Results 8,841-8,860 of 11,441 for speaker:Ivana Bacik

Seanad: Business of Seanad (14 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: I propose an amendment to the Order of Business to enable a sos to be taken until 4 p.m. This amendment will facilitate the deferral of the Private Members' motion until next week. While I regret being obliged to ask for this amendment, it is due to the non-availability of Ministers. Moreover, it is being proposed with the agreement of Fianna Fáil Members. Given the week that is in it,...

Seanad: Business of Seanad (14 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: At 10.30 a.m. tomorrow.

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: Cosúil le Seanadóir Ó Bríain, ba mhaith liom cúpla focail a rá as Gaeilge i seachtain na Gaeilge. Níl go leor Gaeilge agam anois ach bhí fáinne airgead agamsa nuair a bhí mé ar scoil cúpla bliain ó shin. Beidh lá na mná ann amárach. Quite a number of occasions will mark national women's day tomorrow. I welcome the fact that we will finish our debate on the Electoral...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: There is certainly not one voice from Fianna Fáil.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: I commend the Leader on organising Thursday's briefing on the EU treaty. I agree with what Senator Darragh O'Brien said about attendance and I certainly recommend it to all the Labour Senators. It is very important to have a good attendance from Senators at that important briefing. However, I wish to respond to what he said on where the Government stands on the treaty. Clearly, the...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: -----including the issue of the promissory notes that the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Burton, mentioned. To hear Fianna Fáil calling for a clear message when there are two voices on the treaty emanating from that party is ironic.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: The message is very clear from the Government. We stand very clearly behind the "Yes" campaign for this referendum on the new fiscal compact treaty.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: It is not about anything else, sweeteners or bribes, a point which has come very clearly from Labour and Fine Gael Ministers alike. I call for a debate with the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn, on schools patronage. I take issue with Senator Darragh O'Brien's comment that minority faiths feel the Government is doing nothing for them. Far from it.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: Deputy Quinn is the first education Minister to set up a national forum on patronage and pluralism in primary schools.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: It is due to report in the next several weeks and it will examine precisely how parents' conscience and preference in terms of faith schooling for their children will be accommodated in a fast-changing Ireland in which we see increasing numbers of children of different faiths and no faiths.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: Our current system of school patronage with 96% of primary schools under Catholic patronage does not reflect the growing reality of Irish families today.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: I compliment the Minister's announcement today-----

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Mar 2012)

Ivana Bacik: -----on the patronage of a number of new schools, including several Educate Together schools in Tallaght and elsewhere, which will reflect a multidenominational ethos which is very important. I have a question for the Leader on Syria. All Members must be appalled by what they see happening in the besieged city of Homs and today's reports on the torture of not just civilians, but hospital...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment)(Political Funding) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2012)

Ivana Bacik: When it has achieved its goal-----

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2012)

Ivana Bacik: I am delighted to have an opportunity to discuss a couple of important issues to do with the Bill covered in this group of amendments. The two issues cover the idea of a sunset clause and extending the remit of the legislation to cover local and, potentially, Seanad elections. I will take up a couple of the points made by Senator Rónán Mullen who I am glad to hear supports the aim of...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2012)

Ivana Bacik: Certainly, amendment No. 37 in his name is rather different from the sunset clause recommended by Senator Averil Power and in our 2009 report since it is his presumption that the legislation will not continue unless this is provided for by a resolution. Having listened carefully to Senator Rónán Mullen whom I did not interrupt, I want to make a couple of points. All the legislation seeks...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2012)

Ivana Bacik: As one who goes through the university panel, where people do not get nominated by anyone or rather they get nominated by ten graduates of the university, I accept it is a very different system. Certainly, there would be no place for this in the university panel. My understanding was that, generally, there is no place for this on the vocational panels. A further reason we did not consider...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2012)

Ivana Bacik: My report was prepared in 2009, before the Taoiseach came into power.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2012)

Ivana Bacik: It is more than a vagary.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2012)

Ivana Bacik: I hesitate to interrupt Senator Norris.