Results 1-20 of 8,419 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: EU Regulations: Motions (3 Jul 2025)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I share the concern many have expressed about the proposals before us. I echo what we have heard across the House about recognising migration as something that has happened for centuries and millennia and something that is often a net positive for countries. Ireland, with its history of migration in different economic and political circumstances, circumstances of conflict and so on, as well...

Seanad: EU Regulations: Motions (3 Jul 2025)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Let us be clear, however; I do not believe we should join it at all. Let us look at what was in that proposal that has been withdrawn, which comes from the same kind of logic in terms of safe countries. It comes from the same kind of perspective, which is a neocolonial perspective and a colonial perspective in terms of determining or arbitrating the lives of others. The change would mean...

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2025)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I do not mind.

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2025)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Because of time, I was really looking for the General Assembly powers, but we might come back on that.

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2025)

Alice-Mary Higgins: We will come back to it, but the 2006 Act allows Ireland to act on the basis of the General Assembly.

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2025)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I want to come in on the other questions if I can.

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2025)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am speaking to the General Assembly now.

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2025)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I want to go to Ms O'Brien. It did change somewhat in 2021.

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2025)

Alice-Mary Higgins: A core question was about strengthening international security. What is that if it is not peacekeeping or peace enforcement?

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2025)

Alice-Mary Higgins: But as a separate function, separate from peacekeeping.

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2025)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is provided for separately from peacekeeping in the legislation.

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2025)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Apologies. I would be happy if there is any written piece or anything on that because it is a core question.

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2025)

Alice-Mary Higgins: In the legislation, it mentions strengthening international security as a purpose for deployment separately from peacekeeping or peace enforcement and the eight or extended list of exemptions. What does that cover that was not covered by peacekeeping or peace enforcement?

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2025)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Or what it does not cover.

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2025)

Alice-Mary Higgins: My very last point-----

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2025)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Impartiality was mentioned. Does it include, for example, conflicts on the basis of interests, including the security of interests?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025 (1 Jul 2025)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Under the ICJ ruling, does trade mean goods and services in the opinion of Ireland? I think it is a question.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025 (1 Jul 2025)

Alice-Mary Higgins: To follow on from the core question of services in terms of law, an EU regulation on implementing the principles of public policy has been mentioned. To be clear, the principles of public policy allow for states to take individual action. This is not only in the EU regulation, but in the treaty. Is it not the case that throughout the treaty there are, for example, at Articles 36 and 52, a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025 (1 Jul 2025)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Public policy as a principle in terms of the operation of the EU is in the treaties. It is set out in the same language.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025 (1 Jul 2025)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Going to the case law, the suggestion is that we might face a case if we were to try to include services. There is a case on the prohibition externally of trade in goods and services. This is the Rosneft case. It is a European Court of Justice case on restrictions on trade in goods and services connected to Russian breaches of international law in Ukraine. In this case, the court found...