Blog Archive
Seanad Bye-Election - Congratulations to Senator Máiría Cahill
Posted on November 19, 2015
Friday 13th November, 2015
Delighted to welcome newly elected Senator Máiría Cahill to both the House and the Labour PLP.
Five weeks to go...
Posted on November 13, 2015
With just five weeks for the legislative programme up to Christmas I'm keen to see a number of urgent Bills passed and issues debated in both Houses #GettingDownToBusiness
Senator Ivana Bacik, Order of Business, Thursday 12th November 2015.
'Yesterday, the justice committee had a two and a half hour meeting with the Garda Commissioner, Ms Nóirín O'Sullivan, in the course of which she answered a huge number of questions on an array of issues around policing. They covered a wide range of pressing matters, including gangland crime, drugs policy, firearms and so forth. There is a great deal of material from that meeting which we could explore further in a debate in this House on policing. In addition, when will the policing authority Bill finally be passed? It is an urgent Bill.
With regard to legislation, when is the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill due back before the House? It passed Second Stage in the Seanad and there are only five weeks for the legislative programme up to Christmas. I am hopeful, as are other colleagues, that the Bill could be passed by this House by Christmas at the latest, so it can progress through the Dáil in advance of the general election. It is a very important and reforming Bill which, among other things, reforms the law on prostitution. It is important that it is passed. In addition, the Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, which was initiated in the Seanad and seeks to amend section 37 to prevent discrimination against gay and lesbian people in the teaching profession, is another Bill that I hope will be passed by the Dáil by Christmas. It has been passed by this House...
Speaking at the 'Women In Leadership' event at Alexandra College - fine panel of past pupils.
Posted on November 12, 2015
'Women In Leadership' event at Alexandra College
It was an honour to be invited back to my alma mater, Alexandra College and to be on such a fine panel of past pupils with Miriam O’Callaghan – RTE broadcaster; Niamh Briggs – Captain of the Irish female rugby team; Hon. Ms. Justice Isobel Kennedy. – High Court Judge; Moya Doherty – Entrepreneur and the producer and co-founder of Riverdance.
Miriam O’Callaghan – 03:04m
Niamh Briggs – 12:57m
Isobel Kennedy – 15:32m
Moya Doherty – 37:51
Ivana Bacik – 51:52
Q&A – 1:01:40
Barbara Ennis – 1:16:04
Celebrating the passage of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015 through Committee Stage
Posted on November 05, 2015
With Senators Cait Keane, Sean Barrett, Denis Landy and visitors from Friends of the Earth outside Leinster House celebrating the passage of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015 through Committee Stage. #ClimateAction
'Lawyers for Yes' champions are awarded 'Women of the Year' award at the Irish Women Lawyer's Association Gala Dinner
Posted on October 24, 2015
Annual Irish Women Lawyer's Association Gala Dinner
Saturday 24th October, 2015
Speaking in Stormont at the 'Young Female Leaders Academy'
Posted on October 22, 2015
Speaking in Stormont at the 'Young Female Leaders Academy'
Thursday 22nd October 2015
I had the honour and great pleasure of speaking at the 'Young Female Leaders Academy' in Stormont. Organised by Politics Plus I joined Members of the Northern Irish Assembley and other highly engaging speakers in addressing the inspiring, young, female academy attendees. Great day and wonderful to meet so many enthusiastic potential leaders and decision makers.
Sen. Ivana Bacik calls for debate on victims of crime - Order of Business, Seanad Éireann
Posted on October 22, 2015
Sen. Ivana Bacik calls for debate on victims of crime - Order of Business, Seanad Éireann.
Wednesday, 21 October 2015
'I ask the Leader to arrange a debate on victims of crime. Is there a projected date for the introduction in the House of the Criminal Justice (Victims of Crime) Bill? This morning the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality dealt with the pre-legislative scrutiny of the Bill. During the course of the debate powerful submissions were made by eight NGOs who work with victims of crime. They included the Victims' Rights Alliance, the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, the Rape Crisis Network Ireland, the Irish Penal Reform Trust, IPRT, and other groups. In the course of their submissions the NGOs reminded us that this Bill is important because for the first time it provides a statutory framework for the protection of victims' rights in the criminal justice system. It is also a Bill that will implement an EU directive that must be transposed in Ireland by 16 November. The legislation has reached the heads of a Bill stage. The committee is hastening through its pre-legislative scrutiny of the legislation. I wonder can we get it into the Seanad without any undue delay. During the submissions we also heard from Safe Ireland, which released its data on domestic violence this morning which contained some frightening figures. As Safe Ireland pointed out to us, the appalling tragedy where Garda Tony Golden was murdered highlights the serious issue of domestic violence and domestic abuse.'
(Youtube video) Marriage Bill 2015: Second Stage - Sen. Ivana Bacik's contribution.
Posted on October 20, 2015
Marriage Bill 2015: Second Stage
Tuesday, 20 October 2015
'It gives me enormous pleasure to welcome the Minister to the House as a Minister who has led so strongly on this issue and on the process that has led us to this stage. It gives me enormous pleasure to lead for the Labour Party on Second Stage of the Marriage Bill 2015, a Bill made possible, as we know, by the resounding "Yes" vote in the May referendum on marriage equality...'
Follow link for full transcript or watch the Youtube video... http://ivanabacik.com/legislation/2015/10/20/marriage-bill-2015/
Climate Justice: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015
Posted on October 14, 2015
Climate Justice: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015
Wednesday, 14 October 2015
I was delighted to see the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015 back in the Seanad for discussion this week, it's been a long time coming!
Unveiling of Hall of Honour Memorial Stone - Trinity College Dublin
Posted on September 28, 2015
Hall of Honour Memorial Stone
On Saturday I had the pleasure and honour of attending and being inivited to give speak at the unveiling of the Hall of Honour Memorial Stone. It was a momentous occasion and a very moving tribute to all the many men and one woman from the Trinity College community that died in the First World War.
Speech at Unveiling of Hall of Honour Memorial Stone - Trinity College Dublin, Saturday 26th September 2015
Distinguished Guests, Visitors, Friends and Colleagues,