Results 9,581-9,600 of 11,477 for speaker:Ivana Bacik

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Jun 2011)

Ivana Bacik: I am grateful to the Cathaoirleach for the clarification. All of us have found that in practice the Bills Office can be more flexible than might be initially suggested, which is welcome. This is an opportune day to call for a further debate on methods of bottom-up job creation. On the day the Government is launching the national internship scheme, with places for 5,000 jobs in training, we...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Ivana Bacik: I thank Senator Barrett for his kind words in regard to myself and Senator Byrne, both of whom are graduates of Trinity College law school.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Ivana Bacik: So did I.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Ivana Bacik: That is correct. I am interested in the point raised by Senator Barrett. I do not think the Comptroller and Auditor General is equivalent to a judge. I thought the amendment was directed at a different issue, namely, that the Senator believed the Office of Comptroller and Auditor General should not be subject to the same provisions because the Comptroller and Auditor General has a function...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Ivana Bacik: Senator Byrne referred to people being taken to the cleaners. Unfortunately, this Department is being established because the country has been taken to the cleaners. The amendment proposed by Senator Barrett envisages the sort of scrutiny of public appointments that was put forward as a suggestion for Seanad reform in the O'Rourke report, which we have already debated in the House. It is a...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Ivana Bacik: The Senator is obsessed with the Tories.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Ivana Bacik: It is in another section.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Ivana Bacik: On a point of order, section 10 refers to the functions transferred by sections 7 and 8, which are set out.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Ivana Bacik: The section refers to sections 7 and 8.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Ivana Bacik: I support the comments made by Senators John Gilroy and Maurice Cummins. The Minister for public expenditure and reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin, has already acted on one of the issues to which Senator Byrne referred.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Ivana Bacik: Committee Stage debates in the Seanad are very important. This is clearly a very important Bill which establishes a vital Department for the provision of the key reforms we need to deliver better governance in this State following the disastrous mess made by the last Government. However, we should not abuse Committee Stage. I look forward to discussing some of the amendments, particularly...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Ivana Bacik: Far from it.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Ivana Bacik: In response to Senator Sean Barrett, it was not the Department of Finance alone which was responsible for bringing in the IMF. A lack of regulation of the banking sector and poor political decisions, for example, on planning and tax reliefs for property development played larger roles. However, the Senator is right on the need for a restructuring of the Department. We all accept there is...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Ivana Bacik: They are listed in section 8.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Ivana Bacik: If that is not in bad taste.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister on behalf of the Labour Party. As Senator O'Keeffe has said, we are delighted to see him in the House. We are delighted he has been given this portfolio. We are delighted that this Bill, which establishes the Department of public expenditure and reform, has cross-party support. As Senator Barrett said, we accept the need to reform the Department of Finance and to...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Ivana Bacik: To respond to Senator Darragh O'Brien, as I said on the Order of Business and Second Stage, I agree with him and his colleagues that it is less than ideal to have all Stages of a Bill go through the House in one day. I have raised this issue at meetings of my parliamentary party with a view to ensuring it does not recur. As the Minister said earlier, he, too, regrets that this is happening....

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Ivana Bacik: I, too, should have welcomed the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, and apologise to her for not doing so. I do not wish to prolong the debate on this issue which Members rehearsed fully on the Order of Business and Second Stage. The Minister for public expenditure and reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin, expressed his regret on Second Stage in this regard. The debate was originally...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Ivana Bacik: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Jun 2011)

Ivana Bacik: I support calls by Senators Kelly and Harte for a debate on the reconfiguration of local hospitals and for the Minister for Health to appear before the House. It is an important debate Members should be having on the balance that must be struck between the creation of centres of excellence and the need to ensure access to local services in different areas. I am struck by what Senator...