Results 121-140 of 7,444 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 101: In page 43, between lines 25 and 26, to insert the following: “(vii) the Arts Council,”.

Seanad: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 102: In page 43, between lines 25 and 26, to insert the following: “(vii) the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission,”.

Seanad: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I wish to speak to the section. I am surprised that the Government has not accepted some of these suggested bodies because these are the bodies where there could be agreement, arrangements or co-operation. On some of them, I may not have been surprised, but some of the other ones I have been suggesting seem to be incredibly obvious. They are very much on the same line as bodies, such as...

Seanad: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 102a: In page 43, after line 35, to insert the following: “Report on Horizon Europe 52. The Minister shall, within three months of the passing of this Act, lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas outlining if and how Ireland will oppose any attempt to remove or change the current separation of Horizon Europe, with its focus on civil research, and the...

Seanad: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I mistakenly believed it was in a previous grouping. I will speak to it again briefly . Amendment No. 102a makes provision for a report in respect of Horizon Europe. The Minister indicated that the Government opposes a change from the current civil application of Horizon Europe. I would disagree slightly in the context of waiting for the formal proposals to come through because we know...

Seanad: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The Minister of State mentioned 2025. I may introduce an amendment to the effect that a report be produced in 2025. Obviously-----

Seanad: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Yes, exactly. I will seek further clarity at that point on 2025 and a report being provided.

Seanad: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am not going to oppose the amendment. I want to note, however, that, because there is an amendment, it would not delay the Bill to any great degree if further amendments were introduced on Report Stage. Given that the House, I assume, will be accommodating this amendment proposed by the Government, it would be good if there was genuine engagement between now and Report Stage regarding...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Revenue Commissioners: Discussion (15 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the Revenue Commissioners. There are a number of areas I want to ask about. I will do so in several sets of questions. My first question is on farming incomes and PRSI. Since 2014 there has been the option for PRSI payments in respect of spouses working on family farms. Are there figures to indicate the level to which this has been taken up? Previous to this, PRSI stamps could...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Revenue Commissioners: Discussion (15 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: A written note would be very useful.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Revenue Commissioners: Discussion (15 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I understand there was not a report in 2023. That is why I was wondering what the plans are for the next report.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Revenue Commissioners: Discussion (15 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: So the 2023 report will be on the data from 2022.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Revenue Commissioners: Discussion (15 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It would be useful if Revenue could perhaps include information of how effective that scheme has been or whether there are loopholes or areas which we believe have worked in favour of or against the success of that scheme. Are there plans for not just a report on the scheme but an analysis of its efficacy?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Revenue Commissioners: Discussion (15 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will come to my other questions. Regarding bogus self-employment, there was a Supreme Court judgment last October about the misclassification of workers. Will Revenue be engaging with businesses which engage in widespread misclassification for a sustained period to ensure that there are supports for workers who were affected or indeed that adverse effects have been mitigated? For...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Revenue Commissioners: Discussion (15 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will just finish up. I thank Mr. Cody for those answers on the code of practice. I have a very last question. I might come back in again on the PhD workers as I believe that issue will arise again. Mr. Cody mentioned the actions that are coming following on from the October judgment. With regard to those who have been affected in the past by misclassification, many of them have already...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Draft National Energy and Climate Plan: Discussion (14 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank our guests. I am joining remotely. It has been an interesting discussion. I got a sense in the letter we received from our guests about how Ireland's targets and the need for it to achieve its goals fits into the wider picture. Concerns have been expressed about whether or not we are on track to achieve the emissions reductions required by our carbon budgets and under the Act, in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Draft National Energy and Climate Plan: Discussion (14 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Okay. I apologise if it has been addressed in detail. I was just struck by what Ms O'Neill said around losing time in this regard. Since this issue has apparently been addressed, I finish on a different point. One or two areas have been mentioned where we are losing time. These are areas where we could make a hard choice in this context in the next five years that would perhaps be better...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Draft National Energy and Climate Plan: Discussion (14 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I apologise. I am just going to say that I had asked about the next five years and Ms O'Neill gave a couple of good examples of areas that could be focused on. I was going to ask as well about whether there is an area where we need to stop doing things in the next five years. There is the low-hanging fruit or the thing that delivers most, which is one question, but the other question,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Draft National Energy and Climate Plan: Discussion (14 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: In that regard, the point on alignment with SDGs is a very good one.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Draft National Energy and Climate Plan: Discussion (14 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am aware that we are out of time but Dr. Hough was indicating a desire to contribute. Maybe the witnesses could submit written responses in respect of points they did not get to address.