Results 2,561-2,580 of 8,445 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: I second the amendment.

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 50: In page 19, to delete lines 6 and 7 and substitute the following: “(4) The Minister shall publish guidelines issued by him or her undersubsection (1)in an accessible manner and shall lay such guidelines before both Houses of the Oireachtas.”.

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 51: In page 19, between lines 17 and 18, to insert the following: “Advocacy role of An tÚdarás and designated higher education institutions 15. Nothing in this Act shall be construed as preventing An tÚdarás, or designated higher education institutions, from freely expressing its views on matters concerning higher education.”.

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 52: In page 20, line 25, after “Minister” to insert “, following a recommendation from the Public Appointments Service,”.

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: Amendment No. 52 is an important provision. It relates to the concern about the very high level of discretion that is afforded to the Minister in making appointments to the board of an t-údarás. The amendment would require that any persons who were proposed to be appointed to the board would have to be recommended by the Public Appointments Service for such potential appointment....

Seanad: Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022: Report Stage (11 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I second the amendment.

Seanad: Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022: Report Stage (11 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will be brief in seconding the amendments. We have debated back and forth and the key point we highlighted is that this already has been identified, recognised and accepted to be a problem. It was recognised as a problem most recently even by the Standards in Public Office Commission, SIPO, in its engagement with the committee on finance and public expenditure on other legislation. It...

Seanad: Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022: Report Stage (11 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I ask the Minister for clarification. At least one of these amendments relates to commercial communication. Is that where this change is being made? It is quite different to other user-generated content that might be personal or whatever. As I understand it, this change relates to user-generated content within the definition of commercial communication.

Seanad: Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022: Report Stage (11 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Is amendment No. 15 similar?

Seanad: Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022: Report Stage (11 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I again thank the Minister and her officials for engaging with this issue, which was raised by Members right across the House including ourselves and Government Senators. She will be aware that our amendment No. 40 goes a little bit further in that it specifies some of the areas in which the online safety commissioner could potentially have duties or responsibilities. I know that there will...

Seanad: Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022: Report Stage (11 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The Government's amendment No. 11 deals with the "socio-economic" issue and addresses a number of concerns about linguistic rights that my colleagues and I highlighted throughout the debate. I would have liked to have seen a specific reference to Irish Sign Language but I welcome the recognition of linguistic and socioeconomic diversity and the reference to gender diversity. I note that my...

Seanad: Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022: Report Stage (11 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome amendment No. 12. Again, it concerns the key issue of participation, which we have debated back and forth. I am really glad that this key issue has been taken on board. Of course, participation is not the same as representation and vice versa. They perform in different areas. The Government amendment is constructive and is in the spirit of the audiovisual directive and...

Seanad: Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022: Report Stage (11 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 16: In page 19, between lines 16 and 17, to insert the following: “(ia) support equality, human rights and participation in cultural,”.

Seanad: Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022: Report Stage (11 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am conscious that the Minister may table amendments later that come at this matter from a different angle. Amendment No. 16 sought to ensure that equality and human rights are imbedded at an earlier stage in the powers and functions of the commission. As the Minister will be aware, I tabled multiple amendments to embed equality and human rights, given the public duty to equality and human...

Seanad: Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022: Report Stage (11 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 17: In page 19, line 17, after “change” to insert “and environmental considerations”.

Seanad: Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022: Report Stage (11 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: That is my fault. I steered her wrong.

Seanad: Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022: Report Stage (11 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Yes. Apologies, I had extended the grouping there.

Seanad: Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022: Report Stage (11 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: We will come to that issue in a moment. These amendments on the Irish language are important. It is fundamental that we recognise the importance of access to the Irish language and encourage its use by communications media that operate within the State. That is part of that same principle of the positive role underpinning the audiovisual act, which is not just about protection but also...

Seanad: Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022: Report Stage (11 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome this set of amendments. There are two issues here, namely, the media literacy issue and the question of the wider reach that is being proposed. When we look at it solely through the educational lens, we are perhaps thinking of the educational skills space but we are leaving aside the fact that this online media permeates every single aspect of society and that everybody needs to...

Seanad: Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022: Report Stage (11 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: While I am glad that a reference is being made to gambling in the legislation, which was a major concern for us and for Senator Wall, who is not here but pressed this issue, I have concerns. The Minister might address this in her response. While the Department of Justice has a role relating to gambling, I think the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media has a role...