Results 3,201-3,220 of 11,403 for speaker:Ivana Bacik

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Functions (12 Jul 2022)

Ivana Bacik: As we know, the summer economic statement was published last week in a context in which we are seeing the living standards of hundreds of thousands of people fall because of prices rising beyond their control and the soaring inflation rate, which was nearly 10% in June. Will the Taoiseach confirm whether the budget will increase social welfare payments in line with the rate of inflation?...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Jul 2022)

Ivana Bacik: Since this Government took office, rents have increased by 15%. Media reports last weekend showed that a legislative loophole in rent pressure zone laws has enabled cuckoo funds to contribute to this problem, charging exorbitant rents, for example, €2,140 per month for a one-bed apartment and up to €5,220 per month for a three-bed. Until the Government reins these funds in, it...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Jul 2022)

Ivana Bacik: Yes, for 45 minutes in the morning.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Jul 2022)

Ivana Bacik: I too have serious concerns regarding the way the Order of Business has been scheduled. Last week, I criticised the Government for having shoehorned five Bills into five hours on Wednesday afternoon. It is now proposing that six Bills be shoehorned into six hours tomorrow. Even worse, there are significant numbers of amendments to some of those Bills, including significant numbers of...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (12 Jul 2022)

Ivana Bacik: I thank the Taoiseach for confirming the date. He said the end of the year is when the review will be complete and that is useful to hear. I acknowledge that the legislation that we passed was, indeed, done on a cross-party basis and many of us banded together to facilitate the passing of that very important change in the law. However, as the Taoiseach acknowledged, there are still certain...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (12 Jul 2022)

Ivana Bacik: Some words jump out from the study published today on unplanned pregnancy support and abortion care conducted by Dr. Catherine Conlon and her colleagues at Trinity College Dublin. The purpose of the study was to discover the experiences of women who have sought to access abortion under our abortion legislation. The words expressed by women include "awful", "draining", "arduous", "harrowing"...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Cabinet Committees (12 Jul 2022)

Ivana Bacik: 204. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the Cabinet Committee on Covid-19. [35869/22]

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (7 Jul 2022)

Ivana Bacik: I am sure the Minister received emails as I have this week from constituents alarmed at recent media reports about the negotiations on sectoral emissions targets. I met early this week with Friends of the Earth, which warned that any reduction in ambition in one sector would be the increase of targets for other sectors to impossible levels. Indeed, in the words of Professor Hannah Daly,...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Jul 2022)

Ivana Bacik: I want to raise again the issue of the housing crisis, the crisis that our President has described as a disaster. Yesterday's Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, report has confirmed yet again the scale of failure over successive years to ensure that people have adequate homes and the right to a home. Since this Government assumed office, rents have increased by 15%, house prices...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Jul 2022)

Ivana Bacik: I agree with the Minister. It is about delivery. In fact, in this case it is about the lack of delivery. What I am hearing from renters or those aspiring to own a home but cannot do so, and indeed from people who are seeking to build homes to deliver on housing, is that there is a lack of delivery and urgency in delivery by Government. Certainly, very welcome measures have been announced...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Jul 2022)

Ivana Bacik: We know that there is a housing crisis, indeed a housing disaster. We know from today's ESRI report that there is a particular crisis for those who are renting and for those who are now facing the bleak prospect of having to rent at increasingly unaffordable levels right into their older age and therefore face no security of tenure, no security of accommodation. The ESRI report is just the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí (Atógáil) - Leaders' Questions (Resumed) (6 Jul 2022)

Ivana Bacik: Families are being desperately squeezed by the cost-of-living crisis, especially the back-to-school costs that so many are facing. We saw a credit union survey this morning showing the cost per child being between €1,100 and €1,500. I spoke with a mother this morning who is budgeting for the school term ahead. She tells me that the cost of sending her two children to school...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí (Atógáil) - Leaders' Questions (Resumed) (6 Jul 2022)

Ivana Bacik: We welcome any targeted interventions that will improve conditions and the situation for struggling families and households but it is simply not enough. There are families and households that had sufficient income last year who now require better, more urgent State intervention to support. As we see in Northern Ireland, the free school books scheme could make a real difference, as could...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Jul 2022)

Ivana Bacik: Today the High Court is hearing an application from Tipperary man Johnny O’Meara. In 2021, very tragically, Johnny’s partner, Michelle Batey died after an illness. Johnny contacted Deputy Kelly and myself after he had been refused widower’s pension and recognition from the Department of Social Protection. It did not recognise his sad loss because he and Michelle had...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Jul 2022)

Ivana Bacik: In a week when we in the Opposition called for the urgent introduction of temporary targeted measures to alleviate the real hardship caused by the cost-of-living crisis, we are instead seeing urgency in the rushing through of Bills. Yet, there is no urgency in bringing forward measures that should have been done to address the cost-of-living crisis. Instead, we see five Bills will be...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Equal Opportunities Employment (5 Jul 2022)

Ivana Bacik: 93. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he intends to develop further services and supports to address the needs of children and adults with autism; and if the implementation of such services and supports will be informed by feedback from members of the autism community. [36231/22]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (5 Jul 2022)

Ivana Bacik: 155. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he intends to develop further services to address the needs of children and adults with autism who use public transport in Ireland; and if the implementation of such services will be informed by feedback from members of the autism community. [36232/22]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (5 Jul 2022)

Ivana Bacik: 374. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she intends to develop further services and supports to address the needs of children and young persons with autism; and if the implementation of such services and supports will be informed by feedback from members of the autism community. [36229/22]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Jul 2022)

Ivana Bacik: 426. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she intends to develop further supports and services to address the needs of children and adults with autism; and if the implementation of such services and supports will be informed by feedback from members of the autism community. [36230/22]

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Legislative Reviews (5 Jul 2022)

Ivana Bacik: 428. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will amend section 2(1) of the Employment Equality Act 1998 to insert, after "behaviour" in paragraph (e) of the definition of disability, "or seriously affects a person's capacity to take part in normal social interaction or to form social relationships"; if it is planned to do so within the next 12...