SEANAD Welcome to the latest 2013 Newsletter from Senator Ivana Bacik. NEWSLETTER I am delighted and honoured to represent the Dublin University constituency in Seanad Éireann. I will also make sure to keep Web: www.ivanabacik.com you up to date with the work that I am Email: [email protected] doing in the Seanad, and would be happy to Ivana Bacik raise issues there on your behalf. @ivanabacik Email: [email protected] Phone: +353 1 618 3136 Phone: 01 618 3136 Dear Graduate, Welcome to my latest Newsletter from the Seanad. I have been working hard to represent the graduates of Trinity College and the Dublin Institute of Technology since my re-election in April 2011, and will continue to do so, with your support. In the pages of this Newsletter, you will see details of the work I have been doing most recently in the Seanad, and the issues I have raised. I would of course be happy to raise any issues on your behalf in the Email me to arrange a tour of the Seanad Seanad. I also organise regular tours of Leinster House and again would be delighted to invite you to join us on one of those over the coming and Leinster House. months. [email protected] Do get in touch on [email protected] and thanks for your support. I am delighted to invite graduates to join me online and I would encourage people to get involved! I update my website regularly and have Best wishes, transcripts of my Seanad contributions made available every week so that you can keep up with the work that I am doing on your behalf in What’s inside... the Seanad. I also update my Facebook and Twitter pages weekly. l Humanist Marriages l Multi-Denominational Education Please join me on: l Women’s Participation in Politics: Update l Constitutional Convention l ABC Judgment Web: www.ivanabacik.com l The Future of the Seanad Ivana Bacik l Economic Situation l Trinity News @ivanabacik Ivana with members of the Portobello Multi-Denominational School Group, Family Fun Day, Sept 2012 IVANA WELCOMES LAW TO LEGALISE HUMANIST MARRIAGES In November 2011, I initiated The Civil Registration (Amendment) Bill, which passed through the Seanad with unanimous support. I was delighted that my bill formed the basis for a Government bill which passed through all stages in the Dáil in December 2012, and has now become law. The Civil Registration (Amendment) Act 2012 will for the first time legalise Humanist marriage ceremonies by amending the Civil Registration Act 2004. Until the passing of the Act, the only persons who could celebrate legal marriages were HSE Registrars and members of religious bodies – so this change will make a real difference to couples who wish to have a Humanist Ivana with Minister Joan Burton and the Humanist Association celebrating the wedding. passage of the Humanist wedding bill through the Dáil, December 2012 The first legal Humanist wedding ceremonies are likely to take place in Spring/Summer 2013. This new law is a welcome step forward to a more inclusive and pluralist Republic. EDUCATE TOGETHER SECONDARY SCHOOL In January 2013, I attended the first major public meeting of the Educate Together secondary school campaign in Wynn’s Hotel, Dublin. This was very well attended and shows the massive demand for a new multi- denominational secondary school in Dublin. Change is already happening - it is great that Educate Together will be involved in the patronage of two second-level schools opening in 2013 and 2014 in Blanchardstown and Drogheda. Ivana and other members of the Portobello Multi Denominational School Group meet with Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn. MULTI- SCHOOL PATRONAGE SURVEY In October 2012, the Department of Education launched a pilot survey to DENOMINATIONAL examine patronage and pluralism in the primary sector. As part of this initiative, parents in a number of selected areas were asked what patrons EDUCATION they would like to see running their local primary schools. I have long been a critic of the dominance of the After the pilot phase looked at 5 initial areas in late 2012, the Department Catholic Church within our education system. Since the has since rolled it out to the balance of the 44 areas nationwide. The Church controls over 90% of primary schools nationally, survey was completed on 8th February 2013. This represents a historic very few parents have the opportunity to send their opportunity for parents to re-shape the primary school landscape for children to multi-denominational schools. generations to come. For many parents this was the first time to be given a real say in the type of primary school they want – and again marks a In 2010, as one of a group of local parents in the Dublin move towards a more secular schooling system. 