Results 10,121-10,140 of 11,444 for speaker:Ivana Bacik

Seanad: Order of Business (6 May 2010)

Ivana Bacik: I support the calls made by other speakers for a debate on transport policy. Following on from Senator Buttimer's question about who drives transport policy, we can say it is certainly not the Minister who is not even a back seat driver but just a passenger at this stage——

Seanad: Order of Business (6 May 2010)

Ivana Bacik: I agree. We have seen a complete abdication of responsibility for governing and driving transport policy and, as other speakers said, a handing over of responsibility to quangos. We need a debate on the issue. I thank the Cathaoirleach for welcoming the distinguished delegation in the Distinguished Visitors Gallery. I also wish to welcome its members on my own behalf. It is a UNICEF-led...

Seanad: Order of Business. (5 May 2010)

Ivana Bacik: I ask the Leader for a debate on foreign policy issues, given the recent reports of atrocities in Chad following the withdrawal of the Irish Defence Forces. Amnesty International has raised the issue which the House needs to debate. I also ask the Leader for a debate on the situation in Sri Lanka which has not received the same level of media attention. A permanent people's tribunal was...

Seanad: Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (5 May 2010)

Ivana Bacik: I move amendment No. 1: In page 5, between lines 27 and 28, to insert the following: "(c) The references in this subsection to a designated centre shall include any other suitable place of treatment specified by the Minister for Health and Children.". I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy John Moloney. I thank him for his continuing interest in these issues. We had a very good debate on...

Seanad: Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (5 May 2010)

Ivana Bacik: I thank the Minister of State for a full response. I am glad a wider review of the legislation will be undertaken later this year and that the important issue this amendment raises will be dealt with by it. I have a difficulty with the Committee Stage Government amendment to section 3 although I am glad that, in principle, centres other than the Central Mental Hospital may be designated....

Seanad: Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (5 May 2010)

Ivana Bacik: I move amendment No. 2: In page 5, between lines 27 and 28, to insert the following: "(c) The references in this subsection to a court shall not include the District Court.". This amendment would change the definition of "court" to exclude the District Court. This is not just a whimsical exclusion of the court as many professionals, especially psychiatrists, working in the system feel, from...

Seanad: Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (5 May 2010)

Ivana Bacik: I thank the Minister of State again for a full response and am glad the matter I have raised will be included in the overall review of the 2006 legislation. I am also glad he referred to Professor Harry Kennedy who has been an immense help in informing me of the workings of the 2006 Act and his excellent court diversion programme. I take the Minister's point that he wants space to examine...

Seanad: Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (5 May 2010)

Ivana Bacik: I move amendment No. 3: In page 9, line 7, to delete "A person is in material breach of his or her" and substitute "The clinical director may revoke a". I put this amendment on Committee Stage as well. It is an amendment to section 8. It is somewhat technical but it is to change the language in that the new section 13B, as currently drafted, has an Alice in Wonderland quality about it...

Seanad: Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (5 May 2010)

Ivana Bacik: I am grateful to Senator Regan for his points and support. I still believe there is something odd about the wording, as he said. Perhaps it is unnecessary to delete the words "A person is in material breach" but the difficulty arises with the second part of the sentence which states: "Where the clinical director on reasonable grounds believes that...". It is unfortunate that some other...

Seanad: Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (5 May 2010)

Ivana Bacik: I move amendment No. 4: In page 10, line 20, to delete "section 13" and substitute "sections 13, 13A, 13B and 13C". This is a technical amendment. I think I mentioned on Committee Stage that it might be necessary. Currently, subsection 8(c) of new section 13B provides that the board may exercise all the powers available to it under section 13. We wondered if that should not also read...

Seanad: Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (5 May 2010)

Ivana Bacik: No.

Seanad: Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (5 May 2010)

Ivana Bacik: I move amendment No. 5: In page 11, line 15, to delete "(Insanity)" and substitute "(Mental Disorder)". This is an amendment about which we had extensive debate on Committee Stage, and I am glad Senator Quinn has supported it. Senator Regan also supported it on Committee Stage. It is a more substantial issue. It is about the language we are using in this legislation and it is most...

Seanad: Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (5 May 2010)

Ivana Bacik: I am pleased the Minister of State has acknowledged the need for this change. I accept entirely that a sea change is required in attitudes and culture. However, it has occurred elsewhere in the system in terms of psychiatric services, civil legislation and so on. It is unfortunate we cannot make the change in this legislation also. It is clearly an anachronism that is not only of the 20th...

Seanad: Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (5 May 2010)

Ivana Bacik: I also thank the Minister of State and his officials for their work on this Bill. We had a productive and constructive debate and I am glad he took on board the issue of designating centres other than the Central Mental Hospital. It is a pity we could not move on from the use of the language of insanity but I very much look forward to the outcome of the review the Minister of State has...

Seanad: Order of Business. (29 Apr 2010)

Ivana Bacik: I call for a debate on prison conditions in the light of the forced resignation this week of the former governor of the Dóchas Centre and in the context of the opening today of the Prison Officers Association conference. On the resignation of the governor of the Dóchas Centre, I do not agree with her apparent equation of lesbianism with bullying and depression. She was quoted in the...

Seanad: Communications (Retention of Data) Bill 2009: Second Stage (29 Apr 2010)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister of State. The Labour Party broadly welcomes the purpose of the Bill. Ireland is obliged to pass legislation on foot of the 2006 directive. It is unfortunate, however, that the European Court of Justice has found Ireland to be in breach of our obligations due to the delay in transposing the directive. The Minister of State indicated one of the reasons for the delay...

Seanad: Order of Business. (28 Apr 2010)

Ivana Bacik: First, I thank the Leader and other colleagues in the House for such an excellent debate yesterday on women's participation in politics. It was historic and was the first time this matter had ever been debated formally in either House of the Oireachtas since the foundation of the State and I am delighted it took place. I also am delighted there was so much interest that it will be...

Seanad: Fines Bill 2009: Committee Stage. (28 Apr 2010)

Ivana Bacik: Before coming to amendment No. 1, I wish to have a matter clarified. The schedule we were given refers to "Committee and Remaining Stages". I believe we are only taking Committee Stage today.

Seanad: Fines Bill 2009: Committee Stage. (28 Apr 2010)

Ivana Bacik: I was present for the Order of Business but do not recall that happening.

Seanad: Fines Bill 2009: Committee Stage. (28 Apr 2010)

Ivana Bacik: I move amendment No. 1: In page 3, subsection (2), line 29, after "provisions" to insert the following: ", provided that Part 2 shall come into operation in its entirety on a specified day". There is something of a contradiction in giving the Minister power in section 1(2) to commence the Bill in an open-ended fashion and to commence different sections at different times. However, the...