Results 3,181-3,200 of 8,212 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters) Records, and another Matter, Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I support the amendment and the idea of a legislative review as it would be appropriate. From the first part of our discussions today the Minister will have heard the concerns and context for the creation of the 2004 Act. It came from a situation where there were legitimate concerns about the former mechanisms. Equally true is the fact that the world has moved on substantially since 2004....

Seanad: Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters) Records, and another Matter, Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 30: In page 5, between lines 35 and 36, to insert the following: “8. The Minister, within 8 months of the passing of this Act, shall publish legislation on the right to information in respect of Mother and Baby Homes, including measures to support access to information on birth, early life, health or family death.”. I want to speak to the wider theme...

Seanad: Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters) Records, and another Matter, Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I believe we are on amendment No. 30, a Leas-Chathaoirligh. Amendment No. 30 asks that the Minister, within eight months of the passing of this Act, would publish legislation on the right to information in respect of mother and baby homes, including measures to support access to information on birth, early life, health or family death. Others have spoken very eloquently on this issue of...

Seanad: Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters) Records, and another Matter, Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I understand that. I agree that it is a wider issue. I also understand that the timeframe may need to be wider again. My amendment No. 34, for example, which set a 12-month timeline and dealt with the wider area of information and tracing, might have been something that was more achievable. Although I cannot put that amendment to the Minister because it is not eligible within the rules of...

Seanad: Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters) Records, and another Matter, Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 35: In page 3, line 8, after “Agency” to insert “and/or the Adoption Authority of Ireland”. The amendment is consequential on the success of an earlier amendment. As the earlier amendment was, unfortunately, unsuccessful, I will withdraw amendment No. 35.

Seanad: Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters) Records, and another Matter, Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 36: In page 3, line 13, to delete “other” where it secondly occurs. I will withdraw the amendment for the same reason that I withdrew amendment No. 35.

Seanad: Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters) Records, and another Matter, Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 37: In page 3, line 14, after “investigation;” to insert the following: “to provide for appropriate processing of evidence received and documents created by or for said Commission, or copies of the same by bodies designated by the Minister under powers conferred by this Act;”.

Seanad: Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters) Records, and another Matter, Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 38: In page 3, line 14, to delete “other”.

Seanad: Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters) Records, and another Matter, Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The Minister knows my views and all Members have articulated theirs. The Minister has engaged on a number of issues and I urge him to continue to engage in a similar constructive manner with both Deputies and Senators, because when the Minister amends the Bill in the Dáil he will return with it to the Seanad. It would be useful to continue that dialogue to ensure that when he returns,...

Seanad: Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters) Records, and another Matter, Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The fact that the amendment deadline for the Dáil was moved to Monday is important. That is vital for democracy. I hope the Dáil will be able to build on the debate we have had here in terms of its amendments, and that the final product will reflect some of the issues both the Minister and Senators have articulated.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: General Scheme of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Oct 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank both speakers for their presentations. As we have limited time, I will indicate a few issues on which I would appreciate comments in writing. I had hoped to ask about biodiversity, which is an area of Dr. Jackson's expertise, and with respect to Professor Sweeney, the implications for energy trade and how energy is dealt with. They might make comments in writing on those given I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: General Scheme of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Oct 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I had other questions but I am conscious of the time limit.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: General Scheme of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Oct 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I noticed that there were a few comments on Article 4 of the Paris Agreement and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The witnesses suggested that we be consistent with the language used for the existing commitments. Perhaps they might mention what needs to be expanded in terms of the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNFCCC, because of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: General Scheme of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Oct 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I want to follow up on the Chairman's question. We have spoken a lot about the make-up of the climate advisory commission but I am concerned the Bill does not seem to say it should have a breadth of expertise. There are a number of options it might choose from but there are certain areas from which we need to ensure there are people present with expertise. Might it potentially have a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: General Scheme of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Oct 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Will the witnesses comment on net versus gross planet neutrality?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Engagement with Governor of the Central Bank (21 Oct 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: With your permission, Chairman, I might group my questions into two sets so please let me know when I am half way.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Engagement with Governor of the Central Bank (21 Oct 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will focus first on the macroeconomic context. One of the roles of the Central Bank is engaging on the macroprudential policy tools and frameworks that are in place and examining the risks and how those tools and policy frameworks respond to risks. Covid is the current great risk we are dealing with but it is inside a wider context of the risks and changes represented by the climate and by...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Engagement with Governor of the Central Bank (21 Oct 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Will the Governor comment, in his written response, on the two-year suspension of fiscal rules, specifically relating to structural transformation and the potential that offers for public investment that may not have been possible in the context of the balanced books we had been seeking? I turn the domestic issues-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Engagement with Governor of the Central Bank (21 Oct 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I had asked to have a comment on-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Engagement with Governor of the Central Bank (21 Oct 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: That is okay. I might write to our guests about the tools.