Results 201-220 of 8,196 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (29 Nov 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 28:In page 35, line 12, after “Board” to insert “, them also having due regard to perspective of the tenants and other independent sources”.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (29 Nov 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 29:In page 35, line 15, to delete “20 per cent” and substitute “40 per cent”.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (29 Nov 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 30:In page 35, line 15, to delete “20 per cent” and substitute “30 per cent”.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (29 Nov 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 31:In page 35, line 16, to delete “or” and substitute “and”.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (29 Nov 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 32:In page 35, line 20, to delete “undue unfairness to, or”. We are asking for the removal of the term "undue unfairness" because we feel given "undue unfairness", "undue hardship" and "unduly onerous" are the three----

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (29 Nov 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am giving the reason. If those terms were applied to the rental area, to tenants, we would see many tenants would not pay rent. I am going to move this amendment to remove the phrase "undue unfairness" but it would leave the other two intact.

Seanad: Knowledge Development Box (Certification of Inventions) Bill 2016: Second Stage (30 Nov 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome the Minister back to the House. I thank her for bringing this Bill through the House. The Bill proposes to expand access to the preferential tax rate for income generated on intellectual property and patents under the premise of nurturing innovation, encouraging companies to locate high-value jobs in Ireland, and promoting economic growth. I accept that the development of...

Seanad: Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign: Motion (30 Nov 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: In respect of Fianna Fáil's amendment, if there is a desire to put forward a motion at the finance committee, I urge the party to do that in addition to supporting the very necessary motion put forward by Senator Norris.

Seanad: Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign: Motion (30 Nov 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: That would be an addition we could support. In terms of the question of Bank of Ireland not showing up and that we would respond at that point, I note that it has already not shown up because it has failed to provide any satisfactory explanation for the closure of the bank account. We have already arrived at the point where it has failed to account notwithstanding that it has had the...

Seanad: Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign: Motion (30 Nov 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Okay. I will not elaborate on that aspect. The key point here is that we are talking about the open work of campaigning on boycott, divestment and sanctions. Boycotting has a strong origin here in Ireland. The IPSC is not only a peaceful organisation, but one with a long-standing record of street stands. There could not be a more open organisation. It has been visible, clear and...

Seanad: Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign: Motion (30 Nov 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is not like other campaigns which ask banks to divest, but is rather a campaign which is operating by stealth and which is not making itself accountable. It is a deep contrast. While the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign is completely legal, as asserted by the EU, the unjustified measures we are seeing now are deeply undemocratic. They raise very serious concerns for all of us,...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2016: Second Stage (1 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome the Minister to the House and thank him for presenting the Bill. I will highlight a couple of areas which are very positive. I recognise the home carer tax credit is a positive move. I echo the comments on the Living City initiative. It is important and could with merit be expanded to towns in the country because a number of towns could benefit from a similar initiative. To...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Committee Stage (6 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I understand my amendment has been ruled out of order but I would appreciate it if the Minister would address the concerns highlighted in the amendment. We will come later to an issue about which concern has been expressed on all sides of the House. It relates, in particular, to older women and the gender pension gap but this issue-----

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Committee Stage (6 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: -----is specifically related to the making of voluntary contributions. In this House last week, the Minister spoke about his concern to ensure that contributions are being made, that he wants to encourage the making of contributions, and that he wants to increase the fund that is available. I do not believe that our pay related insurance fund will ever be adequate in terms of our pension...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Committee Stage (6 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: First, I thank the Minister for taking on board the proposal in respect of five years. It is constructive and it will make a difference to people.I understand that the Minister indicated at the Oireachtas joint committee that he intends to look at a wider level at the contributions and the contribution system. I encourage the Minister to take this issue on board and to look to it. While...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Committee Stage (6 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is great to see paternity leave increasing and moving through legislation. I want to give a compliment because it is something we campaigned for in the National Women's Council in the past. I want to note it as a positive move.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Committee Stage (6 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will be very brief. This is the complimentary bit. The extension of dental treatment is a very positive measure. For those working in the area of heart disease, this is an example of something thoughtful happening because the provision of dental treatment leads to significant savings on heart treatment at a later date.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Committee Stage (6 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I wish to speak briefly on section 12.I am happy there will be a report on the changes to the one parent family payment, OPFP. In preparing the report on the financial and social effects of the amendments, reference is made to taking into account the effect on welfare dependency and the poverty rates of those in receipt. I would like to be clear that in looking at the financial and social...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Committee Stage (6 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: As well as examining the issue highlighted by my colleague, there were considerable impacts when people moved from the OPFP to individually having to seek maintenance payments. The Department has figures on this and it is an important financial and social effect, which has had an economic impact. It would be important to capture that. Perhaps it is a corollary effect but it will feed into...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Committee Stage (6 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 4:In page 8, between lines 13 and 14, to insert the following:"13. The Principal Act is amended by the insertion of the following section after section 178F:"178G.(1)The Minister shall, not later than 9 months of the passing after theSocial Welfare Act 2016, cause to be produced a report in respect of the gender pension gap in the first tier and second tier of the pension...