Results 4,821-4,840 of 11,469 for speaker:Ivana Bacik

Seanad: Adoption (Identity and Information) Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (18 Feb 2015)

Ivana Bacik: Now.

Seanad: Adoption (Identity and Information) Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (18 Feb 2015)

Ivana Bacik: I thank everybody in the House for their co-operation. With only 60 Senators in the House, I have been very surprised by the number of personal stories from Members based on direct or family experience. These stories show how much the subject ripples throughout society. This is a really proud day for me. I thank Senator Power, in particular, for all her work on the Bill. I thank also...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Feb 2015)

Ivana Bacik: I am sure all colleagues will join me, as they did yesterday, in condemning the dreadful attack on the prison officers by the escaped prisoner, Mr. Brockwell, but I am sure also that everyone will wish to join me in commending the PSNI officers and gardaí who were involved in the police operation that resulted in his recapture, as we heard last night. I am disappointed at Senator...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Feb 2015)

Ivana Bacik: It is something on which this House can unite in support of those on the front line in seeking to ensure that dangerous prisoners such as this man do not evade recapture when an escape has happened, and to ensure that escapes like this are prevented in future.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Feb 2015)

Ivana Bacik: A measured debate on this matter with the Minister for Justice and Equality would be appropriate, but not a knee-jerk debate today when there are ongoing operations and it is not yet clear what will be the outcome in terms of whether Mr. Brockwell will be returned to Britain to serve the remainder of his sentence. Fianna Fáil tabled an amendment on this issue yesterday also, and I felt...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Feb 2015)

Ivana Bacik: I join Senator O’Brien in congratulating the Irish cricket team, which has been doing so well. We would all like to join in the congratulations. I suspect Senator O’Brien is on a sticky wicket when he tries to look for additional funds for Malahide Cricket Club.

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Feb 2015)

Ivana Bacik: It is a beautiful cricket club. I am joking. I do not think the Senator is on a sticky wicket. I welcome good news from the quarterly Central Statistics Office, CSO, household survey figures this morning which show a strong increase in employment. An article by Deputy Joanna Tuffy in The Irish Timestoday points out this Government’s record on job creation has been well ahead of the...

Seanad: Workplace Relations Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Feb 2015)

Ivana Bacik: I support the Minister. I appreciate where the Senators are coming from. Anyone involved in litigation will be aware of delays and the need to try to address this issue. Senator Craughwell referred to a High Court judge making orders. The difficulty in this context is that the amendments seek to give case resolution officers powers that are inappropriate.I know the Senator said this would...

Seanad: Workplace Relations Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Feb 2015)

Ivana Bacik: The words "may direct" is giving a power of compulsion to a person, or an officer, to whom it is inappropriate to give that power. That is quite different to an adjudication officer, or a person in the role already described, somebody who is in a quasi-judicial position.

Seanad: Workplace Relations Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Feb 2015)

Ivana Bacik: We need to be clear about the appropriate forum. If one is talking about people moving on, subsequent to mediation having failed, to an adjudicative process, then clearly any directive powers would have to be attributed or connected to the adjudicative process and not the person engaged in the actual running of the mediation. In terms of language, the words "request" or "direct" have the...

Seanad: Workplace Relations Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Feb 2015)

Ivana Bacik: I think we disagree on where that is.

Seanad: Workplace Relations Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Feb 2015)

Ivana Bacik: I appreciate the spirit of this amendment because it is reflects an issue I raised on Second Stage with the Minister of State, Deputy Gerald Nash, namely, my concern to ensure the equality function of the new entity is not downgraded. Indeed, I suggested at one point that we should consider putting the word "equality" into the name of the new body, because equality law and the equality...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Feb 2015)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the establishment of the low pay commission, which will have its first meeting today. I am sure everyone will wish to join with me in wishing chairperson Dr. Donal de Buitléir and the eight commissioners the very best of luck in the hugely important work they will be doing. The Tánaiste spoke about the 95,000 new jobs created since the depths of the crisis and said that...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Feb 2015)

Ivana Bacik: Let us not forget who has the commitment to ensuring that low pay is tackled in an evidence-based and effective manner. I welcome the immense personal commitment of the Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Ged Nash, to the low pay commission. We should all wish them well for their first meeting today.

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Feb 2015)

Ivana Bacik: I also welcome the announcement that the Department of Health is bringing forward legislation on assisted human reproduction and surrogacy.Undoubtedly, it has been some time in development. Last year, the justice committee held pre-legislative hearings on a different version of the Children and Family Relationships Bill that also encapsulated provisions on surrogacy. The latter will be...

Seanad: Garda Síochána (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (26 Feb 2015)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. During the debate on Second Stage, I spoke on the tripartite ombudsman and referred to the recommendation of the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality, which was that consideration be given to changing the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, GSOC, from a three-person institution to a single Garda Síochána...

Seanad: Garda Síochána (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (26 Feb 2015)

Ivana Bacik: Again, this was an issue that I raised on Second Stage and as the Senator noted, it also was recommended by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality that permission to access the PULSE system by GSOC be placed on a statutory footing. The joint committee considered that access to PULSE would be of integral importance to the operation of effective oversight of An Garda...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Spent Convictions Legislation (3 Mar 2015)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister to the House. I support my colleague, Senator Mulcahy, in his request. I was part of the justice committee he mentioned, and I was present when he made his powerful contribution. I am very glad to hear, as I know he is, about the good news on the Istanbul Convention, which is a serious issue for non-governmental organisations and so on. Everyone will be very glad to...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Spent Convictions Legislation (3 Mar 2015)

Ivana Bacik: Report Stage is ordered but it has not commenced Report Stage. I have been approached by quite a number of individuals, as I know have other colleagues, in particular my colleague, Senator John Kelly, who are very much disadvantaged by the failure to enact legislation on this because as we know, having a criminal record can present obstacles to employment, education or training, insurance,...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Spent Convictions Legislation (3 Mar 2015)

Ivana Bacik: I am grateful to the Minister for her comprehensive response. I was aware of the T case. Indeed, at the seminar with the Irish Penal Reform Trust, we discussed the case and its implications and we were conscious that the legislation would need to be reviewed in the context of that judgment. All of us would appreciate that. It was merely the length of time it had taken. I am grateful to...