Results 4,421-4,440 of 11,469 for speaker:Ivana Bacik

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jun 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Government's decision yesterday on discretionary medical cards. I know that quite a number of colleagues referred to it yesterday on the Order of Business and I meant to do so myself. It will offer great reassurance to many. The Minister for Health, the Taioseach and the HSE officials who have spoken in the media have done their best to clarify the circumstances of the...

Seanad: 750th Anniversary of First Irish Parliament: Statements (18 Jun 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister, Deputy Deenihan, to the House. He is as welcome as always, and he is particularly welcome today on this auspicious date, the 750th anniversary of the first recorded sitting of a Parliament in Ireland, on 18 June 1264. That date is particularly auspicious because it was the first Wednesday after the feast of the Holy Trinity and, interestingly, the 750th anniversary...

Seanad: 750th Anniversary of First Irish Parliament: Statements (18 Jun 2014)

Ivana Bacik: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Bill 2014: Second Stage (18 Jun 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister, Deputy Fitzgerald, and the introduction of this legislation. It has already been passed by the Dáil and the Minister referred to some of the amendments made there. It is a long-awaited Bill. The Minister stressed the urgency with which it is being brought forward and some of us - clearly not all of us - hope it will be law before the summer. The members of the...

Seanad: Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Bill 2014: Second Stage (18 Jun 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I agree in principle that the broader definition in section 2 should be there, particularly for the work of promotion and advocacy of human rights for a commission, but I can see a practical difficulty if a commission is trying to hold bodies within the State, either private or public, to account by reference to a set of human rights standards that are not contained in the Constitution or in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security: Discussion (18 Jun 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I thank all those who have spoken for their excellent presentations. We have received a good overview of the work being done on the monitoring plan for Resolution 1325. I have a specific question for Ms Mbugua to whom I should say "Thank you" for the mention in connection with the Female Genital Mutilation Bill 2010. In fact, I have two questions, the first of which is on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security: Discussion (18 Jun 2014)

Ivana Bacik: How many is that?

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Ms Catherine McGuinness (19 Jun 2014)

Ivana Bacik: It gives me great pleasure to welcome our distinguished speaker today. Others have spoken of the former Mrs. Justice McGuinness's illustrious career, which spanned so many different areas of Irish public life as a barrister, Dublin University Senator, president of the Law Reform Commission and, of course, a judge in the Circuit Court, High Court and Supreme Court. She has a long track...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Ms Catherine McGuinness (19 Jun 2014)

Ivana Bacik: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act 1998: Motion (19 Jun 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I move: That Seanad Éireann resolves that sections 2 to 4, 6 to 12, 14 and 17 of the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act 1998 (No. 39 of 1998) shall continue in operation for the period beginning on 30 June, 2014 and ending on 29 June, 2015.”

Seanad: Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act 1998: Motion (19 Jun 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I propose amending the Order of Business to reflect the time originally allocated for this debate, given that the session with former judge and Senator, Ms McGuinness, went a little over time. I presume there will be agreement to enable everyone contribute.

Seanad: Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act 1998: Motion (19 Jun 2014)

Ivana Bacik: And the later session will conclude at 2.30 p.m.

Seanad: Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act 1998: Motion (19 Jun 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and welcome the opportunity to debate the review and continuance of the relevant provisions of the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act 1998. It is hugely important that the Oireachtas would maintain an overview of these provisions given their draconian nature and the fact that they depart from the normal criminal justice system measures. I...

Seanad: Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act 1998: Motion (19 Jun 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I am not. I believe it is the fervent wish of the Government that the time will come when these provisions will no longer be required. That is right, and all of us should wish for that time and it is important that we would move to normality. All of us very much welcome the peace process and the continued steps towards normality but it is difficult to oppose the request by the Garda to...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009: Motion (19 Jun 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the opportunity to speak on the review of section 8 of the Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009. Let us be clear about what section 8 does. It provides that certain offences under Part 7 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006 - offences specifically dealing with organised crime under sections 71(a), 72, 73 and 76 - would be regarded as scheduled offences and that, therefore, the DPP...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009: Motion (19 Jun 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I think colleagues may deduce for themselves what position Sinn Féin would take.

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Jun 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I am sure that others will wish to join with me in paying tribute to Gerry Conlon whose death occurred last Saturday, 21 June. He was one of the Guildford Four, released from imprisonment in Britain in 1989, and spent the rest of his life campaigning for other victims of miscarriages of justice. Many of us were impressed by his work over the years. I wish to express my sympathy to his...

Seanad: Child Protection: Motion (25 Jun 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I move: That Seanad Éireann: - notes the need to ensure adequate protection of children and of children’s rights in our laws, and in particular to ensure that children are not coerced or forced into 'arranged' marriages; - notes that sections 31 and 33 of the Family Law Act 1995 allow exemptions from the normal rule that parties to a legal marriage must be over 18; and that the...

Seanad: Child Protection: Motion (25 Jun 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I thank all my colleagues for their support and the Minister of State for taking the motion and responding so positively to it. As I said earlier, it is an historic debate. It is the first time either House of the Oireachtas has debated the issue of forced marriage or child marriage. I thank all those who contributed. Senator van Turnhout really eloquently placed this motion in the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Justice and Home Affairs Council: Discussion (25 Jun 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I thank the Chairman for suspending the meeting. That was kind. I welcome the Minister, Deputy Fitzgerald. She has been in the Seanad already several times since her appointment as Minister but this is her first time before the committee, and I welcome her here and wish her the very best of luck. I thank the Minister for the comprehensive briefing on the Justice and Home Affairs Council...