Results 1-20 of 3,505 for speaker:Emer Higgins

Confidence in the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade: Motion (15 Oct 2025)

Emer Higgins: I acknowledge that at the centre of this issue is heartache. This is personal for children with scoliosis on waiting lists and their families. It should not be a moment of division or political point scoring. It needs to be a moment of doubling down on our efforts to deliver for them. The tragic death of Harvey Morrison Sherratt touched the lives of people across Ireland. We think of his...

Financial Resolutions 2025 - Financial Resolution No. 5: General (Resumed) (8 Oct 2025)

Emer Higgins: Every year Government is faced with the challenge of balancing finite resources with infinite ambition to make things better for the people of Ireland. No single budget can deliver that in full but budget 2026 certainly rises to the challenge. I thank everyone involved in putting together this budget, in particular officials in my Department and the Department of Finance who worked around...

Seanad: Budget 2026 (Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation): Statements (8 Oct 2025)

Emer Higgins: I thank the Cathaoirleach. I am pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to the debate on budget 2026, which was, of course, presented to the Dáil by the Ministers for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation and Finance yesterday. Each year, my Department is presented with a finite budget and is tasked with making things better for the people...

Seanad: Budget 2026 (Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation): Statements (8 Oct 2025)

Emer Higgins: I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach and welcome our guests. I am going to attempt to respond to all of the comments raised today. I say “attempt” because a huge variety of comments were made. I appreciate the time people have taken to dig deep into the detail of the budget and to raise both positive feedback and concerns. Senator Cathal Byrne set the scene quite well when he...

Seanad: Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation: Statements (24 Sep 2025)

Emer Higgins: I thank Members for the opportunity to attend today and for their engaging and valuable contributions. It is clear from the contributions that there is significant interest in the work of the Department. As the Minister, Deputy Chambers, set out earlier, the Department operates from the centre of government. It does so to drive the delivery of better public services, improved living...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Company Closures (17 Sep 2025)

Emer Higgins: Ireland has seen very positive jobs growth in recent years, and we are now at virtually full employment. However, announcements like this show that we can never become complacent and take any jobs for granted. It shows that there are challenges in certain markets that are beyond the State's control at times. Inflationary pressures, energy costs and the recent increase in US tariffs have...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Facilities (17 Sep 2025)

Emer Higgins: It is my understanding that at this point no objection has been lodged. I hope the Deputy's passionate plea tonight has an influence on whether it will be lodged. I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. Increasing capacity at the Rotunda Hospital to ensure it can meet the needs of women, infants and families is a priority for the Government. The health needs of women and...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Company Closures (17 Sep 2025)

Emer Higgins: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Peter Burke. We were all very concerned to learn of the difficulties being experienced by Leprino Foods in Portlaoise. The Minister extends his sympathies to all employees and their families who may be affected by this decision taken by the company, and he knows that this news will be very...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Facilities (17 Sep 2025)

Emer Higgins: I thank Deputy Gannon for his Topical Issue on this subject. I was born in the Rotunda Hospital and my mother used to work there, so I appreciate the opportunity to address the concerns relating to the expansion of neonatal facilities at the Rotunda Hospital. I do so on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. As the Deputy said, the Rotunda is one of the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Arts Funding (17 Sep 2025)

Emer Higgins: I thank the Deputy very much for raising this issue. The Government places great value on culture and the arts sector. As outlined in the programme for Government, we recognise that they are essential to a well-rounded society, providing opportunities for education, expression and community engagement. Deputy Byrne gave a very interesting statistic, for the want of a better word, when he...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Arts Funding (17 Sep 2025)

Emer Higgins: One of the key recommendations is to develop an arts capital and equipment programme for investment in local and community arts of a similar scale and structure as its sports capital and equipment programme. As part of that, we will look at the feasibility of a minor capital works scheme under the Arts Council.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Arts Funding (17 Sep 2025)

Emer Higgins: I thank Deputy Byrne for raising this important matter. It is timely that we are discussing it a couple of days in advance of Culture Night. I also thank the Deputy for his obvious passion for this subject matter and the active role he plays in the amateur arts world in his community. Ireland is renowned for producing world-class art, both amateur and professional. That is why it is...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Tax Code (17 Sep 2025)

Emer Higgins: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter in the House today. As he is aware, capital acquisitions tax is a tax on inheritances or gifts on an amount over a particular tax-free threshold. It is a beneficiary-orientated tax, which means it is payable by the recipient of the gift or inheritance as opposed to the person providing that gift or inheritance. Capital acquisitions tax, CAT, plays...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Tax Code (17 Sep 2025)

Emer Higgins: I thank the Deputy for his constructive engagement on this. I really hope the information that has been provided on the record of the Dáil tonight is of use to his constituents and many other of our constituents, too. Just to clarify and confirm, the Minister for Finance and his Department are satisfied to the constitutionality of the existing CAT legislation. This matter was...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Urban Development (17 Sep 2025)

Emer Higgins: I thank the Deputy for raising this very important matter, not just for his own city but for all of us across Ireland. As Ireland’s second city, Cork occupies a very important position in the economic, social and cultural life of the nation. I would go so far as to say that Ireland’s overall success is closely bound to the success of Cork city. The Government is very aware...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Urban Development (17 Sep 2025)

Emer Higgins: I thank the Deputy for his observations and his support for the desire to work together on the rejuvenation of Cork city to make it a better place to live, work and experience its wonderful culture. The people of Cork have an immense and justifiable pride in their beautiful city but even the proudest Corkonian will admit there are a number of areas where we could do better to enhance the...

Special Education School Places: Motion [Private Members] (17 Sep 2025)

Emer Higgins: I am happy to provide a response from my colleague, the Minister for Education and Youth, Deputy Helen McEntee, and to contribute on behalf of the Government to the debate on special education. As a public representative, I meet many parents of children with additional needs who experience huge challenges in securing appropriate places for their children. They should not have to deal...

Seanad: Statute Law Revision Bill 2024: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (16 Jul 2025)

Emer Higgins: I am delighted to have the opportunity to bring this Bill back to the Seanad where it was initiated. This Bill is the latest in a long series of measures enacted to modernise and improve public accessibility of the Statute Book and secondary legislation. It is vital that laws and regulations in Ireland are fit for purpose and regularly reviewed and updated. The amendments in group 1 are...

Seanad: Statute Law Revision Bill 2024: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (16 Jul 2025)

Emer Higgins: The amendments in group 2 relate to the removal of the 1685 order from Schedule 1, instruments to be retained. These amendments follow on from Committee Stage in the Seanad and very constructive engagement with Senator Boyhan, the Genealogical Society of Ireland and the Office of the Chief Herald in the National Library. Amendment No. 2 removes the 1685 order from Schedule 1, instruments to...

Seanad: Statute Law Revision Bill 2024: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (16 Jul 2025)

Emer Higgins: The amendments in group 3 are minor technical amendments. Amendment No. 5 substitutes "Department" with "Minister" in Schedule 1, Part 2 on page 9.Amendment No. 6 substitutes "Department of" with "Minister for" in Schedule 1, Part 2, on page 10. Again, all the amendments in group 3 are minor technical amendments and do not fundamentally change this Bill at all. I hope we can agree to them.