on, I think, next Tuesday, 20 May. Indeed, we are in the process this morning of conducting hearings on oversight...

Seanad: Seanad Electoral (Panel Members) (Amendment) Bill 2014: Second Stage (14 May 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister of State and I commend Senator Barrett on taking the initiative by introducing this Private Members' Bill. This debate is part of a bigger process whereby we are discussing Seanad reform on an ongoing basis. It is very worthwhile to have technically well-drafted and comprehensive Bills before us when considering that issue. I do not support the principle behind this...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight: Discussion (14 May 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I had to attend a vote in the Seanad Chamber, so I apologise if I have missed something that has already been covered. I have three questions for GSOC. Right at the start, Deputy Collins asked about co-operation with the Garda. I think Mr. O'Brien said he was getting better co-operation now from the Garda in terms of investigations and the transmission of information, but there are still...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight: Discussion (14 May 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I apologise if this has been asked already, but my second question relates to the constitution of GSOC as established in the 2005 legislation. At that time, many of us were critical of the commission's tripartite nature, although I mean no offence to any individuals. Nuala O'Loan was the first police ombudsman in Northern Ireland and that was seen as an effective model with all the power...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight: Discussion (14 May 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I do not know if any other organisations have views. I know that views were expressed at the time. My next question relates to something that Mr. Mark Kelly was speaking about when I came back concerning the powers of GSOC to investigate particular matters. I will not go into the allegations that were at issue in the Guerin report, as those will be the subject of a commission of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight: Discussion (14 May 2014)

Ivana Bacik: To clarify, individual complaints can give rise to findings or conclusions by GSOC that there have been systemic issues of neglect of supervision or poor supervision and that can apply at more junior ranks as well as at senior level. Currently, given the questioning we have had over the morning, does GSOC have a problem in dealing with those systemic issues because of the existence of a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight: Discussion (14 May 2014)

Ivana Bacik: That is just-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight: Discussion (14 May 2014)

Ivana Bacik: We all have Dr. O’Flaherty’s written statement. It would be helpful if perhaps we heard an overview from him on the sort of abuses he has experienced directly and the ways in which they could be tackled through legislation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight: Discussion (14 May 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I thank the witnesses for giving us the benefit of their experience and expertise on these issues. The issue I wish to raise applies to several groups as it arose during our hearings this morning. It concerns the complex relationship between different bodies with various oversight roles. Mr. McGillicuddy expressed the view from the Bar Council that the reviews are somewhat fragmented and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight: Discussion (14 May 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I did not use that word.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight: Discussion (14 May 2014)

Ivana Bacik: To follow up on that with Mr. Olson, an extraordinary point that is made in his fuller submission to the committee is that although the 2005 Act provided for the establishment of both GSOC and the Garda Inspectorate, there is no statutory basis for collaboration between the two organisations. There is no information sharing provision, for example. It relies very much on informal processes....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight: Discussion (14 May 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I have a final question on something Dr. O'Flaherty said about whistleblowers, not just confined to members of An Garda Síochána in Garda stations but to others, like himself, who would have had professional access and would have perhaps observed abuses happening. Is he or anybody, including the AGSI, aware of an internal whistleblowers charter? I wrote to the former Garda...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight: Discussion (14 May 2014)

Ivana Bacik: Is it publicly accessible?

Seanad: Order of Business (27 May 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I join with Senator Darragh O'Brien in commending all of those who stood as candidates in the local and European elections and congratulate all of those candidates who were successful and commiserate with all of those who were defeated. I would agree with him that the way in which the counts have played out has shown again the need for a review of the system of counting votes. I would agree...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 May 2014)

Ivana Bacik: Under party rules, Senators are not eligible.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 May 2014)

Ivana Bacik: It is time also for renewal of party policy and for a review of our performance more generally, not merely for a change of leadership. That is also something that is universally acknowledged. It is important the business of government goes on and that we do not see anyone feeling that this is a time that the Government is in any way a lame duck as a result of this. We are going to continue...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Forensic Evidence and DNA Database System) Bill 2013: Second Stage (27 May 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister, Deputy Fitzgerald, to the House. This is our first opportunity to welcome her here as Minister for Justice and Equality. We are all delighted that she has the portfolio, particularly me having worked with her in this House under the previous Government. I very much look forward to working with her in the future. I have already paid tribute to her predecessor, Deputy...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Forensic Evidence and DNA Database System) Bill 2013: Second Stage (27 May 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I am sorry. We can go into this level of detail at Committee Stage. As I stated, Parts 2 and 4 are hugely important. In Part 2, there have been important amendments made which have been welcomed by civil liberties groups, particularly in regard to the negative inferences. As a former defence practitioner, I do not like these provisions around the drawing of negative inferences. I am glad...