Results 5,361-5,380 of 11,407 for speaker:Ivana Bacik

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Sep 2018)

Ivana Bacik: The Minister was not here and we had not moved on. I was indicating.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Sep 2018)

Ivana Bacik: I am being discriminated against because we are sitting so far away from the Chair. It is very hard to make oneself seen.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Sep 2018)

Ivana Bacik: That is exactly my point. It is very hard to be seen or heard in this corner of the room.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Sep 2018)

Ivana Bacik: I had indicated.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Sep 2018)

Ivana Bacik: I thank the Leader.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Sep 2018)

Ivana Bacik: Senator Michael McDowell has raised some very significant issues. The first issue at stake involves section 22 and the accountability of the chairperson of the commision to Oireachtas committees. It struck me even before listening to Senator Michael McDowell that the section appeared to be overkill, in respect of the number of committees to which the chairperson might well be accountable....

Seanad: Commencement Matters: School Admissions (25 Sep 2018)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister for Education and Skills to the House. I am very grateful to him for coming in to deal with this matter personally. I raise the matter of the need for the Minister to outline the measures he proposes to take in respect of ongoing issues concerning school admissions and governance at St. Patrick's national school, Greystones, County Wicklow. These issues concern the...

Seanad: Commencement Matters (Resumed): School Admissions (25 Sep 2018)

Ivana Bacik: I will make some very brief follow-up remarks. I thank the Minister for his very full response to my question. I am grateful to him for outlining the changes the new legislation will make. When are they likely to come into effect? I support the Minister, and we supported the Bill in the Oireachtas. I am very grateful to him for stating that he does not believe linking school admission...

Seanad: Thirty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution (Repeal of offence of publication or utterance of blasphemous matter) Bill 2018: Second Stage - An Bille um an Seachtú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Cion a aisghairm arb éard é ní diamhaslach a fhoilsiú nó a aithris) 2018: An Dara Céim (20 Sep 2018)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this debate. On behalf of the Labour Party group in the Seanad, I speak in support of this Bill. I am delighted that we will finally have the opportunity to vote on the removal of the offence of blasphemy from the Constitution. The continued presence of this offence in our Constitution is...

Seanad: Thirty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution (Repeal of offence of publication or utterance of blasphemous matter) Bill 2018: Second Stage - An Bille um an Seachtú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Cion a aisghairm arb éard é ní diamhaslach a fhoilsiú nó a aithris) 2018: An Dara Céim (20 Sep 2018)

Ivana Bacik: I will check but certainly we were assured by the then Minister with responsibility for justice, former Deputy Dermot Ahern, that he was obliged to introduce a statutory offence of blasphemy because of the constitutional position. As far as I can see, this is a tidying-up exercise to ensure that the Constitution is modernised and brought into line with contemporary thought. As a criminal...

Seanad: Thirty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution (Repeal of offence of publication or utterance of blasphemous matter) Bill 2018: Second Stage - An Bille um an Seachtú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Cion a aisghairm arb éard é ní diamhaslach a fhoilsiú nó a aithris) 2018: An Dara Céim (20 Sep 2018)

Ivana Bacik: I am glad that the Government has said that it will repeal section 36 of the Defamation Act if the constitutional amendment is passed. That is appropriate. There should be no place in our law any more for blasphemy offences. We know from the history of blasphemy offences, which I will not rehearse again because we went through it in 2009, that they have typically been used by individual...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Palestinian Refugees in the Near East and Demolition of Khan al-Ahmar: Discussion (20 Sep 2018)

Ivana Bacik: I thank the Acting Chairman for the promotion or demotion, whichever it might be. I also apologise for arriving late. I was at another function. I thank the witnesses for their presentation. I am familiar with the work that the EAPPI does. Former students of mine and friends have been out with the EAPPI on different programmes. I commend it on its important work and for bearing...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Palestinian Refugees in the Near East and Demolition of Khan al-Ahmar: Discussion (20 Sep 2018)

Ivana Bacik: I thank Mr. Costello. It was just to have something practical come out of this meeting that could achieve a result beyond simply putting pressure on the Tánaiste, which we have done previously. The committee is united on this matter.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Palestinian Refugees in the Near East and Demolition of Khan al-Ahmar: Discussion (20 Sep 2018)

Ivana Bacik: That would be great. I thank the witnesses.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Sep 2018)

Ivana Bacik: Fáilte romhaibh go léir. I welcome everyone back. I ask the Leader for an assurance that we will have the legislation to give affect to the repeal of the eighth amendment in this House without any delays. I strongly welcome the fact that the President last night signed the legislation following the conclusion of court challenges. The eighth amendment is now officially removed...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Sep 2018)

Ivana Bacik: Children's rights.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Sep 2018)

Ivana Bacik: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Traveller Culture and History in Education Bill 2018: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Jul 2018)

Ivana Bacik: I am spokesperson for the Technical Group and thought I would be next. However, I am happy to give way to Senator Grace O'Sullivan.

Seanad: Traveller Culture and History in Education Bill 2018: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Jul 2018)

Ivana Bacik: My apologies to the Acting Chair. I was unsure of the order of speakers. It will be very hard to follow the speech of Senator Mac Lochlainn. I commend him on his very strong and eloquent language in support of this important Bill. I welcome the Minister, Deputy Bruton, to the House and offer apologies on behalf of my colleague, Senator Ó Ríordáin, who cannot be here but...

Seanad: Situation in Palestine: Statements (Resumed) (11 Jul 2018)

Ivana Bacik: I want to thank Senator Norris and commend him for his eloquence on behalf of the rights of the Palestinian people and in support of the Bill. I want to confirm the strong support of the Labour Party in the Seanad for this Bill. I spoke in January to express our support for it then. I commend Senator Black and her colleagues for bringing it forward. Since January, when we commenced the...