Results 3,601-3,620 of 8,468 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Ms Linda Ervine to mark Seachtain na Gaeilge (3 Mar 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The work you have done in recognising what language means, what it can do and how it can be a measure of connection in communities is so important. That is also important in this House because one of the themes of our centenary is minority voices. The Seanad has a record in minority voices, both in terms of voices from unionist traditions and minority voices championing the language. That...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Mar 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: As most Members of the House will know, I am a big advocate of fairly massive change in order that we deal with the climate crisis. I believe we have a few years of very significant change ahead of us. We will see sectors that will end or change. How we do it really matters. That is where it is about finding the commonality that is coming through, the idea of just transition, and what we...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Mar 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the Minister for his constructive engagement. He is right, there are parts of this that it is not appropriate for us to be involved in but there are also parts where our involvement, as legislators, is appropriate. Given that our job in this House is to provide the Minister with legislation, including legislation that gives him the power to make regulations, it is important that we...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Mar 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Is it possible to do this in the legislation?

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (2 Mar 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: As someone who has had the honour of being on the walls of the National Gallery of Ireland as part of a temporary exhibition and as somebody who cares a lot about procurement, I join Senator Warfield in pointing out that there are other options. There is space within procurement law. It is not the case that EU procurement law requires us to give contracts to all. We can, in fact, include...

Seanad: Housing Policy: Motion (2 Mar 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The Civil Engagement Group usually brings forward legislation and not motions. We chose to bring a motion forward because we realised we were coming again and again to the issue of housing through many different pieces of legislation and policy debates. It has been a core concern for everyone in Ireland and for our group, particularly those who are most marginalised within the discussions...

Seanad: Situation in the Middle East: Statements (1 Mar 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Others have outlined what the Amnesty report tells us, which is how systematic the measures are, what the dismantling of equality looks like, and what the crowding out of the space for a population within a territory means. We come into this House, again and again, when we see attacks on Gaza and the West Bank and when we see another round of bombings but what has happened in between is so...

Seanad: Situation in the Middle East: Statements (1 Mar 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: We can first apply the kinds of sanctions that have suddenly become possible. We know these are possible under the Rosneft ruling. In terms of the occupied territories, we should not be trading with settlements. That law is very clear. This should not even be a question of sanctions because occupied territories are not legally part of the supply chain. Ireland can take a lead on that and...

Seanad: Situation in Ukraine: Statements (1 Mar 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Mention was made of which side people are on. Ireland, very clearly and correctly, is on the side of international law, humanity and peace. That is our record, and where we come in and add value in situations such as this. It is entirely consistent with that position that we express, directly and clearly, our solidarity with Ukraine, as Ireland has rightly done and as we will with a motion...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy - Ambition and Challenges: Discussion (1 Mar 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the witnesses. It is a very interesting discussion. I will pick up on some of the issues that have been raised. One is the issue with resourcing of planning. I welcome how it was framed. It is very useful to think about what it would look like if we make sure there are sufficient resources for planning. In his opening statement, Mr. Moran mentioned not only greater resourcing...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy - Ambition and Challenges: Discussion (1 Mar 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I have a simple question on behalf of Deputy Whitmore.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy - Ambition and Challenges: Discussion (1 Mar 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Yes. Her question was specifically for the ESB representatives. She is watching but cannot speak as she is not on the premises. She requests an update on ESB Networks' progress on the upgrading and reinforcement work on the onshore grid network and especially how those works align with EirGrid's timeline and with the phase 1 offshore and offshore renewable support scheme.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy - Ambition and Challenges: Discussion (1 Mar 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It was specifically for the ESB on how it interacts with EirGrid.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy - Ambition and Challenges: Discussion (1 Mar 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Perfect.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy - Ambition and Challenges: Discussion (1 Mar 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Ring-fencing is a good idea in that regard.

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Members of the European Parliament (23 Feb 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I extend a warm welcome to all of the MEPs, including our former Civil Engagement group, CEG, colleague, Ms Grace O'Sullivan. There are a few areas of interest that are very important, some of which have been covered previously by Senator Gavan, such as the TRIPS waiver. The MEPs will be aware that this House unanimously called for Ireland to support the TRIPS waiver. It was deeply...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Members of the European Parliament (23 Feb 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I apologise for going over time. I have so many questions.

Seanad: Citizens' Assemblies: Motion (23 Feb 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Citizens' assemblies are an incredibly powerful tool. They are less powerful than the tool of proportional representation, which is the greatest political innovation that Ireland can bring to the world. Confidence in citizens' assemblies depends on their being taken seriously. For example, it will be vital that we see in the next two years actual constitutional referendums coming out of...

Seanad: Citizens' Assemblies: Motion (23 Feb 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: On biodiversity, I understand some of the hesitation of Senator Kyne because four years ago, when he was a Minister of State, we were looking at legislation on biodiversity. Again, are we kicking this further down the road? Citizens' assemblies are powerful not as a tool of delay, evasion or moving a topic out of the realm of power it is in but when we use them to confront and engage in the...

Seanad: Coroners (Provision for Jury Selection) (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second Stage (23 Feb 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I apologise for being brief in my comments, but I wanted to contribute as I was very moved. Senator Boylan has championed this issue so passionately and consistently. She has raised it in every aspect and has looked, campaigned and pushed for justice. I want to commend Senator Boylan, in particular, on this issue. It is one of the issues of genuine heart, love and drive for justice that I...