Results 4,821-4,840 of 8,482 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (31 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I join in welcoming the motion on annexation. It sends an important signal in recognising some of the reality of what is happening in the occupied territories of Palestine. There is more that we can do but the motion is an important step. I join in the calls for a debate on disarmament that Senator Martin mentioned because Ireland has played a key role in that regard.In a moment when we...

Seanad: Maritime Jurisdiction Bill 2021: Second Stage (31 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I join others in welcoming the Minister of State to the House and regretting we have not had pre-legislative scrutiny of the Bill because it is very important. There is nothing technical about this. It consolidates a large amount of legislation. In the Minister of State's speech, we heard a lot about the 1980s legislation and various elements being brought together from it. We are in a...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) Act 2021: Motion (31 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome the Minister. We are debating the resolution. I thank the Minister because this week he will accept limiting some of the powers because resolution is not the ideal way to extend legislation. I am conscious that this is for a limited period until July. With regard to mandatory hotel quarantine, the Minister outlined the important impact it has already had. We can see the number...

Seanad: Covid-19 Vaccination Programme: Statements (31 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The Minister is again welcome to the House. I join others in commending all those people who have done really important and extraordinary work in rolling out vaccines. However, in hearing everybody's stories about how wonderful it has been to get a vaccine and what it meant for children and families, there is a heartbreaking component to the discussion. It is that there are people all over...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will be brief as my colleague, Senator Ruane, has already spoken on this amendment. This is a safety measure which I am sure the Minister has already assured my colleague on. The aim of the amendment is to make it very clear that nothing in this section should be to the detriment of obligations on housing authorities in respect of social housing. There is a concern here because we often...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Yes.

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 17: In page 8, between lines 32 and 33, to insert the following: “(7) In performing functions under subsection (1)housing authorities shall have regard to the appropriateness of the location of dwellings in respect of facilitating access to public transport, education services, health services and public amenities.”.

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I accepted the argument from the Minister of State that some of this relates to the planning area. I reserve the right to bring back a version of this amendment but I accept the Minister of State's argument in respect of it. I hope that by Report Stage, when we will reintroduce amendment No. 15 in the name of Senator Fitzpatrick, we will have provided the local authorities or housing...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 19: In page 9, between lines 13 and 14, to insert the following: “(3) A housing authority or a planning authority may only enter into an agreement undersubsection (2) where the dwellings specified in the agreement meet such criteria of affordability as may be set out in regulations developed by the Minister and laid before, and agreed by, both Houses of the...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: This suite of amendments relates to the principle of affordability. It is an issue that was touched on earlier. There is a concern that there is no clear definition of affordability in respect of this Bill and no such definition ties itself to people and what they can afford. I remember similar debates about the minimum wage legislation when the Low Pay Commission legislation was going...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I ask the Minister of State to respond explicitly on amendment No. 19 because none of what he has outlined is at odds with that amendment. It simply provides that the Minister would lay the rules before the Houses of the Oireachtas. I accept that amendment No. 20 sets out a criteria and one that I think is important but amendment No. 19 does not set out any specific criteria. It allows for...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Yes.

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 20: In page 9, between lines 13 and 14, to insert the following: “(3) A housing authority or a planning authority may only enter into an agreement under subsection (2) where the dwellings specified in the agreement meet such criteria of affordability, to include a criteria that any such dwellings should be affordable to individuals on or below the national...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 21: In page 9, between lines 13 and 14, to insert the following: “(3) Notwithstanding any national regulations which may be set out, a housing authority may specify such additional criteria in respect of the determination of affordability as it believes appropriate before entering into an agreement under subsection (2).”. I reserve the right to...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 23: In page 9, line 22, after “priority” to insert “and the eligible applicants will be owner occupiers”.

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 24: In page 9, between lines 25 and 26, to insert the following: “(iii) require that a dwelling specified be affordable for the specific eligible applicant nominated,”.

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 25: In page 9, between lines 37 and 38, to insert the following: “(c) shall require that the dwelling specified meets any criteria for affordability as set out by the Minister or the relevant housing authority.”. I reserve the right to reintroduce amendment No. 25 on Report Stage.

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 26: In page 9, line 41, after “person” to insert the following: “except where such an amount would bring the total amount paid for the dwelling to greater than market price”. I have some questions for the Minister of State in respect of amendment No. 27. On amendment No. 26, I am trying to address the issue of the affordable dwelling...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: To clarify my point, I am suggesting that the facility should be part of the contract. Of course I am not saying the contracts should be broken. However, we should be setting the terms of the contracts that the State, through local authorities and housing bodies, is signing with housing developers in such a way that it is made very clear that we are not going to disadvantage people to the...

Seanad: Civil Legal Aid (Exclusion of Value of Free or Partly Free Board) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (31 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I listened to the comments about diversity in the law and my colleague, Senator Ruane, has been pushing work in that area. It is a piece that is needed. I welcome the Minister of State to the House and commend Senator Boylan on what is a very important Bill and what has already been very consequential legislation. The existence of the Bill seems to have led to a change in policy being...