Results 4,521-4,540 of 8,482 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: If other Senators have indicated, I will be happy to allow them to come in at this point. However, I wish to contribute again on this amendment, as is my right.

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The aspect I am addressing in my amendment relates to what is not in the Bill. Opening up this topic was, again, a choice by the Government which decided to include this new section. It would perhaps require less debate now if it had been in the original Bill sent to the climate action committee but it was not. This is a late addition by the Government in its new draft of the Bill. I am...

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 25: In page 8, line 7, to delete “climate neutral economy” and substitute “completely decarbonised economy”.

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 26: In page 8, line 7, after “economy” to insert “and society”.

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 27: In page 8, line 22, after “1992,” to insert “including the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities in respect of that objective,”. This amendment seeks to make it explicitly clear that in considering the UNFCCC, the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities in respect of the UNFCCC objectives shall apply....

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Will the Minister specifically address the question of greatest and highest possible ambition and the principle of progression? As I understand it, those are not included in those sections of the Paris Agreement that have been pulled out at the moment.

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will conclude and then we can go to the votes. I note it is precisely because this Bill covers the period to 2050 that I urge the Minister to consider that the language on "highest possible ambition and progression" should be included. While he may well have set his limits on his ambition for 2030 already, in the years 2030 to 2035, 2035 to 2040 and so forth, ideally we should be looking...

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: That is my less-preferred amendment.

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: My apologies, Acting Chairperson. I agree with Senator O'Reilly in that my preference is that we would just reference Articles 2 and 4 of the Paris Agreement rather than trying to pull that language out of the agreement, but I was just trying to narrow this down to the particular piece I had in mind. I agree that amendment No. 29 would be stronger and I would prefer that amendment.

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 28: In page 8, line 26, to delete "in Articles 2 and 4(1) of" and substitute "and commitments made in".

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 29: In page 8, line 26, to delete “(1)”. I will withdraw this amendment and bring it back on Report Stage because it merits consideration. I hope it can be examined.

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 30: In page 8, line 31, to delete “Agency.” and substitute the following: “Agency, and (c) that is consistent with the State’s highest possible ambition and progression.”. In recognition of Senator O'Reilly's point and given the hope I still hold out for amendment No. 29, I will withdraw amendment No. 30.

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 31: In page 8, between lines 37 and 38, to insert the following: “Proactive dissemination of information 6. Notwithstanding anything elsewhere in this Act, the Advisory Council, any Minister of the Government, the Government or a Local Authority shall be obliged to publish in full within 3 days any report, or proposal which is required to be provided under...

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: To be honest, three days is quite narrow when I look to it. Nonetheless, 30 days is a little bit too wide. We could look to improve the transparency and information on this and the timelines so they work better. I accept the three-day issue is considerable. While I will press this amendment now, I reserve the right to try to come back with a compromise period, somewhere in between three...

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 32: In page 9, to delete line 25 and substitute “completely decarbonised economy,”.

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: This is one of those caveat phrases that feels a little too like a loophole. It is already implied that the Minister's opinion is in play because it is the Minister who is taking the actions in question. We do not need to say "in the Minister’s opinion" because if the Minister is setting out the roadmap, he or she is giving an opinion because he or she is the one proposing it....

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: With respect, this is not happening in a void. There is a Government and then there is the Parliament. There is the Executive and there is the Legislature.As the Legislature, one of our political responsibilities is to try to ensure the best possible legislation and the greatest transparency and accountability in that. In speaking about transparency, I do not understand, given the...

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The concern still stands that the context of the specific roadmap and specific measures only relate to the Minister and not the Minister and the Government. I am not the proposer of the first amendment.

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 35: In page 9, line 33, to delete "in the Minister's opinion" and substitute "in an opinion set out and published by the Minister".

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 37: In page 9, line 36, to delete "in the Minister's opinion" and substitute "in an opinion set out and published by the Minister".