Results 8,961-8,980 of 11,689 for speaker:Ivana Bacik

Seanad: Civil Registration (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (2 May 2012)

Ivana Bacik: I will respond to Senator Mooney. It is unfortunate in a debate in which we are all in agreement - everybody has welcomed the Bill - that Senator Mooney's words were delivered in a somewhat discordant style. That may not have been his intention but he sounded somewhat hostile at certain times and that is unfortunate. The first thing I should say about these amendments is that they have the...

Seanad: Civil Registration (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (2 May 2012)

Ivana Bacik: Atheist Ireland, which is included as one of the philosophical and non-confessional organisations under the European definition. There are other groups which may not have applied yet but which potentially may do so in the future should they fit rigorous criteria. I certainly did not wish to close off that potential. I do not make any judgment about any group as to whether it might wish to...

Seanad: Report of Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector: Statements, Questions and Answers (1 May 2012)

Ivana Bacik: I thank the Minister for his comprehensive response. I would like to ask again about the timeframe for the divestment process in terms of the 47 areas. The report lays down a blueprint for a timeframe but it does not set out the end result as to when it envisages some of those schools will divest. As the Minister said, it is on a very small scale and gradualist approach of approximately 50...

Seanad: Report of Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector: Statements, Questions and Answers (1 May 2012)

Ivana Bacik: Tomorrow at 10.30 a.m.

Seanad: Report of Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector: Statements, Questions and Answers (1 May 2012)

Ivana Bacik: There is plenty of evidence. Many schools look for baptismal certificates.

Seanad: Report of Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector: Statements, Questions and Answers (1 May 2012)

Ivana Bacik: Archbishop Martin -----

Seanad: Report of Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector: Statements, Questions and Answers (1 May 2012)

Ivana Bacik: I am grateful to my colleague, Senator Moran who is sharing her time with Senator Harte and me. I will speak for five minutes and Senators Moran and Harte will each speak for three minutes.

Seanad: Report of Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector: Statements, Questions and Answers (1 May 2012)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister to the House on this auspicious day, 1 May, as he was the Minister at the time who introduced the May Day bank holiday. I also welcome members of the Portobello Educate Together School Start-Up Group who are in the Gallery and I thank them for coming along. I should declare that I am chair of the group and that we are one of the groups seeking change in our system....

Seanad: Report of Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector: Statements, Questions and Answers (1 May 2012)

Ivana Bacik: It affected the quality of my education and I do not mind saying that. I think that is true of many schools, although not all because many schools seek to be accommodating. I know of children who have been turned away from schools because they were not of an appropriate religion and of others who were put very far down waiting lists. That happens. The opt-out mechanisms that are in...

Seanad: Report of Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector: Statements, Questions and Answers (1 May 2012)

Ivana Bacik: -----the largest group after Roman Catholics in the country, as the Minister pointed out. Only 60 schools in Ireland are multidenominational under the patronage of Educate Together, the group to which the Portobello group-----

Seanad: Report of Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector: Statements, Questions and Answers (1 May 2012)

Ivana Bacik: Yes and the gaelscoileanna make up approximately 50 more. About 4% of our national school system is either multidenominational under Educate Together or under the patronage of the gaelscoileanna movement. These are the two biggest growing movements of parents. In my group in the Portobello area in Dublin we have more than 600 parents of nearly 350 pupils pre-enrolled and we are hopeful...

Seanad: Report of Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector: Statements, Questions and Answers (1 May 2012)

Ivana Bacik: What it seeks to do in terms of the divestment issue is to, first, examine the areas where there is demand from parents in accordance with their constitutional rights. It is taking a minimalist approach in saying there are 47 catchment areas. Obviously, that is something already established with the Department, and in those areas it is setting out a blueprint as to when divestment can...

Seanad: Report of Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector: Statements, Questions and Answers (1 May 2012)

Ivana Bacik: That is acknowledged. I wish to make two further points. On the issue of faith formation in schools where there is no divestment, where there is a stand-alone school under the patronage of usually the Catholic Church, will faith formation be able to take place outside of the school day? The report recommends a variety of different ways where this could be done but clearly there might be...

Seanad: Order of Business (1 May 2012)

Ivana Bacik: I extend a welcome to former Senator Mary Henry, who was in the Gallery but whom I think has just stepped out.

Seanad: Order of Business (1 May 2012)

Ivana Bacik: Many of us have already been canvassing in the treaty referendum campaign and I acknowledge Senator O'Brien's comments and statements of support for the treaty. I know he has already been canvassing also. In my experience, people are very keen to obtain information and detail about the content of the treaty. There is very much a receptiveness to information. The arguments have not yet...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Ivana Bacik: The bank guarantee Bill and the NAMA Bill.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Ivana Bacik: I take issue with the Senator's comments about rush and undue haste. If the Senator looks carefully at the wording of the section he will see that, as the Minister has said, it is intended that changes be made on an incremental basis and, therefore, with time to ensure adequate supports are in place. From the constructive debate earlier on the two amendments, I considered it was a useful...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Ivana Bacik: That is not the case. The capacity is there, it is how we ensure the places are made available through the existing system. There is not a requirement for any new buildings or new legislation. We need to be clear on what we are talking about. In terms of the section, we are in favour of progressive reform. The lone-parent groups I have met, as Frances Byrne said in today's edition of The...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Ivana Bacik: The Minister gave figures.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Ivana Bacik: The Minister gave the figures.