Results 6,661-6,680 of 11,422 for speaker:Ivana Bacik

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)

Ivana Bacik: As I read it, this is a limited dispute resolution service, in line with or similar to the service operated by the commission for customers in the energy sector. It is narrowly focused. Clearly, people with broader complaints who may not be customers but who have complaints about other aspects of Irish Water should go to the forum. Section 7 indicates that the public water forum is for...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)

Ivana Bacik: No, let us be careful about this.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)

Ivana Bacik: Let us be careful about it.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)

Ivana Bacik: One has to be careful and read carefully the text of both sections to see that they are very different things. The customer consultative forum is about the broader policy issues. Of course anyone who has a complaint about aspects of Irish Water that comes under that section should go there. The customer dispute resolution is a narrower issue for people who have issues or a dispute with the...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)

Ivana Bacik: Section 8(1) provides-----

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I thought we had a constructive debate on section 7. It would be a pity if our debate descends into name-calling and heckling and so on for section 8. We need to be careful about our reading of section 8. The Senators who have tabled amendment No. 25 seem to ignore the fact that section 8(1) refers to a dispute resolution service for customers of Irish Water. Section 8(4) must be read in...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)

Ivana Bacik: We have debated amendments to section 7 at some length, but the debate has been quite constructive. As I said earlier, section 7 is generally welcome. The concept of the public water forum is very much welcome in that it is vital that we see some body or forum that will represent the interests of the customers of Irish Water. I listened to Senator Cullinane speaking on the section just...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I wish to respond to something Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh said. Having review of the links between contaminated water and the carcinogenic effects on the population is a good idea. However, it is a different issue, one about which the Senator is clearly and rightly very passionate. I agree with him entirely and the debate on the amendment has been excellent. As I said on section...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister to the House. I have listened with great interest to what colleagues have said about this amendment because water safety and quality are matters of great concern. Some worrying and concerning points were made by colleagues about water quality in Connemara and Tralee and more generally by Senator Norris when he mentioned tainted water supplies. We are all very...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Ivana Bacik: Is this relevant?

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I want to make a point briefly because I have already spoken on Second Stage on this topic, and we have been speaking on this for some time. Clearly, the idea of enshrining in law the principle of public ownership of Irish Water is hugely attractive to all of us, and we are all on the same side on this in this House. It is a question of how it is best done. Like others, I had another look...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Ivana Bacik: Thanks, David.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister back to the House and thank him for his comments on the constructive debate the House normally has. I hope this debate will be equally constructive. Last night’s debate, in which I participated actively, about an electoral commission, on foot of a motion proposed by Senators Mac Conghail and van Turnhout, was excellent. I was glad the Minister accepted it and...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)

Ivana Bacik: To be fair, plenty of other Members have spoken without a script.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I thank the Acting Chairman.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)

Ivana Bacik: The Minister acknowledged it is not ideal that we are coming to the House so late in the term with this Bill. The lateness is due to the fact there were so many hours of debate, over 40, in the Dáil. The original timetable for the Bill in this House did allow for an earlier start. The Leader also made it clear we did not guillotine the Water Services (No. 2) Bill last time and, as...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)

Ivana Bacik: Like the Minister, I am passionate in my belief for the need for Irish Water to remain in public ownership. I am glad to hear the Minister considered carefully the Seanad vote on a referendum on this issue, bringing it to the Government and the Attorney General for their consideration. A very tragic case currently before the courts regarding the eight amendment to the Constitution shows the...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the package agreed by the Government on 19 November and the water conservation grant. The new measures around payment allow for greater certainty and affordability. The original timescale for the creation of Irish Water was highly challenging and it was underestimated how much work would need to be done to ensure this utility would be up and running smoothly. We all acknowledge...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)

Ivana Bacik: The Senator has undergone some change anyway.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)

Ivana Bacik: The Senator should know all about the road to Damascus.