Ivana Bacik

Electoral (Amendment)(Political Funding) Bill 2011: Second Stage

Thursday, 2 February 2012

Senator Ivana Bacik:     I am delighted to be here to speak on Second Stage of the Electoral (Amendment)(Political Funding) Bill 2011. I am particularly pleased and grateful to the Minister that the Bill is being introduced in the Seanad. It is most appropriate that it is introduced here.

The Bill will make important reforms to political donations, increase transparency in our system of political donations and place important and significant new restrictions on corporate donations. We all very much welcome those changes.

I want to focus on Part 5, relating to State funding of political parties and gender balance, about which I have already communicated many times with the Minister and I am very grateful for his generous and full responses to my submissions to him. I am also grateful to the Labour Party spokesperson on the environment in the Seanad, Senator Denis Landy, who has generously given way to me and Senators Susan O’Keeffe and Aideen Hayden, who particularly wanted to speak about Part 5 of the Bill and to focus on the historic change it will bring about in Irish politics.

Before discussing Part 5 of the Bill I welcome, as others have done, the large group of men and women who have worked for many years to see the change brought about by the Bill happen and who are here to support it. They are in the Gallery and in the audio-visual and overflow room, because we could not accommodate them in the Chamber. They include academics such as Professor Yvonne Galligan, Claire McGing and Fiona Buckley. We have members of Women for Election, the 50/50 Campaign for Democracy, and the National Women’s Council, who have all been pushing very hard for this. We have many activists and councillors from the Labour Party, including Sinéad Ní Uallacháin and Kirsty Hanafin from Labour Women, and students of women’s studies from Trinity College Dublin. We have a huge array of people. I also welcome former Senator Mary Henry and the former Minister, Niamh Bhreathnach, who have also done a great deal to push this issue.

Many of us were in Dublin Castle two weeks ago for Deputy Kathleen Lynch’s excellent conference on how to elect more women. That, too, was overbooked and could not accommodate everyone who wanted to take part. There is a real momentum on this issue. While, as Senator Keane has said, controversy surrounds the question of quotas, a momentum is clearly building in support of the principle.

The rationale behind Part 5 of the Bill is clear. It will provide, for the first time in Irish law, enforceable gender targets, or quotas, for political parties to adopt in their candidate selection procedures. It will impose significant financial sanctions on those parties that do not reach the target of 30% at the next general election. That will rise to 40% subsequently. Only 15% of candidates in the last general election were women.

Why is this necessary? At one point in recent Irish history it appeared quotas would not be necessary. In 1990, when we elected Mary Robinson as our first woman President, Ireland was in 37th place in the international world rankings of women in lower houses of parliament, when 14% of our Deputies were women. It seemed as if this would increase. Sadly, that did not prove to be the case. Our International Parliamentary Union ranking has disimproved significantly since 1990. We have fallen to 79th position in the world table, with only 25 women Deputies, or 15%. It is, as the Minister said, the highest number we have had but it is only 1% higher than in 1990. We have made no significant increase and it means the Dáil remains 85% male and has never been less than 85% male. This status quo has been stuck for a long time. The people who argue that it will change organically have stopped doing so, because it is clear that will not happen without some positive action. Claire McGing has pointed out that only 91 women in Ireland were ever elected to the Dáil in more than 90 years of the existence of the State, which is a different way of portraying the same appallingly low figure. As other speakers have said, the current Seanad is better and it looks a lot better today as the attendance is about 90%. The Minister and Senator Mac Conghail are blessed among women today. In fact, the Seanad has 18 women Members out of 60, a total of 30% exactly. The Labour group, which I am privileged to lead, has 50% female representation, six women and six men—–

Senator David Norris:     Thanks to the University of Dublin constituency.

Senator Ivana Bacik:     I thank Senator Norris. This is as a result of positive action as regards the nominees of the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste. In any case, international rankings are based on the lower house in parliaments or on those parliaments which are unicameral. We know that the Seanad has not increased representation organically and we know that the Dáil will not do so unless positive action is taken. The evidence from other countries bears this out. Countries ranked around the same place as us in 1990, at 30% representation, have increased their rankings significantly through adoption of positive action measures. I refer in particular to Belgium, which is now ranked 11th in the world, with 39% women in parliament and Spain, now 16th, with 36% women. It is not just a case of looking at the Scandinavian countries, although they are very important because they were among the first to adopt positive action measures. We can now look at countries which were at the same level as us in 1990 and which have increased their representation.

