Results 6,001-6,020 of 11,695 for speaker:Ivana Bacik

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jul 2018)

Ivana Bacik: I move amendment No. 14:In page 10, lines 20 to 31, to delete all words from and including “(1) The Commission” in line 20 down to and including line 31, and in page 11, to delete lines 1 to 3 and substitute the following: “(1) The Commission shall consist of 12 members being— (a) the Chief Justice, who shall be the Chairperson of the Commission, (b) the...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Jul 2018)

Ivana Bacik: I propose an amendment to the Order of Business that No. 1, the motion proposed by the Deputy Leader for the sitting of the House on Monday, be taken with debate. I opposed the idea that we would sit in this way to deal with the Committee Stage of the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill at the leaders' meeting, as did other group leaders. We oppose the motion because the entire purpose...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (5 Jul 2018)

Ivana Bacik: Yes.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2018)

Ivana Bacik: I would like to welcome the Minister to the House and to express my own views on section 10, which we are currently debating. This is a critical section of the Bill as it deals with the membership of the commission. It is therefore central to the purpose of the Bill, as is evident from the contributions of my colleagues on it. This section came to us in an internally incoherent fashion...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2018)

Ivana Bacik: -----by a particular Minister who has set himself up as a champion of the Bill. As Senator McDowelll clearly set out, the Bill has had a long genesis. GRECO and many others, including Opposition Members, have called for a form of judicial appointments commission. It is important to note that the Bill and judicial appointments are not a one man show. Unfortunately, that is how the Bill is...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2018)

Ivana Bacik: I thank the Minister for his very considered reply to my question about the consultation between GRECO and his officials concerning what I said was a relatively minor change to the report, and to the wording of paragraph 35 in particular, a change which did not alter the substance of the critique that GRECO had expressed. However, I repeat my question on the number of appointees to the...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2018)

Ivana Bacik: I thank the Minister for his response to my question. To be clear, I never used the phrase "randomer". I acknowledge the Minister did not say that I did so. I fully support lay membership on the commission. It is hugely important to have a good spread of lay members with diverse backgrounds, not necessarily a law background and far from it. Section 12(6) is correctly drawn to cover a...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Jul 2018)

Ivana Bacik: On behalf of the Labour Party group, I welcome the news that President Michael D. Higgins has announced that he will seek a second term in office. He has served this country with great distinction as our President. I hope that colleagues of all parties and none will see fit to support his candidacy for a second term. I welcome also the launch this morning by our Labour Party colleagues,...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2018)

Ivana Bacik: We, in the Labour Party, have stated our opposition to section 13 of the Bill on the basis that we believe it is an unnecessary section.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2018)

Ivana Bacik: I will.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2018)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister back. I do not think I have had the opportunity in this session.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2018)

Ivana Bacik: We, in the Labour Party, oppose section 13 on the basis that we think it is unnecessary or superfluous because it refers to the appointment of a practising barrister and practising solicitor as members.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2018)

Ivana Bacik: We debated amendment No. 14 but I withdrew it with a view to resubmitting it on Report Stage. Amendment No. 14 provides for a clearer and more succinct manner of appointment of the individual members of the commission. We stipulated that one of the non-judicial members of the commission would be nominated for appointment by the Council of the Bar of Ireland and one would be nominated for...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2018)

Ivana Bacik: It was amendment No. 14.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2018)

Ivana Bacik: We are.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2018)

Ivana Bacik: Can I make a point of order?

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2018)

Ivana Bacik: By way of assistance, the reference that Senator McDowell is making is to my amendment No. 14(2), which states:each body that makes nominations - (a) shall nominate both a man and a woman for appointment by the Government as a member of the Commission. We have incorporated a provision on gender balance into the overall scheme and provided for it in amendment No. 14. I said the amendment...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2018)

Ivana Bacik: Correct.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2018)

Ivana Bacik: Amendment No. 14.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2018)

Ivana Bacik: I will very briefly respond to the comments made by Senators McDowell and Daly. In response to Senator McDowell, with respect it would be relatively easy for the Bar Council, the Law Society and indeed the other bodies included in amendment No. 14, including the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission and so on, to nominate both a man and a woman for appointment. I do not see any...