Results 11,101-11,120 of 11,469 for speaker:Ivana Bacik

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Ivana Bacik: The Minister of State said, first, he will not accede to our request because the Revenue does not want it and, second, he wants to preserve the status quo. I do not accept those are valid reasons for rejecting the amendments, which are important and which would greatly enhance this welcome legislation. We cannot accept what the Minister of State said and I will press amendment No. 14 if the...

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Ivana Bacik: As I have said, I would like to press my amendment No. 14 in particular to a vote but I know all these amendments are similar.

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Ivana Bacik: If the Minister of State would give Members some guarantees or a rationale for this, I, like other Senators, would not press it at this stage but would reserve my position until Report Stage.

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Ivana Bacik: Why?

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Ivana Bacik: I support the amendment as it applies to humanism. Like Senator Norris, I believe Senator Hannigan is correct that it is important humanism would be included. In section 3, the advancement of religion is one of the charitable purposes and the Humanist Association of Ireland certainly should also be included as a charity under that heading. The Labour Party has amendment No. 13 which would...

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Ivana Bacik: I too support amendment No. 13. As I said, I would like the definition of "religion" to be extended to include humanism, but it is correct to exclude what we know as cults from this definition.

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Ivana Bacik: In view of the vote on amendment No. 9, which is based on the same principle, and the comments of the Minister of State, I do not propose to press amendment No. 14 at this point, although I reserve the right to do so on Report Stage.

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Ivana Bacik: I want to speak on this group of amendments. My amendment is No. 14, but clearly amendments Nos. 9, 11, 14, 15 and 16 all seek to do the same thing, which is to place as one of the charitable purposes in section 3(10) the advancement or promotion of human rights. It is an important principle that a purpose that is of benefit to the community should include the advancement of human rights....

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Ivana Bacik: Will the Minister of State explain why he is leaving this proposal out, given that there is such broad support for it with five different amendments all purporting to do the same? Will he justify why he is not accepting this amendment?

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Ivana Bacik: Like so many others I have welcomed this Bill. As I pointed out on Second Stage, it is much needed and the charitable sector does require regulation. For far too long, there has been inadequate regulation. The Revenue had to step in and take over a role for which it was not designed. As Senator Buttimer stated, most of the Bill's provisions are supported by the Opposition. This is an...

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Ivana Bacik: Or the Attorney General, as I asked.

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Ivana Bacik: I ask the Minister of State again for a specific response to my question. Does he have advice from the Attorney General on this issue and if the Attorney General has advised against including advancement of human rights in the Bill, what is the reason for that? We deserve to know that rather than having the formulaic answer that this is how it has always been.

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Ivana Bacik: It does not quite sit, that is the point.

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Ivana Bacik: Did the Attorney General advise and, if so, what was the advice?

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Ivana Bacik: I asked a question about that.

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Ivana Bacik: In that case, could the Attorney General's advice be sought on this aspect? Will the Minister indicate whether he will consider that? We may not press these amendments if he indicates that he will consider referring back to the Attorney General, given that the Attorney General has not had an opportunity to give advice on this matter. It is a matter on which he should give advice.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Dec 2008)

Ivana Bacik: It is up to individuals to decide.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Dec 2008)

Ivana Bacik: I always get slightly alarmed when I hear people stating, "political correctness gone mad" because that has become such a cliché. Every year in the recent past I have heard people bemoaning the absence of cribs at Christmas. It does not appear to me as though any individuals, certainly not the new communities in Ireland, have been asking for cribs to be removed. Nobody has been asking for...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Dec 2008)

Ivana Bacik: It is up to individual businesses, organisations, agencies and families whether they want to have cribs. It is entirely a matter for them and I do not hear anyone demanding that a crib be removed from any place. As somebody who was brought up Catholic but is now an atheist, I am delighted to see how much celebration there is of Christmas and how much Christmas has become an inclusive event...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Dec 2008)

Ivana Bacik: I do not see any sign of a reduction or dilution in the celebration of Christmas, far from it. We celebrate it far more openly and inclusively now than we did before. I support the words of Senator Norris on the Pamela Izevbekhai case. I wrote to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform asking him to consider allowing her to remain on humanitarian grounds with her young daughters....