The very clear lack of women Members in the Dáil and Seanad was something that struck me forcefully when I was first elected in 2007 and in December 2008, to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the first election in which women could vote, in December 1918, and when Constance Markievicz was elected, I initiated an Oireachtas women’s day in the Dáil Chamber, inviting in all women still living who had ever been elected to the Oireachtas to be present in the Chamber. A very striking photograph was taken. In recognition of this historic legislation, I ask the Minister if we might arrange to have that photograph displayed in Leinster House. I had previously arranged this with former Minister of State with responsibility for equality, Mary Alexandra White, but the Government fell before the photograph could be displayed in Leinster House. I would like to see this happen as it is a very important and striking visual representation of a Chamber nearly half full of women.

Senators:  Hear, hear.

Senator Ivana Bacik:     This sends out a very important message.

Other speakers, including the Minister, have referred to the report of which I was an author and with which I was ably assisted by Aoife O’Driscoll of my office. The report was adopted unanimously by the justice committee in 2009. The report deals with women’s participation in politics. I am happy to say that instead of gathering dust, it has indeed fed into this legislation. I refer to the sub-committee hearings leading up to the publication of the report at which we heard numerous arguments, particularly from Professor Yvonne Galligan, about why we should be bringing in legislation like this. As she told us, the current lack of women candidates is a serious restriction to voter choice. She and others have identified the five Cs as the obstacles to women’s representation, namely, child care, cash, confidence, culture and candidate selection procedures. As other speakers have said, we made a series of recommendations aimed at addressing problems of child care, difficulties with raising cash, the introduction of mentoring programmes and leadership training programmes to address women’s lack of confidence. It is more difficult to address the cultural issue. We looked at examples from elsewhere, from Iceland, where a public advertising campaign was held with prominent politicians of each gender confounding gender stereotypes, with images of a male politician wearing high heels and a female politician Minister shaving in front of a mirror—–

A Senator:  That is an option for the Minister.

Senator Ivana Bacik:     Hopefully we will see something similar as part of the public awareness programme designed to encourage more women to enter politics—–

Deputy Phil Hogan:     I have certain boundaries I will not cross.

Senator Ivana Bacik:     It is all about transgressing boundaries. In Norway, a national databank of potential women candidates was established in order to get over the perceived difficulty that women do not put themselves forward for election. The most significant recommendation was the need for the sort of legislation we are discussing today. We recommended the model of an opportunity quota which is quite a modest proposal, already adopted in over 100 countries and first used in Latin America, in Argentina. It is not a European invention but it is relatively modest, that enhances voter choice by increasing the numbers of women going forward to face voters in an election but which does not restrict them by placing a quota on the numbers of seats in parliament, something which would be problematic in this country and under European law.

The Seanad held two debates following publication of our report, in April and May 2010, and I note the significant cross-party support at that time for the principle of that legislation. Labour Women also published a Bill to bring forward the same principle and therefore, a good deal of work has been done on this legislation. The commitment to introduce this legislation was placed in the programme for Government and the Minister introduced the Bill in December 2011. I am delighted it is being initiated in the Seanad.

The Minister has referred to the public debate since the Bill was published. I wish to briefly mention the argument that it might be unconstitutional. Like the Minister, I believe there is no substance to this argument and I have quite robustly contested that view in the Sunday Independent on the basis that there is no basis for it. To suggest that a political party has a right to any particular level of State funding is misguided and there is no premise for it in the Constitution which does not in fact recognise political parties. Indeed, the freedom of association is very restrictively framed but I think this can be surmounted.

On the issues of whether the Bill goes far enough, I accept the Minister’s point that 30% was the target we recommended in 2009. It is more ambitious for some parties than others. Clearly, the Labour Party is already close to that figure but I accept that for some parties it will be much more difficult to reach and therefore it needs to be a realistic but achievable target, given the level of sanction.

