Results 8,961-8,980 of 11,683 for speaker:Ivana Bacik

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.

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

Ivana Bacik: It is a different system.

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

Ivana Bacik: I will be brief as we debated this very fully on Second and Committee Stages. I am very heartened to hear the Minister's commitment to ensuring there will be adequate supports put in place for lone parents with child care provision. The Minister deserves our support in making sure this system is rolled out so that people are not left in a difficult position when the changes are introduced...

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

Ivana Bacik: On a point of order, child care providers across the country were looking for detail.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Second Stage (27 Apr 2012)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister of State. It is a pleasure for me to speak after the eloquent and expert spokesperson on social welfare, Senator Marie Maloney. I will address a couple of the points raised during the debate. The Minister for Social Welfare highlighted the importance of the spend on social protection. Some 40% of all current Government spending, €20 billion, goes on social...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Second Stage (27 Apr 2012)

Ivana Bacik: The Minister has given a commitment to progressively reform the system to ensure better outcomes for lone parents and their families and that she will not bring forward the key reform in respect of the reduction in the age limit, unless the necessary supports are provided. We would all say access to safe, affordable and accessible child care is critical. The Irish model of child care has...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Second Stage (27 Apr 2012)

Ivana Bacik: The transition is critical. I have met groups such as SPARK and One Family which support in principle the idea behind a progressive change to lone-parent allowance and the idea that the State should not intrude into the relationship between parents or base payments for children on the status of their parents' relationships but on whether a child is at risk of poverty and needs the money....