Results 7,221-7,240 of 11,422 for speaker:Ivana Bacik

Seanad: Child Protection: Motion (5 Mar 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Fitzgerald to the House. I commend Senator van Turnhout and her colleagues for putting forward this important motion which has produced an excellent debate. I am very happy to support the motion and to line up with everyone else in the House in support of it. We are united on this issue. The Minister has spoken eloquently about...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Mar 2014)

Ivana Bacik: Like others, I wish to call on the Leader again to organise a debate on Ukraine. At the moment, things are at a very difficult stage. I commend the Tánaiste, Deputy Gilmore, for calling in the Russian ambassador yesterday to make clear Ireland's view that a peaceful resolution is essential. Anyone who saw the extraordinary footage last night of the unarmed Ukrainian soldiers bravely...

Seanad: Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy (4 Mar 2014)

Ivana Bacik: On behalf of the Labour group, I join colleagues in expressing my sympathies to the family of the late former Senator and Deputy, Martin Joe O'Toole, and offering our condolences not only to his extended family and friends, but also to his colleagues in Fianna Fáil. He served in public service with great distinction over a long period. Indeed, as Senator Cummins stated, he must have...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Feb 2014)

Ivana Bacik: No.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Feb 2014)

Ivana Bacik: On a point of order, to correct Senator Wilson, he is talking about Government policy rather than any particular party policy. He is also misrepresenting Government policy. As he knows, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Hogan, has provided a comprehensive report-----

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Feb 2014)

Ivana Bacik: Senator Darragh O'Brien mentioned the Labour Party Senators who were not present.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Feb 2014)

Ivana Bacik: Just like Senator Darragh O'Brien.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Feb 2014)

Ivana Bacik: Senator O'Brien alluded to three Labour Party Senators not being present earlier.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Feb 2014)

Ivana Bacik: The Senator said they were not present here today.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Feb 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I join with Senator O'Brien in thanking the Leader for outlining the format of the debates for next week. I welcome the fact that the focus will be on jobs, because a number of Members have called for a debate on this issue, and it is good to hear that the Minister for Finance, the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and the Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Feb 2014)

Ivana Bacik: On the same note, I welcome the vote in the European Parliament-----

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Feb 2014)

Ivana Bacik: -----on Wednesday. The Parliament voted on a resolution put forward by socialist MEP Mary Honeyball calling for EU support for the Nordic approach to criminalising the clients of prostitution rather than those engaged in prostitution. This follows a report of the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality published last year in which the committee recommended that a similar approach...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Feb 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I really welcome the clear signal from the European Parliament that the best approach to tackling prostitution is to criminalise the client, that is, to criminalise the purchase rather than the sale of sex. We are seeing that understanding develop across the EU and-----

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Feb 2014)

Ivana Bacik: Finally, I would say-----

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Feb 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I have been to Sweden and met many of those involved on a front-line-----

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Feb 2014)

Ivana Bacik: -----basis with those engaged in prostitution. I would urge Senator Norris to read the transcripts of the extensive hearings of the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality on prostitution.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Feb 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I do not want to engage in a conversation across the floor-----

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Feb 2014)

Ivana Bacik: Finally, I add my support to those who have called for a debate on the situation in Ukraine, which is very volatile. We all very much welcome the fact that the killing has stopped and deplore the awful killings of last week. We must debate the situation in Ukraine and keep an eye on ongoing developments there.

Seanad: Fines (Payment and Recovery) Bill 2013: Second Stage (26 Feb 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Tom Hayes, to the House. As other speakers have done, I very much welcome the Bill, which fits well in a welcome general trend in criminal justice policy to try to reduce reliance on imprisonment and ensure people are not committed to prison for convictions for minor offences and cases where a fine has been imposed but not paid. Others have already...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Domestic and Sexual Violence: Discussion (26 Feb 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I pointed out that the committee held lengthy hearings on prostitution at the request of the Minister for Justice and Equality who had, as Senator Norris is aware, initiated a review of prostitution law. The hearings specifically examined the issue of prostitution and investigated the Swedish approach. The Department held a conference attended by several members of the committee and...