Results 3,501-3,520 of 8,212 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

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: This is not a slight on the Minister of State. He answered a number of my questions but there were a few others, specifically around Traveller accommodation, that might be followed up in writing.

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: The Minister of State might follow up in writing.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Engagement on the Comprehensive and Economic Trade Agreement: Mr. David O'Sullivan (30 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the Chairman for accommodating me and I thank the presenter. I have two sets of questions. The first is on this question of renegotiation. Mr. O'Sullivan mentioned that CETA was a test, and things do seem to have moved in a different direction since then. When we talk about an example, he referred to the EU-China deal and the EU-UK deal. All of those have maintained dispute...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Engagement on the Comprehensive and Economic Trade Agreement: Mr. David O'Sullivan (30 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I was not suggesting that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Engagement on the Comprehensive and Economic Trade Agreement: Mr. David O'Sullivan (30 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Whether Governments regard it as a chill, we know that it is regarded as a chill by legal companies because they talk about it assisting lobbying efforts to prevent regulatory change. So there is a chill effect. We know that the Morris case did not just have an impact on the Australian Government as it eventually won. The case was used as an example of expensive litigation in a number of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Engagement on the Comprehensive and Economic Trade Agreement: Mr. David O'Sullivan (30 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Renegotiation is surely difficult once we have agreed to ratification with 20 years of the existing law set in stone.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Comprehensive and Economic Trade Agreement: Discussion (Resumed) (6 Apr 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I have two questions. The first is for Dr. Ankersmit. There is a different treatment of regulation in Article 8.9.2 of CETA versus the treatment of removal of subsidy in Article 8.9.4. It is notable that Article 8.9.2 states that the "mere fact" of regulation is not a breach. That has been dealt with very well, whereas Article 8.9.4 states that the removal of a subsidy should not be seen...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Impact of the Comprehensive Trade and Economic Agreement on Irish-Canadian Trade and Relations: Discussion (13 Apr 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: To do the preliminaries, I have also spoken at the Thomas D'Arcy McGee Summer School. I am very interested in our common and shared democratic values. However, the fact is that the values that Canada and Ireland, or indeed the EU, might share are not values that need to be shared by corporations. They have different sets of values. That is why in general, globally, we have seen a shift...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Impact of the Comprehensive Trade and Economic Agreement on Irish-Canadian Trade and Relations: Discussion (13 Apr 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: However, if there is a change in law and it impacts on the fair and equitable treatment of a company and its reasonable expectations under Article 8.10, it is entitled to seek compensation. I imagine that Mr. Collenette might have that view. He certainly seems to have it. I refer to the diplomatic work that we are doing together on things such as sustainable development goals and climate...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Impact of the Comprehensive Trade and Economic Agreement on Irish-Canadian Trade and Relations: Discussion (13 Apr 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I have a question on the consultation and mediation aspect. Does Mr. Collenette feel it is a tool that will be used when there is a threat of the ICS in respect of the chilling effect by, potentially, members of his association?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: National Disability Inclusion Strategy: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Apr 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the witnesses for the great presentations. Many issues were raised. I will put aside the congregated settings. I was very interested to hear what Ms Dempsey had to say around digital empowerment, the web accessibility directive and assistive technology. I would be very interested if Ms Dempsey had something in writing on that, as my time is limited. I want to talk about the big...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Covid-19 Pandemic (23 Apr 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. Yesterday, there was an informal meeting of the World Trade Organization trade-related and intellectual property rules, TRIPS, council. Next week, there will be a formal meeting at which the WTO will decide on a proposal for a temporary TRIPS waiver of intellectual property rights for Covid-19 vaccines, which would allow global south countries...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Covid-19 Pandemic (23 Apr 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The intellectual property right that needs to be waived under the existing TRIPS structure is not simply to do with the patents. It is also about the intellectual property relating to manufacturing know-how. The WHO, UNAIDS and others who have worked on previous global health crises tell us that the TRIPS waiver is needed. We must listen to them. We are all very proud of Dr. Michael Ryan...

Seanad: Personal Insolvency (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (23 Apr 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 1: In page 3, between lines 18 and 19, to insert the following: “Amendment of section 26 of Principal Act 2. Section 26 of the Principal Act is amended— (a) in subsection (2)(c), by the substitution of “€1,500” for “€400”, and (b) by the deletion of subsection (5)(b)(ii).”. This set of amendments...

Seanad: Personal Insolvency (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (23 Apr 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank Senator Martin for his support. We will not agree on all the amendments and that is fine but I thank him for his support. To clarify, the concern is not just what is being counted against one's income in a personal insolvency case. The problem is access to the PIP. The very point of access is that once one's income goes over €60 per month, having paid reasonable living...

Seanad: Personal Insolvency (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (23 Apr 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am partially reassured but I ask the Minister of State to clarify a couple of points. There is one social welfare payment explicitly mentioned, namely, children's allowance. Why is that payment specifically mentioned but others are not? Am I to understand from the Minister of State's description - because it is not in the Act - that, in calculating net disposable income, social welfare...

Seanad: Personal Insolvency (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (23 Apr 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will be delighted to hear this is being dealt with in a place other than this section.

Seanad: Personal Insolvency (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (23 Apr 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the Minister. That deals with my concern because the matter is being dealt with in a different place. However, I may introduce an amendment on the qualified child payment on Report Stage. Children's allowance is the general payment but qualified child increase is another payment specifically around children. I will take an advisement on the calculation of net disposable income and...

Seanad: Personal Insolvency (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (23 Apr 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 2: In page 3, between lines 18 and 19, to insert the following: “Amendment of section 26 of Principal Act 2.Section 26 of the Principal Act is amended— (a) in subsection (2), by the insertion of the following paragraph after paragraph (b): “(ba) any social protection payments of which a debtor may be in receipt, shall not be taken into account...

Seanad: Personal Insolvency (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (23 Apr 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 3: In page 3, between lines 18 and 19, to insert the following: “Amendment of section 26 of Principal Act 2.Section 26 of the Principal Act is amended— (a) in subsection (2), by the insertion of the following paragraph after paragraph (b): “(ba) any social protection payments which have been subject to a means test and which a debtor qualifies...