Results 11,581-11,600 of 11,695 for speaker:Ivana Bacik

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jun 2008)

Ivana Bacik: That is a fair point. It shows a lot of problems with the way in which the campaign was run. It also confirms the need to reiterate a call I made previously on the Leader for a debate on women's representation in politics. That is an important point and it was shown up by the treaty result. Will the Leader consider an amendment to the Order of Business to allow us to take the motion on...

Seanad: Lisbon Reform Treaty Report: Statements (5 Jun 2008)

Ivana Bacik: I am grateful to the Cathaoirleach for allowing me the time. Earlier today I declared my support for the Lisbon treaty, having given it some consideration. I had not always supported similar treaties in the past. However, it deserves support, despite the strong criticisms I have of the manner in which the Government has campaigned in favour of the treaty and the way the referendum campaign...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Jun 2008)

Ivana Bacik: Since everyone has been mentioning the Lisbon treaty this morning, with Senators on the Independent benches coming out of the closet to indicate the way they shall be voting, I declare that I shall be voting "Yes" .

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Jun 2008)

Ivana Bacik: I note with concern, however, that a commentator remarked in the newspapers last week how few prominent women were coming out on the "Yes" side. This is yet another indictment of the very poor pro-treaty campaign being run by the Government. The strongest arguments in favour of the "Yes" position have come from the Opposition. The Government needs to be doing much more in the last few days...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Jun 2008)

Ivana Bacik: We do not know whether it was a sterling bet, of course.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Jun 2008)

Ivana Bacik: The arguments in favour of the Lisbon treaty are very strong, from a feminist perspective, particularly because of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, and also because of what the European Union has done to date in terms of promoting gender equality. That is very important and needs to be put on the record. However, it is also important to stress that the treaty will facilitate further...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Jun 2008)

Ivana Bacik: ——it has been proven this week to be the wrong course, so perhaps I shall not be putting any bets. On a more serious note I want to ask the Leader for a debate on No. 21 on the Order Paper, a motion which I have table dealing with the issue of genital mutilation. A report has been published by the Women's Health Council of Ireland calling for legislation. It is a literature review...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Jun 2008)

Ivana Bacik: Last night's "Prime Time Investigates" programme investigated the so-called war on drugs and examined alternatives to the prohibitionist approach to drug misuse. The Leader previously facilitated a debate on this and I was one of the Senators who participated in formulating the motion. However, the debate lapsed into platitudes on what to do about drugs and we did not sufficiently address...

Seanad: Prison Building Programme: Motion. (29 May 2008)

Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister of State and the opportunity to speak on this issue. I have had a long-standing interest in prison reform and have long been a member of the Irish Penal Reform Trust. I am very familiar with the inside of many of the State's prisons, happily not as a prisoner but as a defence lawyer and criminologist. I spent time touring the inside of Mountjoy Prison, the Dóchas...

Seanad: Prison Building Programme: Motion. (29 May 2008)

Ivana Bacik: I am very much obliged to the Minister of State for clarifying that. I believed that might be the case. I am particularly concerned, therefore, that we are allowing for a potentially enormous increase in prisoner numbers to 2,200. The unfortunate truism is that if prison places are built, they will be filled. We should all be concerned about the direction this would take our penal policy....

Seanad: Prison Building Programme: Motion. (29 May 2008)

Ivana Bacik: In respect of my second concern, I have been working with a colleague from the other House who is not unknown to the Minister of State, namely, Deputy Mary O'Rourke. She and I hosted a meeting last week with Baroness Jean Corston from the House of Lords, who has produced a comprehensive and thought-provoking report, "The Corston Report", on female prisoners in the United Kingdom, the...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 May 2008)

Ivana Bacik: I wish to ask the Leader for a debate on the level of integration of migrants in Ireland as this is an important issue. In the past week we celebrated Africa day and I understand it was a huge success that saw great events held, especially in Dublin's city centre. Last week, in light of Africa day, I had the pleasure to launch a report produced by AkiDwA, a network of African and other...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 May 2008)

Ivana Bacik: There was a definite proposal to publish it by September.

Seanad: HSE Child Welfare and Protection Services: Statements (21 May 2008)

Ivana Bacik: With the permission of the House, I wish to share time with my colleague, Senator Norris. I will speak for seven minutes, while Senator Norris will speak for three minutes if that is agreeable.

Seanad: HSE Child Welfare and Protection Services: Statements (21 May 2008)

Ivana Bacik: I also echo the words of the others in welcoming the Minister of State to the House and congratulating him on his new appointment. I very much welcome the words in his speech to the effect that he would make it a priority to provide services to some of the most vulnerable young members of our society. We all agree that the protection of vulnerable children should be a key priority of the...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 May 2008)

Ivana Bacik: I ask the Leader for a debate on imprisonment, specifically the imprisonment of women. In a week when Thornton Hall is in the news, it is time for us to take a critical review of the need for imprisonment and, in particular, the need for this super prison initially proposed by the former Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Michael McDowell.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 May 2008)

Ivana Bacik: This prison seems to be forging ahead without anyone questioning whether we need these places. I was going to use the "L" word but I hesitate to use it, other Members of the House having fallen into problems, so I will say that misinformation rather than lies have been told about the need for more prison places in this country. The reality elsewhere shows us that if one builds bigger...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 May 2008)

Ivana Bacik: I would be happy to meet them to discuss the issues at another time. The Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice will also host a seminar on Thursday evening on the future of women's imprisonment. This is an issue which we could very usefully debate in this House and could lead the way in calling for a critical review of women's imprisonment, as Baroness Corston has done in Great Britain.

Seanad: Order of Business. (30 Apr 2008)

Ivana Bacik: I ask the Deputy Leader for a debate on maternity services. Speakers have called for debates on other aspects of the health services but it is important for us to focus on the state of maternity services in our hospitals. I met last week with an organisation called the Association for Improvements in the Maternity Services — Ireland, a group formed last year by mothers dissatisfied with...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Apr 2008)

Ivana Bacik: I support Senator Alex White's call for a debate with the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform on the issue of Internet and e-mail data retention which is being reported on in today's edition of The Irish Times. I am delighted that Senator de Búrca also has called for this and I ask her to use her influence within Government to ensure this statutory instrument does not see the...