Results 7,241-7,260 of 11,469 for speaker:Ivana Bacik

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Apr 2014)

Ivana Bacik: -----but he clearly cannot restrain himself.

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Apr 2014)

Ivana Bacik: The Senator has an anger management issue.

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Apr 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I thank the Cathaoirleach. The responsibility of former Ministers such as Dermot Ahern will be one of the issues the commission of investigation will investigate and we all very much hope it will do so expeditiously and we will find answers to the questions as to who knew what and when, particularly when systems were upgraded. I very much welcome the appointment of Supreme Court judge, Mr....

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Apr 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I join other colleagues in sympathising with Senator John Kelly on the death of his father. Senator Aideen Hayden and I attended the funeral in Roscommon this morning. I know the Senator appreciates the kind concerns of colleagues on his bereavement. I again call for a debate on the issue I raised last week, namely, the recording of telephone calls in Garda stations, a serious issue which...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Mar 2014)

Ivana Bacik: It is most unfortunate that when we were introducing the statutory reform of An Garda Síochána in 2005 the Government of the day did not see fit to insert an independent policing authority or a policing board.

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Mar 2014)

Ivana Bacik: That is quite right. It was the then Minister, Michael McDowell, of whom I was critical at the time as an academic. Many of us were critical. It has been Labour Party policy that we should have an independent policing authority. I welcome that we will do that, and that the justice committee has been tasked by the Minister with reviewing the oversight provisions in the Garda...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Mar 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I join you, a Chathaoirligh, and Senator MacSharry in paying tribute to the late Deputy Nicky McFadden and expressing, on behalf of the Labour Party group, our deep regret and sympathy to her family on her untimely death. Like many other colleagues, I served with the former Senator, Nicky McFadden, in the last Seanad and she was an extremely collegiate individual, a very warm person and an...

Seanad: Renewable Energy: Motion (12 Mar 2014)

Ivana Bacik: The Government amendment makes that very clear.

Seanad: Renewable Energy: Motion (12 Mar 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I am delighted to second the Government’s amendment to the motion. There is a great deal of confusion about this issue, notably in the text of the Sinn Féin motion, which calls for the undergrounding of electricity pylons, which gives rise to some bizarre images.

Seanad: Renewable Energy: Motion (12 Mar 2014)

Ivana Bacik: There is a more serious misunderstanding underlying the text of the motion: the conflation of, or confusion between, the memorandum of understanding, to which others have referred, and the development of EirGrid and the national transmission system. The Minister, Deputy Rabbitte, has made clear, as I am sure the Minister of State will, that plans to develop the grid have nothing to do with...

Seanad: Renewable Energy: Motion (12 Mar 2014)

Ivana Bacik: Sinn Féin is not quite against everything, but I will address that in a moment.

Seanad: Renewable Energy: Motion (12 Mar 2014)

Ivana Bacik: Senator Mulcahy’s question, “What exactly is Sinn Féin for?”, was a fair one. The second imperative is to increase the proportion of energy we derive from renewable sources. That is very clear. We have agreed as a binding target under EU law that at least 16% of all energy consumed must come from renewable sources by 2020. Those targets were hard-won. I believe...

Seanad: Renewable Energy: Motion (12 Mar 2014)

Ivana Bacik: It is a gap in the logic of many who regularly speak against wind turbines and electricity pylons and deliberately conflate those issues. We have to be clear about the need to develop a modern energy infrastructure and to put forward constructive ideas about how to do so. That is what the Government amendment does. It recognises that important regulations need to be put in place. Senator...

Seanad: Renewable Energy: Motion (12 Mar 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I do not think that-----

Seanad: General Scheme of the Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Bill 2014: Statements (11 Mar 2014)

Ivana Bacik: It is a matter of debate and I would be happy to debate it further in this House. While it is not the subject of this Bill, having the elections on the same day would resolve the issue of cost, if that is an objection to having universal suffrage.

Seanad: General Scheme of the Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Bill 2014: Statements (11 Mar 2014)

Ivana Bacik: Thank you, but the principle of universal suffrage is hugely important. The 43 Senators elected to the five vocational panels should cede an expansion of the electorate, commensurate with the expansion we will see on the university panel which I very much welcome.

Seanad: General Scheme of the Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Bill 2014: Statements (11 Mar 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister to the House, particularly to debate this important issue. I am delighted we have the opportunity to debate the general scheme of the Bill to extend the university franchise at this early stage. It is a welcome change to our normal processes and I hope we will see plenty more of this because it gives us a real opportunity to make an input and give the Minister our...

Seanad: County Enterprise Boards (Dissolution) Bill 2013: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (Resumed) (6 Mar 2014)

Ivana Bacik: Next Tuesday at 2.30 p.m.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Mar 2014)

Ivana Bacik: I imagine the Garda is investigating the matter. The point was made this morning that the issue should be publicised. It is important that it is publicised and that anyone with information should bring it forward to the Garda. Senator Noone adverted to the conference of the European People's Party, EPP. She welcomed the thousands of delegates and the 500 journalists. I am fond of my...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Mar 2014)

Ivana Bacik: Senator O'Brien raised the issue of an item of legislation that has been on the A list for some time. Senator O'Brien will appreciate that quite a number of items on the A list were not reached over a period due to the necessity to bring in emergency legislation, troika legislation and so on but I am happy to report to Senator O'Brien that the consumer protection and competition Bill is...