I suggest we should look again at extending the provisions of the Bill to include local and European elections, as recommended in our report. I can see the difficulty with the funding issue but this might be reviewed. We might wish to review the sunset clause. In practice, this has tended to lapse in any case. Denmark, for example, removed the law on quotas because they had reached a level of women’s representation that was self-sustaining. Once a critical mass in politics is achieved, it will sustain itself.

I thank the Minister for introducing this Bill and I thank all colleagues. I hope we will have all-party support in this House. We know from experience that this Bill is necessary, that the sort of measures it introduces is the best way to increase the numbers of women in politics to ensure our democracy will no longer be unrepresentative and incomplete.

STATEMENT BY SENATOR IVANA BACIK

Labour Party Seanad leader and Spokesperson on Justice

Thursday 2nd February 2012

SENATOR BACIK WELCOMES INTRODUCTION OF GENDER QUOTA ELECTORAL BILL

Senator Ivana Bacik today will speak on the introduction of Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011. This bill will require political parties to select at least 30% of their candidates of each gender at the next general election, subject to financial penalties. It is being introduced in the Seanad today Thursday 2nd February at 12 noon.

Welcoming the introduction of this legislation, Senator Bacik will say:

“I am delighted that this legislation is being introduced today and also delighted that it is being introduced in the Seanad. The Seanad is the only House of the Oireachtas ever to have debated the issue of women’s participation in politics, and the proportion of women in the Seanad is already at 30%, double the representation of 15% in the Dail.

“A report on women’s participation in politics which I authored, published by the Justice Committee in 2009, found that legislation like this is one of the most effective ways to ensure that more women become active in politics. Given Ireland’s very low rate of participation by women, it is vital that we take positive steps to encourage more women to come forward. This legislation is essential to increase women’s representation in the Dail, and to make our democracy more representative.”

ENDS

STATEMENT BY SENATOR IVANA BACIK
 
Labour Party Seanad leader and Spokesperson on Justice

Wednesday 14 th December 2011

SENATOR BACIK WELCOMES PUBLICATION OF BILL ON GENDER QUOTAS

Senator Ivana Bacik today welcomedthe announcement that the Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill2011 would be published this week. This bill will require political partiesto select at least 30% of their candidates of each gender at the next generalelection, subject to financial penalties.

Welcoming the announcement of this legislation, Senator Bacik said:

“I am delighted that this legislationis being published this week, and look forward to its introduction in theSeanad early in the new year.

“A report on women’s participationin politics which I authored, published by the Justice Committee in 2009,found that legislation like this is one of the most effective ways to ensurethat more women become active in politics. Given Ireland’s very low rateof participation by women, it is vital that we take positive steps to encouragemore women to come forward; and that we encourage political parties tobe more proactive about bringing forward women candidates .”

ENDS

Order of Business

Tuesday, 29 November 2011

Senator Ivana Bacik:     I commend the Leader and the PCC’s public consultation process we undertook on Thursday. Nine different groups addressed us to advocate the rights of older people. It was an instructive and enlightening process. We have moved ahead hugely in terms of knowledge about what is required. We heard a great deal about the draft UN convention and the various needs of older people. It is an important part of Seanad reform to engage in this process, not only by having guest speakers like Mary Robinson, who was inspirational last Thursday, but to engage in public consultation with groups, such as the experts with whom we will engage this afternoon. I urge Senators to come in and listen to Professor Gerard Quinn and Professor Roseanne Kenny who are noted leading experts on the rights of older people. It will be an excellent session.

I support others who have called for a debate in the new year on domestic violence. We are in the fifth day of the Women’s Aid “One in Five Women” national campaign. This morning I had the privilege of launching a report by the Sonas housing association, entitled “A Safe Space”, co-authored by Ms Monica O’Connor and Ms Jane Pillinger. The report calls for the establishment of a women’s refuge in the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown area, which is currently without a full-time refuge. The report has found seriously inadequate provision of refuge spaces in the Dublin area and across the country generally.

