Results 10,541-10,560 of 11,489 for speaker:Ivana Bacik

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Nov 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I join others in welcoming the appointment, for the first time, of a woman Commissioner by an Irish Taoiseach. As others have said, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn is a person of immense ability and has a great track record. While I am delighted that a woman has been appointed, I have to say I am sorry it is a Fianna Fáil woman. I think she will do a very good job. I hope this House can have a...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Nov 2009)

Ivana Bacik: It is clear there is immense concern on both sides of the House about the leaking of announcements from AIB and a need for a debate on control of the banks and who in them is calling the shots. It is extraordinary, in the wake of the lengthy debates on NAMA we had last week, that the taxpayer is shouldering the entire risk but the State, which should act in the public interest, cannot assert...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Nov 2009)

Ivana Bacik: It was unrelated to bankers but Senator White has seen a link. A debate on the use of imprisonment generally is needed. The report in The Irish Times referred to Dr. Conor O'Neill, a consultant psychiatrist at the Central Mental Hospital, who reports that 8% of male remand prisoners have psychotic symptoms, a rate ten times that in the community generally and which is of immense concern....

Seanad: Courts and Court Officers Bill 2009: Committee Stage (12 Nov 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Bill which facilitates the move to the new criminal courts complex. Most of the provisions deal with the procedures consequent on that move. However, on Second Stage I expressed concerns about Part 2 and the provisions on temporary custody. With regard to the Minister's amendment to the definition of "holding area officer" in section 5, I take the point that much of this is...

Seanad: Courts and Court Officers Bill 2009: Committee Stage (12 Nov 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I move amendment No. 3: In page 4, line 40, after "person" to insert "who is lawfully in custody". This amendment was tabled in the Dáil by Deputy Rabbitte. It seeks to limit the definition of a person who may be placed in temporary custody to a person who is lawfully in custody. I expressed a reservation about the drafting of this section on Second Stage. Section 6 refers to a prisoner...

Seanad: Courts and Court Officers Bill 2009: Committee Stage (12 Nov 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I am glad the Minister of State has confirmed there is no intention in the Bill to create a new power to hold somebody in custody. I do not believe it could do so under the Constitution. The Minister of State referred to existing legislation but it is clear the Constitution overarches that. I do not believe the amendment could create a new category. I was concerned it might, by...

Seanad: Courts and Court Officers Bill 2009: Committee Stage (12 Nov 2009)

Ivana Bacik: Not at this stage. I reserve my right to reintroduce it on Report Stage.

Seanad: Courts and Court Officers Bill 2009: Committee Stage (12 Nov 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I move amendment No. 4: In page 5, paragraph (b), line 1, to delete "or in another capacity". This amendment relates to section 7(b), which currently states that a person may be placed in temporary custody to facilitate not only a court appearance by them but also their participation as a witness or in another capacity at a court hearing. As on Second Stage, I wish to inquire as to the sort...

Seanad: Courts and Court Officers Bill 2009: Committee Stage (12 Nov 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I reserve my position in that regard.

Seanad: Courts and Court Officers Bill 2009: Committee Stage (12 Nov 2009)

Ivana Bacik: The Minister of State referred to circumstances where a person might represent himself or herself. That instance may be covered under paragraph (a), which relates to court appearances. However, I suppose it could also be for the purpose of appearing in a civil proceeding and a doubt might arise with regard to whether "court appearance" would be the appropriate phrase, particularly if a...

Seanad: Courts and Court Officers Bill 2009: Committee Stage (12 Nov 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I move amendment No. 6: In page 7, line 1, after "prescribe" to insert the following: ", in accordance with the standards already provided for in respect of persons held lawfully in Garda custody or under the Prison Rules 2007 (S.I. No. 252 of 2007)". The intent behind this amendment is clear and I indicated on Second Stage that I would be introducing it. The amendment relates to the...

Seanad: Courts and Court Officers Bill 2009: Committee Stage (12 Nov 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I thank Senator Regan for expressing support for the amendment. As he stated, the amendment would improve section 12. The amendment does not require the Minister to apply exactly the same regulations because, as already stated, I am conscious that some of these would not be relevant. It simply allows for a certain minimum standard to be observed in developing any new regulations for...

Seanad: Courts and Court Officers Bill 2009: Committee Stage (12 Nov 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I am grateful to the Minister of State and Senator McDonald for the points they made that the prisoner is in custody and regulations already apply. I would have assumed that. However, section 12 suggests something different. If those rules are already applicable, as they are, to persons who are already lawfully in custody, why is the Minister of State giving himself the power to prescribe...

Seanad: Courts and Court Officers Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (12 Nov 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I move amendment No. 1: In page 7, line 1, after "prescribe", to insert the following: ", in accordance with the standards already provided for in respect of persons held lawfully in Garda custody or under the Prison Rules 2007 (S.I. No. 252 of 2007)". There is a slight Alice in Wonderland sense about this Report Stage. I do not propose to table two amendments that I had withdrawn on...

Seanad: National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Motions (12 Nov 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I echo what Senator Fitzgerald said by expressing regret that the Minister did not accept more amendments from the Labour Party, Fine Gael and the Opposition in general. The Labour Party had and continues to have serious concerns about NAMA as an institution. I do not wish to rehash them but the main concern pertains to the level of risk taken on by the taxpayer. However, the Labour Party...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Nov 2009)

Ivana Bacik: Yes.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Nov 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I also welcome the release of Fr. Michael Sinnott. It is nice to have good news coming so soon after the release of Sharon Commins. Like Senator Fitzgerald, I express the concern on the Labour Party Bench about the enormous risk that NAMA poses. We had fundamental disagreements with the NAMA legislation, which is why we voted against it. At the same time, as Senator O'Toole said, we all...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Nov 2009)

Ivana Bacik: The Member in question represented certain views of mine and expressed doubt about my opposition to the death penalty. I have a long track record both as a criminal justice and human rights lawyer. I will not take abuse nor accept misrepresentation of my views from the other side of the House, particularly not from fundamentalists and bigots with brass necks. I will be taking up the matter...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Nov 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I ask the Leader for a debate on how we conduct ourselves in the House. I hope we will see debates conducted with respect at all times.

Seanad: National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (11 Nov 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I second the amendment. I will speak to amendments Nos. 11 to 14, inclusive, which include an amendment in the names of Senators Norris and O'Toole. Theirs has a slightly different nuance, although it addresses the same point as that of the Labour Party. Sections 58(3) and 59(2), both of which we propose to delete and replace, are very prescriptive and impose extreme restrictions on the...