Results 10,001-10,020 of 11,477 for speaker:Ivana Bacik

Seanad: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009: Committee Stage (7 Jul 2010)

Ivana Bacik: The Labour Party is also opposed to the amendment. It is clear that civil partnership is not marriage. The Labour Party has been critical of the Bill because it is of the view that it does not create a status that is close enough to equality or marriage. However, we support the concept of civil partnership as an advance. It is only now that the many people who were involved in loving and...

Seanad: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009: Committee Stage (7 Jul 2010)

Ivana Bacik: I thought I was very restrained.

Seanad: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009: Committee Stage (7 Jul 2010)

Ivana Bacik: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009: Committee Stage (7 Jul 2010)

Ivana Bacik: I thought we were not going to personalise it.

Seanad: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009: Committee Stage (7 Jul 2010)

Ivana Bacik: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009: Committee Stage (7 Jul 2010)

Ivana Bacik: I thought we had all agreed not to start name calling.

Seanad: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009: Committee Stage (7 Jul 2010)

Ivana Bacik: I thought we had agreed not to name call and insult. The other side was displaying a great deal of wounded sensitivity around that.

Seanad: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009: Committee Stage (7 Jul 2010)

Ivana Bacik: I am delighted to support these amendments, three of which were tabled by Senator Norris with the support of the Labour Party and one of which we tabled, amendment No. 64 which in essence has the same aim as amendment No. 63. All four amendments have in common the main and critical aim of seeking to write into the Bill the rights of children which are noticeably lacking now. The single...

Seanad: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009: Committee Stage (7 Jul 2010)

Ivana Bacik: On a point of order, this debate should not be used to attack persons who are not present. I understood there was a rule on that matter.

Seanad: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009: Committee Stage (7 Jul 2010)

Ivana Bacik: He is straying far from the amendment.

Seanad: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009: Committee Stage (7 Jul 2010)

Ivana Bacik: I must raise an objection.

Seanad: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009: Committee Stage (7 Jul 2010)

Ivana Bacik: The Senator is making a serious attack on persons who are not present.

Seanad: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009: Committee Stage (7 Jul 2010)

Ivana Bacik: I wish to clarify a number of points on these four amendments, in particular amendments Nos. 63 and 64. I will stick to points on those amendments and not stray into other territory by mounting attacks on anyone at all. In essence these amendments are child-centred. They are about trying to ensure the rights of existing children - some of whom are now adults - who were brought up by gay...

Seanad: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009: Committee Stage (7 Jul 2010)

Ivana Bacik: I wish to make three brief points in response to the Minister. First, we are disappointed that he is not going to accept any of these four amendments or indeed any of the others on children. If that is not going to happen, the promise of a composite response with regard to the rights of children is welcome. Can the Minister give some indication of when that is likely to happen? He says...

Seanad: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009: Committee Stage (7 Jul 2010)

Ivana Bacik: They could not be greater than the status of married people but they could be equivalent. Legal recognition could be given to a cohabiting couple, including a same-sex couple, to a level equivalent with marriage. I do not see how our amendments go anywhere beyond that. They are not even equivalent to marriage. I do not see how there could be a constitutional difficulty with those.

Seanad: Business of Seanad (7 Jul 2010)

Ivana Bacik: For reasons of clarity, at what time is Second Stage of the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009 due to conclude?

Seanad: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009: Second Stage (7 Jul 2010)

Ivana Bacik: It gives me great pleasure to be here on behalf of the Labour Party to welcome the introduction of this ground-breaking Bill. I am proud to be here to represent the party with a proud tradition on gay rights and the first political party to bring before either House legislation recognising the status of gay couples in law. In 2004, my dear friend and colleague, Senator Norris, a pioneer on...

Seanad: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009: Second Stage (7 Jul 2010)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Calleary. Before the suspension, I was speaking of the major problem that we in the Labour Party see with this Bill, namely, that it does not go far enough. It does not provide for full equality for gay couples because it does not recognise within it the right to marry. I want to emphasise that arguing for a more inclusive definition of marriage is...

Seanad: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009: Second Stage (7 Jul 2010)

Ivana Bacik: The majority of us on both sides of this and the Lower House look forward greatly to seeing civil partnership ceremonies conducted here. This is a Bill that is long overdue as it has had a long genesis. It does not go far enough for us but we recognise the historic nature of this day. We will support the Bill and we will also support the protection for cohabitees which has been provided....

Seanad: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009: Second Stage (7 Jul 2010)

Ivana Bacik: Hear, hear.