Results 5,781-5,800 of 11,407 for speaker:Ivana Bacik

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Dec 2016)

Ivana Bacik: I ask the Leader to amend the Order of Business to introduce a new Bill which I drafted, along with my Labour Party colleagues, the Pensions (Equal Pension Treatment in Occupational Benefit Scheme) (Amendment) Bill 2016. I know my colleague, Senator Norris, will be seconding it. The Bill aims to do the same thing that Senator Norris's proposed amendment to the Finance Bill sought to do...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Dec 2016)

Ivana Bacik: Yes that is what I should have said. I would thank the Leader if he is willing to exceed to that request. I would like a debate on judicial appointments in light of the comments by the chairperson of the Free Legal Advice Centres, FLAC, Peter Ward, about the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross's, highly critical comments on the Judiciary, pointing out very serious issues...

Seanad: Pensions (Equal Pension Treatment in Occupational Benefit Scheme) (Amendment) Bill 2016: First Stage (8 Dec 2016)

Ivana Bacik: I move:That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to amend the provisions of the Pension Act 1990 relative to equal pension treatment in occupational benefit schemes in order to provide for cases where employees who were unable to marry persons of the same sex may be deprived of certain pension benefits, and to provide for related matters.

Seanad: Pensions (Equal Pension Treatment in Occupational Benefit Scheme) (Amendment) Bill 2016: First Stage (8 Dec 2016)

Ivana Bacik: Next Tuesday.

Seanad: Public Bodies Review Agency Bill 2016: Second Stage (7 Dec 2016)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister to the House and welcome the opportunity to have this debate. I commend Senator Ó Céidigh on bringing forward this Bill and on enabling us to discuss the important issue of governance and accountability of public bodies. I was particularly interested to hear of Senator Kelleher's experience in the UK and her comments that reviews there tend to be undertaken...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Situation in Syria: Discussion (1 Dec 2016)

Ivana Bacik: I thank the witnesses for their presentations. I am concerned that we did not hear from any of the witnesses any condemnation of the brutal regime of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria. Our Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has briefed us on the fact that Assad has sought to undermine every effort at reaching a negotiated resolution to the conflict since 2011. While we may...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Situation in Syria: Discussion (1 Dec 2016)

Ivana Bacik: What about the Russian ambassador's point that his Government is trying to negotiate with moderate groups and has negotiated peace agreements?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Situation in Syria: Discussion (1 Dec 2016)

Ivana Bacik: I presume Dr. Badreddin Hassoun would have no problem with the legal accountability for war crimes in Syria or international investigations against the Assad regime as well as against ISIS for the genocide of the Yazidi people, and that international investigations for war crimes would also be conducted and started against the Syrian regime.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Situation in Syria: Discussion (1 Dec 2016)

Ivana Bacik: The Irish Government has a core objective in Syria and we have contributed €62 million in humanitarian aid to Syria. We are very supportive of peace efforts. We support the renewal of the UN-led efforts to renew political negotiations to end the conflict, based on the 2012 Geneva communiqué and UN Security Council resolution 2254. Does Dr. Badreddin Hassoun support these efforts?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Situation in Syria: Discussion (1 Dec 2016)

Ivana Bacik: My question is whether Dr. Badreddin Hassoun supports the Irish Government's objective?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Situation in Syria: Discussion (1 Dec 2016)

Ivana Bacik: Is there any Russian complicity in war crimes against civilian populations in Syria?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Situation in Syria: Discussion (1 Dec 2016)

Ivana Bacik: What about eastern Aleppo?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Situation in Syria: Discussion (1 Dec 2016)

Ivana Bacik: Dr. Badreddin Hassoun does not seem to acknowledge Russian or Syrian Government complicity in the bombardment of civilians in eastern Aleppo. That is not the reality we see.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Situation in Syria: Discussion (1 Dec 2016)

Ivana Bacik: To destroy the opposition to the regime. That is what it has been doing.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Situation in Syria: Discussion (1 Dec 2016)

Ivana Bacik: Is Dr. Badreddin Hassoun saying the international community and the United Nations are wrong?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Situation in Syria: Discussion (1 Dec 2016)

Ivana Bacik: I thank Mr. Yassin-Kassab for the presentation. He is very welcome. Mr. Yassin-Kassab offers a bleak outlook. We would all share his distress at seeing what has happened in Syria and as the Chair has said, particularly at seeing the carnage inflicted on the civilian population. I do not know whether Mr. Yassin-Kassab had the opportunity to hear the exchanges earlier where some of us...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Situation in Syria: Discussion (1 Dec 2016)

Ivana Bacik: I am sorry that was a long set of questions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Situation in Syria: Discussion (1 Dec 2016)

Ivana Bacik: I am not representing the Government.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Situation in Syria: Discussion (1 Dec 2016)

Ivana Bacik: The point I raised earlier was from a briefing we received from Médecins sans Frontières, MSF, earlier this week. It had 45 tonnes of medical supplies in a convoy waiting to enter east Aleppo. However, it had been unable to gain access this week.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Recent Actions of Government of Turkey: Motion (1 Dec 2016)

Ivana Bacik: Like Deputy Crowe, I met with the adviser to the MP who had been prevented from travelling. I support the motion and have countersigned it. I think Deputies Maureen O'Sullivan and Darragh O'Brien have also done so. We ask that it be forwarded to the chairperson of the Turkish Parliament committee on foreign affairs.