Order of Business

Tuesday, 18 October 2011

Senator Ivana Bacik:     I join with Senator MacSharry in calling for a debate on how to prevent a repeat of the incident with the apartment block in Donaghmede. It is an appalling outcome to see hundreds of people, including elderly people and families with young children, being put in most inappropriate and unsuitable accommodation for perhaps weeks or even longer because of the inadequate building and the failure to observe fire safety standards. I used the word “inadequate”, although it is a gross understatement. I understand from reading newspaper reports and from what Senator MacSharry said that the building was approved on the plans and that at design stage, it looked as if it would be compliant with fire and safety regulations. Clearly, the actual building differed significantly from the plans. It is an appalling outcome and there are huge questions to be answered.

We must look at how legislation can assist. Is any reform of legislation needed to ensure this cannot happen in the future? I agree with Senator MacSharry that perhaps the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government should attend the House. I have also asked the Minister of State with responsibility for housing to attend the House at an early date. There are issues in this regard with which he may also be able to deal.

A debate on the Keane report would be useful. Many others, including myself, have called for this already. I understand we will have that debate in early course.

Will the other group leaders let me know if they are willing to support a motion for cross-party support, that Seanad Éireann condemns the continued detention since 10 September of internationally renowned psychoanalyst, Dr. Rafah Nashed, by the Syrian Government, and which I have already circulated? I am very grateful to Senators Rónán Mullen and Jillian van Turnhout for assuring me of their support. Colleagues will recall that I have already raised this matter. It would be very appropriate for the Seanad to call on the Government to join with others, including the EU High Representative, Catherine Ashton, in calling for the immediate release of Dr. Rafah Nashed. The Governments of Argentina, Brazil and France have already called for her release and her continued detention in her in a women’s prison in Damascus is an appalling abuse of her human rights. It would be a useful exercise for us to call for her release and that of others arbitrarily detained by the Syrian regime.

In the context of an ongoing debate on the referendums, which is rather more muted than the debate on the presidential election, the Seanad debate on the Oireachtas committee referendum was a very good and an informative one. Is there some way of disseminating the speeches from that debate? I have sent them to anyone looking for information on the referendum. It would be a very good way to inform people about the content of that referendum.

Order of Business

Wednesday, 12 October 2011

Senator Ivana Bacik:     I believe all Members share the concerns expressed by Senator Darragh O’Brien on the reports of potential job losses at Aviva. As Senator O’Brien is aware, the Labour Party group already has devoted specific Private Members’ Business time to the plight of the workers at TalkTalk in Waterford, during which debate there was much talk of other projected job losses, including those at Aviva, and of what the Government can do in circumstances in which large-scale collective redundancies are faced. It is a highly disturbing situation and at that time, Labour Party Members called for consideration of a review of the notice period that companies must give, which also would be useful in the context of the Aviva reports.

I renew the call on the Leader for a debate on Government housing policy. Yesterday, Members, myself included, called for a debate in the context of the Keane report on protection for those in difficulty with mortgages. Such a debate in this House would be timely and the Dáil will debate this issue for at least one day and potentially two days next week. However, it would be useful to have a broader debate on the Keane report and on housing policy more generally, in which I would include the issue of the provision of rent supplement. There are reports in today’s newspapers about the nature of rent supplement and how it is being considered in the comprehensive spending review in the context of the social protection budget. However, it is a matter of concern when one notes that the €500 million spent on rent supplement effectively amounts to a subsidy to private landlords. The effect is that the State is subsidising 50% of private rented accommodation, which clearly distorts the market and keeps rents high, unsustainably so in many cases. A question arises as to whether this is an effective use of Government funding to protect the most vulnerable. Consequently, it would be worth having a debate in this House on the broader issue of housing policy. It should not simply be on those who require protection because they are in difficulties with mortgages, although this is a critical issue, but it should be on the manner in which State spending is targeted and whether it could be targeted better.

I compliment the Carers Association on its briefing today. It made a pre-budget submission and a highly compelling case for maintaining levels of carer’s allowance. All Members recognise that family caring, much of which is unpaid, constitutes an enormous saving to the Exchequer.

Order of Business

27^th September 2011

Senator Ivana Bacik:     I wish to renew a call to the Leader for a further debate on the arts in the presence of the Minister, Deputy Deenihan, who has promised to attend. I do so particularly in light of the great success of culture night last Friday. It was a huge success nationwide with a record number of institutions, including Leinster House, opening their doors. It was a real piece of good news.

