Results 4,241-4,260 of 8,482 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Legislative Measures (29 Sep 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome the Minister of State. This matter relates to the negative consequences of schedule changes for the registration of rights of way after 30 November. What plans does the Government have to initiate or support legislative change to extend this deadline and prevent these changes? What the timeline is there for that action and what further engagement will the Department have with...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Legislative Measures (29 Sep 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The concern relates to instances where a person might have had a right of way that has been used for many generations. The initial response I received from the Department was that people would still be able to register. However, the clock resets to zero which means that even if you have had 30 or 40 years of usage, it counts for nothing. We know that some have been moving blockages into...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Legislative Measures (29 Sep 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: There is positive potential here too for the reimagining.

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Smuggling of Persons) Bill 2021: Second Stage (29 Sep 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is important that we distinguish that this is not a Bill related to trafficking. There is, of course, an overlap but trafficking is quite a distinct matter, and one where Ireland has rightly taken some action and can strengthen its actions. This relates to the smuggling of persons which is at their request. It is, of course, an area which needs to be carefully addressed. There are very...

Seanad: Housing For All - a New Housing Plan for Ireland: Statements (29 Sep 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: We have engaged extensively with the Minister of State and the other Ministers in the Department on the detail of the issues involved. Unfortunately, a number of concerns we flagged when dealing with the legislation before the House prior to the summer recess still remain with regard to the Housing for All plan. I acknowledge there are positive components in the plan. I note the investment...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2021: Discussion (29 Sep 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank all the speakers who have given some very interesting answers. Some of my questions have already been asked, but I will follow up on a few of them. Ms Keane just spoke about the functions. Mr. Kennedy spoke about a report on the kinds of disclosures that are being made. Should there be a function to try to identify patterns in disclosures? I know we rightly have clear caveats on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2021: Discussion (29 Sep 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I wish to clarify that I certainly was not seeking more exclusions. I just want to ensure people would not have doubt.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2021: Discussion (29 Sep 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I forgot to pose one of my key questions, which concerns the interpersonal issue and other procedures. If somebody has had an interpersonal conflict and is engaged in a different procedure in that regard, it may curtail the person in being able to separately make a protected disclosure or vice versa. I just wanted to address a position where people may wish to pursue a route through human...

Seanad: Land and Conveyancing Law Reform (Amendment) Bill 2021: First Stage (28 Sep 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move: That leave be given to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to amend the Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Act 2009 to provide for an amendment to section 38 of the same Act to extend the period for the registration of easements and profits à prendre.

Seanad: Land and Conveyancing Law Reform (Amendment) Bill 2021: First Stage (28 Sep 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Next Tuesday.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Sep 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I echo the comments made around International Safe Abortion Day and note the launch today of an atlas of where safe access is across Europe. It is notable that countries like San Marino and Gibraltar have followed Ireland's example in seeking to ensure access, but there are practical barriers still in place. It will be important that in the review we address the practical, de facto barriers...

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (28 Sep 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I join with others in welcoming the commitment to holding an independent review regarding the experiences of the Women of Honour. It is correct that there is a need for cultural change and concrete protections. Both are needed. Cultural change is crucial within the Defence Forces. As Senator Martin, I think, referred to, however, there is also a need for a wider cultural shift concerning...

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (28 Sep 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: They have joined a German-commanded force. The key point is that this is slippage. Where is the clarity about our UN and humanitarian mandates? How can we reinforce this, given the discretion that the Minister asks us to give him under section 2 of the Bill to allow operational control to be delegated? The limitations and exemptions that the Minister mentions relate to important issues...

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (28 Sep 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I specified that that was under a different section than the one under which I have a concern.My concern relates to Part A, which involves the delegation of the secondment of forces. It is Part F that relates to humanitarian concern. This is just for clarity.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy Charter Treaty, Energy Security, Liquefied Natural Gas and Data Centres: Discussion (28 Sep 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Those were interesting presentations. The data piece struck me. We have focused a lot on energy production but to drill down into the question on demand, the fact is that all data are not the same, as we know. We know from the general data protection regulation, GDPR, that different kinds of data are treated differently. We know there is currently an artificial intelligence, AI,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy Charter Treaty, Energy Security, Liquefied Natural Gas and Data Centres: Discussion (28 Sep 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will be brief. I will ask about the Energy Charter Treaty and the exit from it. If we need to be in a different place in 15 years, how much do we need to accelerate the exit process? Russia was able to exit with a six-month clause, whereas Italy had a 20-year clause. How foolish would we be to sign up to new ISDS mechanisms which also have a 20-year exit clause? I know that Dr....

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I was also very disappointed by the decision regarding the supervised injection facility. A plan B is urgently needed. However, I note that while we may be disappointed by that High Court decision, as others may be about other decisions, it is also very important that, regardless of our feelings on the matter, we recognise the independence of, and checks and balances within, our judicial...

Seanad: Finance (Local Property Tax) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (16 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I join colleagues in thanking the Leas-Chathaoirleach for his work in recent months. We need a wider array of wealth taxes in Ireland. That need has been driven home in the past year as we saw the very wealthiest become much wealthier during the pandemic. We have seen an increase in the wealth of many of the people on the rich lists at the same time as a large part of the population has...

Seanad: Finance (Local Property Tax) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (16 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: No.