Results 8,821-8,840 of 11,469 for speaker:Ivana Bacik

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Apr 2012)

Ivana Bacik: Senator Darragh O'Brien referred to a type of horror film. Let us not forget that the real nightmare on Kildare Street began for us as a country when his party was in government and brought the country into receivership, lost our economic sovereignty and brought us into the IMF-EU programme in late 2010. That was when the real nightmare on Kildare Street took place.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Apr 2012)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the decision made at yesterday's Cabinet meeting on water and on the establishment of Irish Water, an independent State-owned subsidiary within the Bord Gáis Éireann group. It is clear. It is a big initiative and an important one. It will be the biggest State company formed in a long time.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Apr 2012)

Ivana Bacik: It is likely that Irish Water will rival the ESB. It will be important for us as a nation to ensure that we protect a scarce resource, protect and conserve our water supply and do so in a sustainable way. That has patently not been done until now. It is a disgrace how much water we have lost and the poor standard of water infrastructure.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Apr 2012)

Ivana Bacik: I call for a debate in the House on how best to pass legislation to protect scarce resources and ensure conservation. There is a general acceptance among the public-----

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Apr 2012)

Ivana Bacik: Water is a scarce resource.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Apr 2012)

Ivana Bacik: It may seem bizarre on a day when there has been a great deal of rain.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Apr 2012)

Ivana Bacik: On a rainy day in Dublin perhaps it may seem odd but water is a very scarce resource internationally, as the Senator is well aware.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Apr 2012)

Ivana Bacik: As I said, Irish citizens are well aware of the need to ensure conservation and that a fair charging system will play a large part in ensuring the conservation of a scarce supply. I welcome the Government's legislative programme for the coming session that was published yesterday. It is an ambitious programme. Quite a number of Bills are due to be published in the coming session and I hope...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Apr 2012)

Ivana Bacik: I know that the Leader will support my call. I also welcome him giving us advance notice of the busy schedule for next week and future debates. It is important to all of us when we order our time.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Apr 2012)

Ivana Bacik: These are women's stories, not an ideological line.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Apr 2012)

Ivana Bacik: On a point of order, I never opposed water charges.

Seanad: Human Trafficking and Prostitution: Motion (18 Apr 2012)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister to the House and am glad of the opportunity to renew this debate. We had a full debate on this issue six months ago. I commend Senators Zappone, Mac Conghail and van Turnhout, as well as the other Independent Senators, for bringing the debate to the floor of the House again. They have kept everyone on their toes as regards timing and have also kept this issue at the...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: There was a public session.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: Churchill was, of course, a noted orator. There are many good orators who do not know what they are going to say when they stand up, so I am not sure Senator Mooney was right about that. With regard to the household charge, as colleagues know, this was introduced as part of the EU-IMF programme. It is regrettable that it is a flat rate for the first year but the Government has made clear it...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: Three years ago.

Seanad: Small Business: Motion (28 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank the many representatives from the business organisations who were invited to the House for taking the time to attend and for putting forward constructive suggestions and ideas to Members. All Members are highly conscious of the difficulties faced by small businesses and those who are self-employed in this difficult time. I am grateful...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Female Genital Mutilation) Bill 2011 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (28 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: I thank the Minister for his kind words and all colleagues in the House for their support before and since the last election. It is good to see the Bill receive cross-party support. As Senator White said, it is a sign of what the Seanad can do in terms of initiating legislation on areas which have not been dealt with in the Dáil. Most importantly, as the Minister said, this legislation...

Seanad: Privacy Bill 2012: Second Stage (28 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister and the opportunity to debate the Bill. I commend Senator David Norris for taking the initiative and reintroducing a privacy Bill to the House. The 2006 Bill is on the Order Paper having been reintroduced by the Minister in June 2011. I pay particular tribute to the Senator who in litigation has done a good deal to give force and meaning to the privacy provisions in...

Seanad: Privacy Bill 2012: Second Stage (28 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: I was just about to say that. The Senator has highlighted the fact that my good friends and colleagues, Colm Mac Eoichaidh and Michael Smith, did the public interest a great service and in moving outside the jurisdiction of the State which they felt they had to do to prompt what ultimately transpired in the Mahon tribunal investigations. Clearly, there was a problem with investigative...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Female Genital Mutilation) Bill 2011 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (28 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister to the House and thank him for his kind comments on the Bill. It is almost two years since I introduced a Private Members' Bill in the House to prohibit female genital mutilation. I was delighted when the then Government took it up as a Government Bill and the current Government committed to introducing it. I thank the Minister for his personal interest and steering...