Results 2,541-2,560 of 8,445 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 34: In page 16, line 26, after “business,” to insert “the environment,”.

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 35: In page 17, between lines 17 and 18, to insert the following: “(n) promote co-operation between higher education institutions in the European Union and internationally for the purposes of advancing public research and development which seeks to address social and economic inequalities and environmental challenges and climate change,”.

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 37: In page 17, between lines 17 and 18, to insert the following: “(n) promote, support and respect academic freedom for staff and students,”.

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 38: In page 17, between lines 17 and 18, to insert the following: “(n) promote and support public research and development in relation to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,”.

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 40: In page 17, between lines 20 and 21, to insert the following: “(o) monitor and assist the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, in particular Article 24, across designated higher education institutions,”.

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 42: In page 18, line 3, to delete “or expedient” and substitute “and proportionate”.

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I suggest that amendment No. 45 be included in this grouping. It relates to the same matter and will save us some duplication.

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 43: In page 18, to delete lines 12 to 14 and substitute the following: “(2) An tÚdarás shall comply with any directions concerning the engagement of consultants and advisers which may from time to time be given to it by the Minister, given with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, and any such engagements shall be subject to...

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Amendments Nos. 43 to 45, inclusive, all seek to address the language in a section which I am concerned about. It states, "An tÚdarás shall comply with any directions concerning the engagement of consultants and advisers which may from time to time be given to it by the Minister". There are a number of sections in this Bill in which the Minister's powers are very wide. They are...

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It should be in the next grouping. I apologise for that.

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: We can come to it shortly. I accept the intent of the legislation. The Minister of State referred to an appropriate and transparent process. That language was not included. I imagine it was the intent but it is not included. I will not dwell further on it. The concern about excessively widely-framed language is more significant with regard to the next section. I will probably not press...

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am not clear what is happening. What is the position with amendment No. 45?

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 46: In page 18, lines 21 and 22, to delete from and including “(1) The” in line 21 down to and including line 22 and substitute the following: “(1) The Minister may give a direction in writing to An tÚdarás, following consultation with the Board of An tÚdarás, for any purpose relating to this Act and concerning—”....

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The majority of the amendments in this grouping relate to the functions of an t-údarás, the next section of the Bill which flows after the section concerning the objects of an t-údarás. In respect of the really important section concerning the objects of an t-údarás, the body which will oversee higher education across this State, I put forward 14 amendments and...

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: These amendments seek to address the manner in which the Minister may give direction to an t-údarás. Amendment No. 46 seeks to specify that in giving a ministerial direction, it will be done in consultation with the board of an t-údarás. Amendment No. 47 seeks to delete section 11(1)(b), according to which the Minister may give a direction in writing to an...

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I wish to come back over a number of these amendments. I thank the Minister for his response. I still have a concern. I note that in the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science report and scrutiny of the general scheme of the Bill, one of the key recommendations was that the legislation should ensure there is a strong and...

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I worry that there is a perception of equivalence. We do not operate a winner-takes-all type of politics in Ireland. It is the case that State agencies have their own mandate, which may span across a number of periods of government. Similarly, in the context of the relationship between the Executive and the Legislature, when we are giving powers to the Minister, especially powers around...

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will withdraw it.

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 47: In page 18, to delete line 24.