Results 421-440 of 11,444 for speaker:Ivana Bacik

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Feb 2009)

Ivana Bacik: That would make it appear more equitable and would make it easier to bear the pain of these unpopular measures. We need to engage constructively and we need to do so today. I also ask that the Leader would take on board the wording I proposed to him last week of a cross-party motion from this House calling on the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to grant Pamela Izevbekhai and...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Feb 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome Senator Mullen's expression of support for the separation of church and State. I am delighted to hear it.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Feb 2009)

Ivana Bacik: Many of us have long called for a true separation of church and State in Ireland, particularly in the education and health care systems, and I am delighted to hear Senator Mullen support that. I take objection to the way he lectures anyone——

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Feb 2009)

Ivana Bacik: ——who dares to criticise the Pope's decision or the Vatican State's decision on Bishop Richard Williamson, who clearly denied the Holocaust on Swedish television, which is appalling. Chancellor Angela Merkel is correct to make a diplomatic issue of this with the Vatican State.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Feb 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I thank the Leader.

Seanad: Human Rights Issues: Motion (4 Feb 2009)

Ivana Bacik: May I give the last minute of my time to Senator Doherty? I welcome the Minister to the House. It gives me great pleasure to support Senator Norris's motion. It is a very important time for us to debate the Government's commitment to human rights. We have all acknowledged we face a deeply difficult economic period, but at a time like this we need to renew our commitment to human rights...

Seanad: Human Rights Issues: Motion (4 Feb 2009)

Ivana Bacik: We must bear in mind the language used here. I want to speak about the Equality Authority in more detail. Saturday's Irish Times carried a very powerful letter by the seven saoithe of Aosdána, among them Louis le Brocquy, Seamus Heaney, Brian Friel and Camille Souter. They expressed grave concern at the position of the Equality Authority following the recent resignation of its director,...

Seanad: Stabilisation of the Public Finances: Statements (5 Feb 2009)

Ivana Bacik: That is what we agreed. I am happy with two minutes.

Seanad: Stabilisation of the Public Finances: Statements (5 Feb 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I thank Senator O'Toole for sharing time with me. I echo his words about the need for equity, about the problem with the burden of blame being heaped on the public sector and the unfair scapegoating of public service workers. In the public service, we all accept the need to pay our share. I support the principle of the pension levy, but I disagree with the inequitable way in which it is...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Feb 2009)

Ivana Bacik: That is what we say.

Seanad: Education Matters: Statements (10 Feb 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister of State and the opportunity to speak on education, a subject on which I have very strong views and in which I have a strong interest. I should declare my interest as a lecturer in the law school in Trinity College and as somebody who is, therefore, very centrally involved in educating law students. I will begin by saying something about the third level sector. I wish...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Feb 2009)

Ivana Bacik: Other Senators have rightly expressed shock and dismay at the news of the appalling practices between Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Life & Permanent. Who knows, as Senator Ross said, what other banks are engaged in the practice of propping up each other? It begs the question, if the banks are busy bailing each other out, why on earth are we, as taxpayers, bailing them out? Could it be that...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Feb 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I am reminded of the phrase which got a British governmental adviser into such trouble some years ago. It seems like today is a good day to bury bad news, given the major headlines on the loans between Irish Life & Permanent and Anglo Irish Bank. Clearly other bad news might well be buried on a day like today and this is why we need the Minister to come to the House and tell Members why he...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Feb 2009)

Ivana Bacik: We can put to him the reasons he should reverse this appalling decision.

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Feb 2009)

Ivana Bacik: That is a cutback by any other name.

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Feb 2009)

Ivana Bacik: It is.

Seanad: Child Poverty: Motion (11 Feb 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion which tackles the very important issue of child poverty. I agree with Senator Boyle entirely that one should measure a Government by its commitment to social justice and by its ability to do the most with the least resources. However, I am disturbed to hear him speak about the need for readjustment. Given that the Minister for Education and...

Seanad: Recapitalisation of Allied Irish Banks and Bank of Ireland: Statements (12 Feb 2009)

Ivana Bacik: As Senator Quinn said, apparently we are all bankers. I welcome the opportunity to put on record two fundamental concerns about the proposed recapitalisation plan. It is essential we have a cap on remuneration. It is simply not enough to talk about percentage cuts and so on when the base amounts are so enormous. In terms of the public having confidence in what is being done, it is...

Seanad: Recapitalisation of Allied Irish Banks and Bank of Ireland: Statements (12 Feb 2009)

Ivana Bacik: ——which exceeded liabilities. Many of us had real doubts about what the Minister said. What we know, having heard about the back to back loan and fraudulent presentation of loan money being presented as a customer deposit and therefore part of the assets of the bank is that the cushion is exposed to have been a fiction. What we do not know is how many other fictions we were legislating...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Feb 2009)

Ivana Bacik: Like Senator Walsh, I was very impressed by David Begg on "Questions & Answers" last night. Sitting in the studio, I was particularly impressed by how much the Minister of State, Deputy Conor Lenihan, appeared to agree with David Begg. The strength of what he had to say lay in the fact that the Irish Congress of Trade Unions has put forward a ten-point economic plan for economic recovery...