Results 11,041-11,060 of 11,503 for speaker:Ivana Bacik

Seanad: Legal Services Ombudsman Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (3 Mar 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I share Senator O'Donovan's concern about this section of the Bill, which seems rather open-ended. I would have thought that the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights would be the obvious committee before which the ombudsman would appear. I am slightly bemused as to why any other committee would require the ombudsman to appear before it. On this section I...

Seanad: Legal Services Ombudsman Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (3 Mar 2009)

Ivana Bacik: Again, this relates to the levy to be paid for the establishment of the expenses of the ombudsman, or "ombudsperson". I am grateful to Senator O'Donovan; I also like to use that word to symbolise that it could be a man or woman. This levy is to be paid by the Bar Council and Law Society. The Bar Council has approached the Minister and I did not table an amendment to subsection (4) because...

Seanad: Legal Services Ombudsman Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (3 Mar 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I am not putting it any higher than that.

Seanad: Legal Services Ombudsman Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (3 Mar 2009)

Ivana Bacik: Senator Norris has put his disbelief on the record. My other point is on the Minister's power by regulation to provide for the payment of the levy, but perhaps I will leave that for section 20.

Seanad: Order of Business. (27 Feb 2009)

Ivana Bacik: It is a bit rich to hear those on the Government side of the House lecturing those on this side on the need for bipartisanship, unity and solidarity. My understanding is there have been many offers from this side of co-operation but those have not been taken up by the Government. It is most inappropriate of the Government not to try to achieve with the main Opposition parties a common...

Seanad: Order of Business. (27 Feb 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I would love to be enlightened on those plans.

Seanad: Order of Business. (27 Feb 2009)

Ivana Bacik: The one in ten figure demonstrates that the country as a whole is waiting to hear the Government's plans for economic recovery. We have not been given a package of measures. The reason we saw more than 100,000 people protest last weekend is because the Government's measures are piecemeal. All we are getting is a little tinkering at the edges but no real change. I ask the Leader for a...

Seanad: Order of Business. (27 Feb 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I want an early debate on taxation. I want the Minister of Finance, not a Minister of State, to come to the House to explain to Members why the Commission on Taxation will not report until September. The commission has said it is bringing its report forward by a number of weeks, but that is not good enough. We need a decision from the Government on taxation and to hear when the Minister...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages. (27 Feb 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the opportunity to support the amendments, both of which have the same effect by providing for a sunset clause. I echo the comments of Senators Twomey and White. The Government refers to the Bill as an emergency measure, which is not a tax. However, this comes down to honesty. If the Government parties want to be honest, it would be more honest and straightforward to raise...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages. (27 Feb 2009)

Ivana Bacik: There is no comparison between the imposition of a 10% levy and the loss of one's job. The tragedy of job losses for people in Waterford Wedgwood, Dell, SR Technics and smaller firms around the country, which are bearing the brunt in the private sector, must be acknowledged. However, people must feel they are fairly being asked to play their part. Public sector workers, in particular, are...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2009: Second Stage. (26 Feb 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I echo Senator O'Toole's words because I, too, watched the news at 9 p.m. and the one in ten figure stood out starkly for me, as it is doing for people all around the country tonight. Clearly, there is a lack of confidence in what the Government is doing to tackle the enormous economic downturn and problem we are facing. There is a will among people to share the burden. All of us want to...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2009: Second Stage. (26 Feb 2009)

Ivana Bacik: Why are we not seeing tax increases?

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2009: Second Stage. (26 Feb 2009)

Ivana Bacik: The Government has just ruled them out for this year.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Feb 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I echo the criticisms made by Senators Cummins and O'Toole of the public service levy. The real problem at present is the uncertainty surrounding it, the fact that Ministers stated it will be tweaked and yet we have not seen any sign of that tweaking. Previously, there was tweaking done on the medical cards scheme for the over 70s and a U-turn on that. There was a U-turn, or tweaking,...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Feb 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I would like to see Senator Leyden voting with the Opposition when we have the debate on banking.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Feb 2009)

Ivana Bacik: Those of us on this side have been calling for accountability and transparency and we will put our money where our mouth is and vote on that. I would like to see Senator Leyden supporting us on that.

Seanad: Middle East: Statements (18 Feb 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I am grateful to Senator Norris for sharing his time. I regret the shortness of this debate. I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I appreciate the Government's strong condemnation of the Israeli bombardment in Gaza. It has been important and good to see the Government standing up for the rights of the Palestinian people. It has been deeply distressing for all of us to witness...

Seanad: Middle East: Statements (18 Feb 2009)

Ivana Bacik: Hear, hear. We had insufficient time.

Seanad: Legal Services Ombudsman Bill 2008: Second Stage (18 Feb 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Conor Lenihan, to the House and I welcome the introduction of the Bill. Like Senator McDonald, before commenting on the legislation I declare an interest as a practising barrister and a member of the Bar Council. This is an important time to debate the regulation of the legal profession, although currently the focus is on the regulation of a different...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Feb 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I second Senator Norris's amendment to the Order of Business to allow the motion on Gaza to be taken and, if necessary, for the Leader to adopt the motion formally. I understand it should have come from the committee.