Results 3,561-3,580 of 8,212 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is correct to say we need to take a stand on human rights. There are human rights issues on several levels in the news today. We have heard about the human rights violations in Cork, where a young girl has talked about living in an abandoned place that people forgot about. A member of the Traveller community has spoken about the absolutely unacceptable circumstances in which Travellers...

Seanad: Loan Guarantee Schemes Agreements (Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 1: In page 3, line 27, after “concerned” to insert “and such conditions may include social and environmental criteria”. This amendment proposes that the conditions attached to the agreements which the State may sign with banks in respect of loans under this scheme may include social and environmental criteria.I do this cognisant of the fact...

Seanad: Loan Guarantee Schemes Agreements (Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: In case I do not get the opportunity to speak to that section, given I have to critique-----

Seanad: Loan Guarantee Schemes Agreements (Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: -----and the fact that this is a 30-minute debate. We are making decisions in respect of a €50 million fund, with potentially €29 million of State liability in a 30-minute debate which is inadequate. It would be appropriate and I hope that the Minister of State will indicate that he does intend to produce a report to deal with how these various environmental and social...

Seanad: Loan Guarantee Schemes Agreements (Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I agree. Many SMEs have shown incredible adaptability and have been making very significant changes. They are transitioning and we need to support and fund that. One of the problems is that people often get loans only for what they are doing already rather than what they can and want to do, and that is something we need to examine. We also need to examine our procurement policies and how...

Seanad: Loan Guarantee Schemes Agreements (Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 2: In page 4, to delete lines 15 to 20. This amendment relates to mid-caps. I know that it is a small part of this fund, but it is a concern for me. I know too that there are issues because some of this is targeted.

Seanad: Loan Guarantee Schemes Agreements (Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Yes, it is 5%. My concern is around the SME focus. I understand from engaging around this issue, that it relates to agri-businesses on the Border and so on, but I am concerned still about where the loans will go. It relates to the point I made earlier about whether our SMEs are getting the loans. In other words, will small businesses get access to these loans? I am also concerned that...

Seanad: Loan Guarantee Schemes Agreements (Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Certainly. I was just going to say that I believed there were already environmental and social criteria from the European side. We would simply be matching those. That might be the appropriate approach.

Seanad: Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (24 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: We came back to the Seanad during the election period. It was not, in fact, this Seanad but the previous one, the 25th, that passed the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act. This is the first time that this Seanad has had the opportunity to scrutinise that legislation but that opportunity is being deeply curtailed by an inadequate...

Seanad: Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (24 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: We spoke about leadership. One thing that will affect whether we extend in November is whether we have a TRIPS waiver so that the world can be vaccinated. Let us be very clear.

Seanad: Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (24 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: We are not passively in a situation, we can choose to accelerate the vaccination of the world and minimise the risk of new variants by supporting a TRIPS waiver and I hope the Minister will champion that. I know some of his colleagues have.

Seanad: Planning and Development, Heritage and Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (24 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The Minister of State has heard the high regard he is held in across the House and I echo much of that but everybody is speaking to and anticipating the positive use he might make of the powers under this Act. My concern is not about persons but about structures. My concerns relate to the legislation in front of us and the fact that the Minister in this legislation is not the Minister of...

Seanad: Planning and Development, Heritage and Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Section 8 relates to the same principles that will be addressed in sections 9 to 11, inclusive. I will speak to the general principles in each section. This is a provision whereby the Minister with responsibility for planning and housing, the Minister who still has those powers, in fact, the primary Minister and the Minister for the purposes of this Act, would be required to “request...

Seanad: Planning and Development, Heritage and Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: On the section-----

Seanad: Planning and Development, Heritage and Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The Minister of State did not speak to section 8 but to section 11 and I asked the direct question of who performs these functions. I asked the same question on Second Stage and other Senators received answers to their queries on Second Stage.

Seanad: Planning and Development, Heritage and Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Will the powers be delegated in respect of these functions?

Seanad: Planning and Development, Heritage and Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I make the same argument.

Seanad: Planning and Development, Heritage and Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: We need to be sure-----

Seanad: Planning and Development, Heritage and Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The fact that we are in a hurry is not my fault. The Government had the prerogative and chose to put this Bill through All Stages in one hour. To be very clear, I have the same concerns about sections 9 to 11, inclusive. We are taking away another small element of the checks and balance system in our planning architecture. If issues arise further down the line then we need to be really...

Seanad: Planning and Development, Heritage and Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I have the same issue with section 10.