Results 3,481-3,500 of 8,212 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Central Bank of Ireland: Discussion (9 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Did the intrusive supervision also relate to Irish state bonds?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Central Bank of Ireland: Discussion (9 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Would it be possible to get supplementary answers in writing to the questions the witnesses did not get an opportunity to answer, including around the intrusive supervisory work and whether that is continuing?

Seanad: National Development Plan: Statements (22 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome the Minister to the House. Like others, I have given my personal submission on the NDP and, indeed, we have collectively contributed through the different committees, such as the climate action, disability and public expenditure committees. It is a very important review and a very important opportunity to think in a deep way about how we shape the places and the services within...

Seanad: Family Leave Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome both Ministers to the House. Both of them have had very constructive engagement with the House. I realise it is probably in the spirit of constructive engagement that they are accommodating the joining together of two issues in this Bill but I echo what Senator Bacik said. It is a concern and something we want to guard against in legislation. We have a strong tradition of having...

Seanad: Family Leave Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am very happy to support the amendment from Senator Ruane. I support the Bill in its spirit. We highlighted very much last summer the fact that many families had used maternity and paternity leave in a very short period because of Covid-19 and responsibilities arising from its effect. The same occurred with many who might have previously spread parental leave over five or ten years,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Decarbonising Transport: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the witnesses for their extremely interesting presentations. It strikes me that it is about a huge shift. So much of the transport focus has often been on reducing journey times when in fact this is about reducing journeys and thinking in terms of emission miles. Whether the target be 6% or 20%, the committee needs to set targets down to the level of emission miles and not just in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Decarbonising Transport: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am conscious that there is not that much time left so perhaps I could get a written answer to the question about port and rail freight.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Banking Sector: Engagement with Bank of Ireland (23 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I have been struck by a couple of points. In Ms McDonagh's responses she talked about the money the Irish public contributed in the bank bailout being repaid. It is really important to be clear that while the money may have been repaid, the cost of the impact of austerity, the impact on people's lives - young lives - and five or ten years of missed opportunities and lost services has not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Banking Sector: Engagement with Bank of Ireland (23 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The CEO has prompted me to add a few more questions in case I do not get to come back in again. She referred to the past three months and today. We are in a unique situation where those who would normally access physical services may not be accessing them. The percentage will, therefore, shift. In terms of Covid, I am concerned that this year is distorting perceptions as regards the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Banking Sector: Engagement with Bank of Ireland (23 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It would be great to get a written answer.

Seanad: Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Naturalisation of Minors Born in Ireland) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: As a proud anti-racism campaigner, I------

Seanad: Quality in Public Procurement (Contract Preparation and Award Criteria) Bill 2021: Second Stage (26 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." The Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth, is very welcome to the House. I thank him for his engagement on this legislation. As many colleagues across the House will be aware, procurement is an issue with wide implications. To give a sense of the Irish position, in 2019 we spent €12 billion on public contracts for goods, services...

Seanad: Quality in Public Procurement (Contract Preparation and Award Criteria) Bill 2021: Second Stage (26 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will second it when I respond.

Seanad: Quality in Public Procurement (Contract Preparation and Award Criteria) Bill 2021: Second Stage (26 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I formally second the amendment. While I am glad to see the Government supporting the Bill passing Second Stage, I would rather that it would be deemed to have passed after six months rather than one year. That is important because, as we have heard, the decisions are going to be made in respect of that €116 billion in the next two to three years. I do not want us to have spent...

Seanad: Covid-19 Vaccination Programme: Statements (29 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The Minister is welcome. It is important to emphasise that vaccination cannot be our only plan. I worry that so much now is focused on the end goal of vaccination that we do not have as much emphasis as we need on the many preventative and other measures we will need to use in the months ahead. With all due respect to the Minister, it was unhelpful for the Tánaiste, Deputy Varadkar,...

Seanad: Residential Tenancies Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (29 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I have tabled a number of amendments to this section. I am happy to yield my amendments, which seek an extension to October, in favour of the amendments put forward by Senator Warfield, which seek an extension to December. There are three key points on this. One key concern I have in terms of timing is that this is the fourth Bill in this regard, again rushed through the House in an hour...

Seanad: Residential Tenancies Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (29 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 2: In page 4, line 5, to delete “12 July 2021” and substitute “13 October 2021”.

Seanad: Residential Tenancies Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (29 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 3: In page 4, between lines 6 and 7, to insert the following: “(b) in section 10, by— (i) the substitution of the following subsection for subsection (1): “(1) This Part applies in relation to a tenant in relation to the tenancy of a dwelling where— (a) he or she is a relevant person, and (b) as a consequence thereof, there is a...

Seanad: Residential Tenancies Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (29 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is a pity I am not in a position to report progress. I hope that next time we have this debate we will be able to report some progress in terms of how we approach these issues.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Housing Policy and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (30 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the Minister of State and Ms Feeney. While the 12% may be ahead of the 8% demand, a concern we have and we have seen in submissions to the committee is that a number of people who have a disability and are in need of independent housing are not, in fact, even on the housing list. What work can go into identifying those who may be housed per sebut are not housed in accordance with...