Results 11,121-11,140 of 11,695 for speaker:Ivana Bacik

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2009: Second Stage (29 Apr 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the idea that there will be a better targeted and more thoughtful way of providing child care support to parents. However, I am alarmed that payment will be made in the form of a capitation grant to child care providers who will then be expected to pass on the discount to parents. The Minister must provide more information in respect of this matter. To whom will the grant be...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Apr 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I support the amendment put forward by Senator O'Toole and seconded by Senator Alex White that we would have a debate on the economy today and, if necessary, defer some of the Stages of the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill until tomorrow. That is an important motion that we all should support in light of the very depressing and concerning news of the report from the ESRI. I ask those who...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Apr 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I join Senator Donohoe in congratulating my colleague, Senator Norris. I support Senator Norris in his call for a debate on the quality of our water supply. The Senator has exhorted us to wake up and smell the water. This may be all we should do as it is apparently unsafe for drinking given the levels of e.coli and so on. It is important we debate this issue. I also support Senator...

Seanad: Supplementary Budget Statement 2009: Statements (9 Apr 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister of State. I also welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the budget. Previous speakers referred to Ireland's economy as suffering from an illness. I want to use a fruit analogy and state that it has gone pear shaped. The latter is, of course, an understatement. The Government has introduced a supplementary budget which might be described as being as...

Seanad: Supplementary Budget Statement 2009: Statements (9 Apr 2009)

Ivana Bacik: That this was allowed to happen indicates that there has been an appalling failure in regulation. It is clear that there are major questions to be answered with regard to how this came about. The Minister conceded that mistakes were made and that there was a massive over-reliance on construction and property. Now that we are in this position, how do we move forward? I am glad Members on...

Seanad: Supplementary Budget Statement 2009: Statements (9 Apr 2009)

Ivana Bacik: Thirty-three Senators have second jobs.

Seanad: Supplementary Budget Statement 2009: Statements (9 Apr 2009)

Ivana Bacik: It is important to see an extension of the career break scheme through the public service. The early retirement scheme is also useful. These innovative and welcome measures aside, the budget as a whole appears to be a very crude and blunt attempt to balance books through cutting public spending and raising taxes on incomes of ordinary families. The Minister may have attempted to sweeten...

Seanad: Appointments to State Agencies and Public Bodies: Motion (8 Apr 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I have never been a member of Democratic Left.

Seanad: Appointments to State Agencies and Public Bodies: Motion (8 Apr 2009)

Ivana Bacik: On a point of order, I have never been a member of Democratic Left. I am a proud member of the Labour Party and I have never been a member of Democratic Left.

Seanad: Appointments to State Agencies and Public Bodies: Motion (8 Apr 2009)

Ivana Bacik: No, it is not.

Seanad: Appointments to State Agencies and Public Bodies: Motion (8 Apr 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I am happy to speak on appointments to State agencies and public bodies but I do not see the point of the Green Party motion. At least the Fine Gael Party's amendment has the merit of making some substantive proposals for reform of the cronyism that we all agree took place in the past and continues to some extent in the appointments to State agencies and public bodies. It is a little rich...

Seanad: Appointments to State Agencies and Public Bodies: Motion (8 Apr 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I will not be able to say all I wished. I hoped to ask questions also about the new commercial semi-State agency to be set up, namely, the national assets management agency. Again, questions must be asked about the recruitment of the individuals who will fulfil the important roles of chair or chief executive officer and members on the board of that institution. It is a matter of urgency...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Apr 2009)

Ivana Bacik: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Apr 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I support the call from Senator Fitzgerald and others that Members should debate the budget today. It seems extraordinary that, when everyone else in the country is debating the financial statement that was issued by the Minister for Finance yesterday and the small print contained therein, Members are not so doing. Given there still are 20 Ministers of State, albeit for a relatively short...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Apr 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I ask the Leader for a debate on the budget today and in particular the impact it will have on low to middle income families and on parents who will see their income cut in all these ways although their child care costs will remain high.

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Apr 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the opportunity to comment on the Bill at the conclusion of Committee Stage and I look forward to making further contributions on Report Stage. As I did before, I welcome this Bill, as did people on both sides of the House. The debate on it has been extremely worthwhile and has, I hope, contributed to what will be an improvement of the Bill on Report Stage. I would like to...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Apr 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I support the view of other Senators who were critical of the comments made by IBEC, which advocates reductions in social welfare payments. It is most unwise of directors of IBEC——

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Apr 2009)

Ivana Bacik: ——to express the view that cuts should be made in social welfare payments. What came to my mind on hearing this were the cuts called for last year by a certain senior banker, who subsequently resigned and fell from grace. He called for the abolition of free medical cards for people aged over 70 years and we have seen his fall from grace as a result. It is unjustified hubris for IBEC...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Apr 2009)

Ivana Bacik: ——Turlough O'Sullivan, calling for the abolition of the Seanad as a way of cutting Government spending. It was extremely inappropriate of somebody in his position to make such a call as he was overstepping his role.

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Apr 2009)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the changes proposed this morning to the Order of Business. During the debate on Seanad Reform, I called for time limits to be imposed on all Senators on the Order of Business and on the Leader's response. That would make the Order of Business more democratic and lively, and would allow more people to contribute, which is positive.