Results 10,901-10,920 of 11,444 for speaker:Ivana Bacik

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Mar 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I thank the Cathaoirleach. He speaks of the immense potential, and it is no more than this——

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Mar 2009)

Ivana Bacik: ——that such research has with regard to trying to seek cures for currently incurable diseases and conditions.

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (11 Mar 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I am delighted to second this important motion on Seanad reform and to support Senator O'Toole. It is an excellent motion. Like Senator O'Toole, I have supported calls for Seanad reform even before my election to the Seanad for the first time in 2007. When we had a debate on Seanad reform, prompted, I believe, by a Government motion in November 2007, I spoke in support of that shortly...

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (11 Mar 2009)

Ivana Bacik: It might be useful. It would also make it easier to have a topical debate. Yesterday, as we all know, the Order of Business became a discussion about the dreadful events in Northern Ireland at the weekend, which is as it should have been. Yet, we still had to remain within this rather artificial framework of the Order of Business. It would be a great improvement to the perception of the...

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (11 Mar 2009)

Ivana Bacik: My final point is that at this difficult economic time, the proposal of former Senator O'Rourke to extend the numbers in the Seanad to 65 might not be a runner. Overall, however, we need to overhaul our internal system internally and externally. I commend the motion to the House without the amendment.

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I will move that amendment.

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I do not, actually, but since they are not present, I do not want the amendment to fall. I was hoping to support it.

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I will speak on the subject of the section.

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I thought it was possible to move an amendment when the person proposing was not present. I have taken advantage of that in the past when I have not been present and others have moved amendments on my behalf.

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Ivana Bacik: They clearly were, and they should not have done it. That will be a suitable rap on the knuckles. I wish to support the principle expressed in the amendments proposed for section 46 which concerns the power to summon witnesses. The section provides that the authority may examine on oath the witnesses attending before it. It should provide also that it could examine on affirmation rather...

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Ivana Bacik: That answers the question.

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I move amendment No. 42: In page 41, subsection (2)(b)(i)(I), line 26, to delete "moral" and substitute "other". This is the critical section in Part 7 which relates to adoption orders in exceptional cases and the role of the High Court. Section 54 provides for the orders of the High Court authorising the adoption authority to make adoption orders for children whose parents fail in their...

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I thank the Minister of State for his response. In a way, I do not have as much of an objection to the test in the context of parents who are not married to each other or where, for example, a birth mother gives up a child for adoption. It is right that the test should be extremely rigorous in order for the adoption authority to be able to dispense with the consent. Clearly that is...

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I thank the Minister of State for his response. I believe he somewhat misunderstood the point Senators Alex White and Healy Eames and I made in terms of race, ethnicity, nationality and so on. There is very advanced literature on, and practice in, Britain, in particular, about the criteria to be taken into account in the placement of children with appropriate adoptive parents and all the...

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I do not want to prolong the debate unnecessarily. I am glad the Minister of State has acknowledged there should be some amendment to the section. I agree that to include "if any" in the first line addresses the point I raised, which is that the section assumes everyone is of a particular religion. However, it does not really address the fundamental issue I have with the provision, which...

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Ivana Bacik: The Minister of State could draft a similar amendment himself.

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I would like clarification, as I did not hear the Minister of State's response to the question asked by Senator Alex White and I on whether section 32 applies to intercountry adoptions. The answer is unclear from reading section 20.

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Ivana Bacik: That confirms our points. Is the Minister of State saying that the section applies to all intercountry adoptions?

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I would be grateful for that. I hope that the Minister of State will accept an amendment to the effect that adoptive parents might not have a religion. The section is nonsensical if it applies to intercountry adoptions, which form the bulk of adoptions. How can we presume that a child born in Vietnam to Vietnamese parents of the state religion will be of the same religion as the adoptive...

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Ivana Bacik: We reserve the right to discuss it on Report Stage.