Results 6,081-6,100 of 11,719 for speaker:Ivana Bacik

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Feb 2017)

Ivana Bacik: -----as I am sure everyone does, upholding the decisions of the lower courts, and seeing therefore the joyful scenes in which people were reunited at the weekend and people were able to travel. We would love to see those being replicated, and not the absolute chaos, confusion, distress and trauma for so many people as a result of the restrictions.

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Feb 2017)

Ivana Bacik: There is huge human trauma caused by this sort of chaotic announcement of the restrictions, apart from the content of them. I renew a call to the Leader for a debate on Syria. Perhaps in all the international news about President Trump, the international news focus has gone off Syria. This week, Amnesty International accused the Syrian regime of hanging 13,000 people at an infamous prison,...

Seanad: Convictions for Certain Sexual Offences (Apology and Exoneration) Bill 2016: Second Stage (1 Feb 2017)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Stanton, to the House. I commend my colleagues in the Labour Party group, Senators Nash and Ó Ríordáin, on proposing and seconding this important Bill. I am very proud to stand as leader of the Labour Party group and speak in support of these proposals. There is no need for discord in this debate because we are all on the same side,...

Seanad: Order of Business (31 Jan 2017)

Ivana Bacik: I join others in congratulating Mr. Martin Groves on his appointment as Clerk of the Seanad. It is well deserved and I look forward to working with him. I join other speakers in recording my strong condemnation and that of the Labour Party of the executive order issued by President Trump.Along with many thousands of others in this city, I marched on 21 January as part of the women's march...

Seanad: Adoption (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (31 Jan 2017)

Ivana Bacik: I have some brief comments on section 7. I wish to record my thanks to the Minister for expressing, in her concluding remarks on Second Stage, her intention to introduce the information and tracing Bill in the Seanad on 7 March. I am grateful to her for confirming that in response to a specific query I had raised with her. Indeed, I tabled amendment No. 20 regarding an adoption tracing...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Syrian Conflict: United Nations High Commission for Refugees (26 Jan 2017)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome Ms O'Hara and commend her on her long track record of working with refugees in some of the most dangerous conflict zones for the United Nations over the years. I have followed her career with great interest. I thank her for coming here to give us such a comprehensive overview of the immense scale of the humanitarian crisis, particularly in Syria and Iraq and of the enormous...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Syrian Conflict: United Nations High Commission for Refugees (26 Jan 2017)

Ivana Bacik: I wish to ask a follow-up question. I apologise for having to leave early. We have heard similar comments in the committee. We have had many hearings on the crisis in Syria. We have heard different views on the role of the Syrian Government and the regime of Bashar al-Assad. Some of us have been critical of that Government. We have received a briefing from the Department of Foreign...

Seanad: Adoption (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (24 Jan 2017)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister, Deputy Zappone, to the House. I wish her, her colleagues and all Members present a happy new year, if it is not too late in January to do so. Like others, I very much welcome the Bill as the changes it introduces are very welcome. It will bring some aspects of Irish adoption law into the 21st century and will modernise the law in a very welcome way. Others have...

Seanad: Adoption (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (24 Jan 2017)

Ivana Bacik: That is great. I thank the Minister.

Seanad: Adoption (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (24 Jan 2017)

Ivana Bacik: Excellent timing.

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Dec 2016)

Ivana Bacik: I call on the Leader to arrange a debate on fossil fuel divestment.One year on from the historic Paris agreement on climate change I am delighted to say that yesterday Trinity College, Dublin, became the first university in Ireland to sign up to fossil fuel divestments following a 15 month student campaign, Fossil Free TCD, and the college will now sell up to €6 million worth of...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Dec 2016)

Ivana Bacik: It has been raised at the foreign affairs committee many times.

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.