On a completely different note, I welcome the good news that women in Saudi Arabia now have the vote. This is a very important step forward for democracy internationally and it is worth Members noting it here.

On a less positive note, the Amnesty International report, In Plain Sight, which was published yesterday, also deserves debate in this House, given the insight it provides into the failures by successive Governments and the institutional church in respect of the terrible abuse of children over the years.

Arts Plan: Statements

Wednesday, 21 September 2011

Senator Ivana Bacik:     I welcome the Minister. It is a sign of how vibrant and dynamic is the arts sector that so many people wish to speak in this debate. Some very strong ideas have been put forward and I hope the Minister will bear these in mind when devising and developing arts strategy.

I ask the Minister about creating a formal structure, not just with NAMA, as has been suggested, but with individual developers to ensure spaces can be made available at reduced rents or lower rates for arts activities, events and work. It would be a creative use of our resources to do so and there are good examples in Smithfield and the Fumbally Exchange where developers and landlords are amenable to these approaches.

Will the Minister return for a more structured debate on the arts in this House? We can put forward ideas and see them being put into effect in arts policy. For those in the Visitors Gallery who sat through the debate and those of us who have partaken, it is important to continue the debate on another occasion.

Order of Business

23^rd June 2011

Senator Ivana Bacik: In response to Senator Keane, last night’s debate initiated by Senator Hayden and Labour Party Senators on the topic of distressed homeowners was an example of the Seanad at its best. Constructive alternatives were explored and the Opposition engaged constructively in a genuinely non-partisan debate on potential solutions to assist distressed homeowners in mortgage difficulties. It was an example of the Seanad adding value to the legislative process.

I support Senator Coghlan’s call for a debate on banking in light of a report that Allied Irish Banks has sold for €100,000 a stake in a Bulgarian bank which it bought for more than €200 million three and a half years ago. It is a matter of grave concern to taxpayers, the majority owners of AIB, that such an enormous loss is being sustained.

I also ask for a debate on the promotion of cycling. Dublin Bike to Work Day, which fell this week, is a highly successful initiative for which Dublin City Council is to be commended.

I express sympathy on the death of Kadar Asmal, who was the leading light of the Irish Anti-Apartheid Movement for many years and was subsequently appointed Minister for Education in South Africa. Professor Asmal was also a colleague and good friend at Trinity College. All of us will express sympathy to his wife, Louise, and family.

Order of Business

Senator Ivana Bacik:  Like other colleagues, I will begin by expressing my condolences to the families and communities in counties Limerick and Cork for the terrible tragedies that have happened there. I echo the words of other Members who have spoken of the need to ensure the maintenance of funding for mental health services. This is without making any specific connection but all Members are conscious that this is an important priority.

On the economy, it is extraordinary to hear Members on the Government side speak of “bailout” in so many different ways. They have called it borrowing or a response to help us with the situation—–

Senator Jerry Buttimer: That is right.

—–but they will not use the word “bailout”. While listening to the Minister for Finance this morning, I noted that he danced around the issue. Unfortunately, it is time to embrace the reality that all Members deeply regret, which is that we have sold out our economic sovereignty for the sake of a few zombie banks. One should be clear that this does date back to the bank guarantee scheme of September 2008 and to the mistake made at that point to guarantee everything—–

Senator Jim Walsh:  What does the Senator think would have happened had we not done so?

An Cathaoirleach:  No interruptions. Questions to the Leader.

Senator Ivana Bacik:   —–and to shore up banks that are in effect zombie banks. We still are shoring them up and are paying this incredible price. This huffing and puffing and culture of denial from the Government must stop because it is clear to all in Ireland and internationally that we are about to be bailed out. This has been more or less implicitly accepted by Members on the Government side.

In addition, I seek clarification from the Leader with regard to the climate change Bill, the heads of which were to have been published yesterday. I am unsure, in the midst of all the other grim news, whether this was the case. I seek clarity on this point because they have been promised for so long.

While I welcome the release of Aung Sang Suu Kyi at the weekend in Burma, no Members believe this will mark any sort of real return to democracy for that country, especially as more than 2,000 political prisoners remain in custody there. A debate on this issue is needed and Members must think about the real suffering and sacrifices being made by the citizens of Burma.