Results 5,681-5,700 of 11,469 for speaker:Ivana Bacik

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Mar 2017)

Ivana Bacik: I thank the Leader.

Seanad: Pensions (Equal Pension Treatment in Occupational Benefit Scheme) (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (22 Mar 2017)

Ivana Bacik: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am delighted to be here to propose this Bill. I welcome the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Leo Varadkar, to the House. I have received an indication from the Government that it will not be opposing this Bill on Second Stage. I am very grateful for and delighted about that news. I acknowledge the presence in the Visitors Gallery...

Seanad: Pensions (Equal Pension Treatment in Occupational Benefit Scheme) (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (22 Mar 2017)

Ivana Bacik: Precisely. I thank Senator Norris for his comment and his support. David Parris does not seek recognition of his relationship prior to 2011 when it was possible to be legally recognised in civil partnership, he only seeks prospective recognition following his death, which hopefully will be many, many years away. It is not in any sense retrospective in his case, nor do we say is it...

Seanad: Pensions (Equal Pension Treatment in Occupational Benefit Scheme) (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (22 Mar 2017)

Ivana Bacik: There are a number of ways of doing it. When the Bill progresses further we may look at that. Even if there are more than a handful of couples, and I really do not think there will be, I do not believe that would be a reason to deny what is an important equality right.I see this Bill as a legacy Bill. It deals with a legacy of discrimination against gay couples and gay people. It is an...

Seanad: Pensions (Equal Pension Treatment in Occupational Benefit Scheme) (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (22 Mar 2017)

Ivana Bacik: I thank the many Senators who spoke to the Bill. I thank Senators Gerald Nash and Kevin Humphreys, who seconded the Bill, and Senators Ray Butler, Catherine Ardagh, Victor Boyhan, David Norris, Fintan Warfield, Lynn Ruane, Máire Devine and Alice-Mary Higgins for expressing their support for it in such strong terms. I think everyone acknowledged the bravery of David Parris and his...

Seanad: Pensions (Equal Pension Treatment in Occupational Benefit Scheme) (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (22 Mar 2017)

Ivana Bacik: Next Tuesday.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Mar 2017)

Ivana Bacik: Today is the day that British Prime Minister Theresa May triggers Article 50. She will address the House of Commons on the issue within the next hour. The Seanad's Brexit hearings are a welcome initiative, but we also need to consider raising the issue of Brexit in other debates in the House. Yesterday, we in Labour published our detailed Brexit policy, outlining 20 concrete actions that...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Prison Accommodation (30 Mar 2017)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I thank him for coming in. I am sorry the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality is not able to be here to take this question.He might pass on the fact that I wished to commend her on the penal reform programme generally and, in particular, the announcement this week that the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Zappone,...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Prison Accommodation (30 Mar 2017)

Ivana Bacik: I thank the Minister of State for those words. I am grateful to Mr. Donnellan, the head of the Irish Prison Service, for also communicating with me much of the information that the Minister of State just provided. I appreciate the progress being made in refurbishing Mountjoy Prison, in particular the ending of the appalling practice of slopping out. I am glad to hear the Minister of State...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Prison Accommodation (30 Mar 2017)

Ivana Bacik: I thank the Minister of State.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Apr 2017)

Ivana Bacik: I concur with my colleague in expressing sympathy to the families of the victims of the appalling attack in Syria.There were dreadful reports from there and from St. Petersburg in Russia, where another attack took place. I wish to ask the Leader about his announcement that we will be taking the Knowledge Development Box (Certification of Inventions) Bill 2016 before the Companies (Accounting)...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Potential Impact of UK Withdrawal from the European Union: Discussion (6 Apr 2017)

Ivana Bacik: I thank all the witnesses for their interesting and eloquent presentations. It is true to say that the impact of Brexit on development aid and general policy has been overlooked. It is important that we consider this matter along with all the other areas that will be impacted by Brexit. The witnesses have clearly conveyed the message to link the impact of Brexit with the need for Ireland...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Apr 2017)

Ivana Bacik: I join others in expressing hope we will see resolution of the Bus Éireann strike in the talks at the Labour Court, which are due to take place this afternoon. We all regret the fact that talks broke down late last night at the Workplace Relations Commission. I ask the Leader for support in drafting an all-party motion condemning the appalling chemical weapons attack on civilians in...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 May 2017)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the election of Emmanuel Macron as President of France. I particularly welcome the defeat of Marine Le Pen and the rejection by the French electorate of the politics of the far right.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 May 2017)

Ivana Bacik: I think it is a very optimistic sign in what is often a bleak political landscape at present across Europe. I would like to welcome one aspect of the scheme of the social welfare and pensions Bill, as published by the Minister, Deputy Varadkar, last night. Colleagues will be interested to know that head 14 of the scheme mirrors the Seanad Private Members' Bill I introduced on behalf of the...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 May 2017)

Ivana Bacik: There is an absolutely clear need to repeal the provision in the Defamation Act 2009 which introduced the new statutory offence of blasphemy and then to have a constitutional referendum to remove blasphemy from the Constitution.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 May 2017)

Ivana Bacik: As an Oireachtas, we could repeal the 2009 provision by taking out the statutory offence and thereby removing the crazy situation whereby someone like Stephen Fry was apparently facing interview by the Garda for his comments.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Implications of Brexit for Foreign Policy: Discussion (11 May 2017)

Ivana Bacik: I thank the witnesses for their stimulating and comprehensive presentations that complemented each other on the law and politics around Brexit. The witnesses are before the committee on an auspicious day, given that Michel Barnier will be in the Dáil in the next hour. Professor Murphy described himself as ardently pro-European. It is not a phrase one hears often but I would probably...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Implications of Brexit for Foreign Policy: Discussion (11 May 2017)

Ivana Bacik: We did not ask about the defence issue, in particular how the EU could deal with a resurgent Russia. We have had people in from Georgia and other countries who have real concerns about that. We may not have time for that today because it is a whole other issue.

Seanad: Order of Business (17 May 2017)

Ivana Bacik: I thank the Leader for accepting the Bill proposed by the Labour Party group, the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (Gender Pay Gap Information) Bill 2017, which we will propose on Second Stage on Wednesday, 24 May in Private Members' time. This is an important Bill to tackle the ongoing issue of a gender pay gap, which remains persistent despite equal pay legislation being in place...