Results 8,101-8,120 of 11,433 for speaker:Ivana Bacik

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Review of Legislation on Prostitution: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jan 2013)

Ivana Bacik: We heard from previous groups and witnesses who appeared before the committee about the blurred line between trafficking and prostitution, which is hard to establish - everyone is agreed on that - and the question of whether somebody has been trafficked, or exploited but not quite to the point of being illegally trafficked. I note Ms Stapleton said that 90% of the women working in street...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Review of Legislation on Prostitution: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jan 2013)

Ivana Bacik: I thank Dr. Freedman. I have discussed this with him before and I do not accept quite a number of his basic premises, particularly the idea that because prostitution has always existed in society we should somehow be persuaded against criminalising the purchase of sex. All sorts of human behaviour has been around for a long time but it does not stop us from seeking to regulate, restrict or...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Review of Legislation on Prostitution: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jan 2013)

Ivana Bacik: I am curious to know whether Dr. Freedman approves of the idea of decriminalising the sale of sex. We are looking at the Swedish model. Some of us visited Sweden, saw it in operation and spoke to many of the stakeholders. We were very impressed by it. We were impressed not only by the enormous benefit it has provided to former sex workers, who had been the sellers of sex, but also to the...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Jan 2013)

Ivana Bacik: As I did not have an opportunity to do so yesterday, I would like to extend my condolences to the family of the late Shane McEntee and to our colleague, Senator Clune, on the sad loss of her mother. On another note, I compliment the Leader and the staff of the Seanad on the excellent hearings held in this Chamber in the first week of January by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Review of Legislation on Prostitution: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jan 2013)

Ivana Bacik: The number of convictions for trafficking have increased, which is a good thing.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Review of Legislation on Prostitution: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jan 2013)

Ivana Bacik: I thank Dr. Whitaker for her evidence.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Review of Legislation on Prostitution: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jan 2013)

Ivana Bacik: I will be brief. A number of us heard Dr. Whitaker’s presentation previously at the Department of Justice and Equality conference and we have been immersed in the topic for some time. I disagree with Dr. Whitaker’s analysis of the Swedish law. Having read the recent analysis and having visited Sweden and spoken to many of the stakeholders, we have seen strong results in terms...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Review of Legislation on Prostitution: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jan 2013)

Ivana Bacik: To be clear, the 1993 Act defines and prohibits soliciting for the purpose of buying or selling, which is the criminal offence. In effect, the client is now criminalised.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Review of Legislation on Prostitution: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jan 2013)

Ivana Bacik: Both buyer and seller are criminalised.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Review of Legislation on Prostitution: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jan 2013)

Ivana Bacik: No.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Review of Legislation on Prostitution: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jan 2013)

Ivana Bacik: There is no evidence of that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Review of Legislation on Prostitution: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jan 2013)

Ivana Bacik: I thank our guests for their presentation and the broader submission they provided. The submission refers to a 2010 evaluation of the Swedish model which indicates that issues such as the indoor sex trade and technology such as mobile telephones are being targeted by the Swedish police. A delegation from the joint committee visited Sweden in November to find out a little more about the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Implementation of Government Decision Following Expert Group Report into Matters Relating to A, B and C v. Ireland (10 Jan 2013)

Ivana Bacik: As a non-member of the committee who has played an active role in the proceedings over the past three days I thank the Chairman for his impeccable chairmanship of the meetings. I also thank the staff of the joint committee, as well as the members, for allowing us non-members also to have input. In addition, I of course thank the witnesses who have given us such insight over the three days....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Implementation of Government Decision Following Expert Group Report into Matters Relating to A, B and C v. Ireland (10 Jan 2013)

Ivana Bacik: I thank the panel for their excellent presentations. Senator Healy Eames did not check with me but Labour Women is actually affiliated to the National Women's Council of Ireland and I have personally had many dealings with it. Membership is usually confined to organisations affiliated to it and not individuals. I have attended some of its meetings and annual general meetings and I have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Implementation of Government Decision Following Expert Group Report into Matters Relating to A, B and C v. Ireland (10 Jan 2013)

Ivana Bacik: I like the Hill 16 reference.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Implementation of Government Decision Following Expert Group Report into Matters Relating to A, B and C v. Ireland (10 Jan 2013)

Ivana Bacik: This panel has given us a reality check. However welcome and overdue the legislation we are debating, it will clearly not meet the needs of the majority of women travelling for abortion every year. I agree with Ms Ailbhe Smyth that the change in culture has already occurred. Introducing legislation for the X case will not change the culture. The legal position will remain the same. We...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Implementation of Government Decision Following Expert Group Report into Matters Relating to A, B and C v. Ireland (10 Jan 2013)

Ivana Bacik: Following that last comment, could the legal representatives opposite clarify the following? I heard one of them state that risk of suicide was a ground in the English Act. I looked again at the 1967 Abortion Act and, as they all will be aware, of course, risk of suicide does not require to be proven. The test is a much lower test of injury to physical or mental health of the woman. There...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Implementation of Government Decision Following Expert Group Report into Matters Relating to A, B and C v. Ireland (10 Jan 2013)

Ivana Bacik: -----and students are no longer faced with the threat of imprisonment for that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Implementation of Government Decision Following Expert Group Report into Matters Relating to A, B and C v. Ireland (10 Jan 2013)

Ivana Bacik: It is a real fear of prosecution under the 1861 Act.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Implementation of Government Decision Following Expert Group Report into Matters Relating to A, B and C v. Ireland (10 Jan 2013)

Ivana Bacik: Over the last two days we have heard the consensus from independent legal and medical experts on the need for legislation for the X case. Atheist Ireland is correct to point out that three days of parliamentary hearings should not be necessary to discuss how the law should allow a doctor to save the life of a dying pregnant woman. I have a question for the Catholic representatives in that...