8 area, we formed the Portobello Multi-Denominational School start-up group, to bring about the provision of extra multi-denominational primary school places in Dublin 6, 8 and 12. I am now Chair of the group, which has more than 800 members; and we have joined the Educate Together movement – see www.portobellomds.org. We look forward to the establishment of a new school in our area for September 2013. See www.portobellomds.org WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION IN POLITICS The February 2011 general election generated the highest proportion of women TDs ever, with the election of 25 women (15% of the 166 seats), but women’s representation in parliament in Ireland remains remarkably low. According to the IPU, Ireland currently occupies only 89th position (www.ipu.org), well below the EU average. In 2009, I produced a report on women’s participation in politics for the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Equality and Law Ivana speaking on women’s participation in politics and law, NI Law Society Reform. This clearly showed that positive action measures are Conference, Titanic Building, Belfast 2012 necessary in order to increase the levels of women’s political participation in Ireland. The report recommended that political parties should be obliged by legislation to take gender balance into CONSTITUTIONAL account in selecting candidates for local, general and European CONVENTION 2013 elections. The Constitutional Convention promised in the Programme for Following this, the Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Act Government will review a range of constitutional reform issues, 2012 has been passed and provides that parties will have their state including the issue of reform of the Oireachtas, the removal of funding halved if they do not have at least 30% women and 30% the outdated references to women in the home from the men candidates at the next Dáil general election. This will rise to Constitution, and the continued existence of the constitutional 40% after seven years. I am delighted that this has now become offence of blasphemy. The Convention will work throughout law. 2013 and will make recommendations to government as to the For updates about women in politics in Ireland, see: need for a referendum on some or all of these issues. I am the leader of the Labour delegation to the Convention, and look www.ivanabacik.com/women-in-politics-sub-committee forward to working towards the introduction of a more secular Constitution – a document that truly reflects the laws and ethos of a democratic republic. ABC CASE ON ABORTION In December 2012, the Government announced that legislation and regulations would be introduced in 2013 to implement the X case decision. This followed the Expert Group report on the decision of the European Court of Human Rights in the ABC case. In ABC, the European Court required greater clarity in Irish law on abortion. It was always clear that the best way to do this would be through passing legislation to ensure that the right to a life-saving abortion is put into effect. I am delighted that the Government has finally committed to introducing this now, as Labour has recommended for years. The legislation will be passed in 2013. It is clear from recent opinion polls that a majority of people want to see abortion legalised on a wider range of grounds. I will continue to push for pro-choice Ivana with Dr. Aleida Guevara, daughter of Che Guevara, during her visit to laws that provide for the real reproductive health needs of Leinster House, September 2012. Photo: Ann Lane women in Ireland. Ivana carrying the leading banner at March for Choice, in Dublin, September 2012 THE FUTURE OF THE SEANAD NEWS FROM The government has committed to holding a referendum on abolition of the Seanad in 2013. I have argued that fundamental reform of the Seanad would be preferable to abolition because the retention of a bicameral system would ensure continued extra TRINITY checks and balances in our democracy. But I believe strongly in the need for comprehensive changes to be made to the NEW BUILDINGS Seanad, to make it more democratic and effective. For example, worthwhile reforms proposed by the All-Party Committee on Seanad Reform in 2004 include: There have been a number of new buildings opened on the TCD campus in the last few l Expansion of the electorate for the University panels to include other third-level years, two of which are worthy of specific institutions; mention for those who have not yet seen them. l Reform of the Seanad vocational panel electoral process to remove party The first is the Trinity Biomedical Sciences political patronage and give citizens a real voice in who is elected. Institute which is based on Pearse Street. This remarkable building is 11 stories high, and With these and other changes, the Seanad could become a more democratic and creates a space for both academic activity and representative structure and could play a more effective role in our legislative process.