Ivana Bacik

Order of Business

Senator Ivana Bacik: I support Senator Fitzgerald and others who have called for a debate

on Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin. It is obscene that parents with young children are being forced to take to the public airwaves and raise money from other sources to get necessary operations for their children. I have met some mothers of chronically ill children and have heard their concerns. We all welcome the reports that the hospital is going to reverse some of the proposed ward closures, but clearly there will still be restrictions, particularly on outpatient appointments. It is just not good enough for sick children who should be our first priority. I therefore support the call for that debate.

I also support Senator O’Toole’s comments on judges and the voluntary payments they have been asked to make. The sight of Ministers jumping on a bandwagon to attack judges on the basis that they have refused to make payments, when in fact it appears the judges have not yet made payments, is a diversionary tactic. The Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, who should be looking after children in Crumlin hospital to ensure they receive decent medical care, is using the diversionary tactic of criticising judges when the Government was not honest enough to pass the relevant law on tax. I am calling on the Leader for a debate on the pension levy and on taxation. Clearly, the pension levy is a tax in all but name. If it had been described as a tax there would have been no requirement for judges to go through these hoops of having to make voluntary payments. It would have been a far more honest approach.

I am also seeking a debate on Iran. All of us in the House will be deeply concerned at the distressing sight of protestors being killed there, apparently by troops or pro-government militia. We are concerned at the apparent problems with the presidential poll and all of us would want to support any movement for true democracy in Iran. We know it is a repressive regime.

Earlier, I was outside Leinster House with a group from the Iranian community in Ireland who are seeking a meeting with the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Minister for Foreign Affairs. They want to express their concerns and see what we in Ireland can do. I ask the Leader to facilitate the Iranian community, which is supporting democracy in Iran, with some sort of cross-party motion or debate.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009 at 10:13 am and is filed under Economy, Human Rights, Health. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.