Results 3,661-3,680 of 4,092 for speaker:Michael D Higgins

Membership of International Organisations (20 May 2010)

Michael D Higgins: I have no difficulty in accepting the sincerity of the Minister's position on Gaza. However, reports in the Israeli press suggest Ireland, with Switzerland and Norway, initially had reservations about voting for the acceptance of Israel into the OECD but that in the end, like what happened in respect of the United States-India nuclear non-proliferation agreement, they caved in. The...

Membership of International Organisations (20 May 2010)

Michael D Higgins: It is my understanding a reservation was entered early on.

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (20 May 2010)

Michael D Higgins: Question 23: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has raised with the Iranian ambassador the continuing incarceration, without charge, of members of the Baha'i community and the contravention involved of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20925/10]

Written Answers — National Pensions Reserve Fund: National Pensions Reserve Fund (20 May 2010)

Michael D Higgins: Question 78: To ask the Minister for Finance if it is his view that the National Pensions Reserve Fund should operate within the guidelines of ethical investment. [21211/10]

Order of Business. (25 May 2010)

Michael D Higgins: It is not agreed that No. 9 be taken without debate, and I would like to give the reason for that.

Order of Business. (25 May 2010)

Michael D Higgins: Taking No. 9 without debate would be outrageous. We have been down this road before with regard to economic partnership agreements, but these three agreements have not been discussed in African parliaments. With regard to the first of the three, which deals with the Southern African Customs Union and the Southern African Development Community, there has been a specific attempt by some...

Order of Business. (25 May 2010)

Michael D Higgins: I will be brief. We have been down this road before. This process was used previously when agreements were referred to a select committee. I will attend the select committee with a couple of others, we will debate them inadequately and they will then be rammed through. They affect the right of Africans, for example, to put taxes on extractive industries that are robbing their countries....

Order of Business. (25 May 2010)

Michael D Higgins: It is, because we insult ourselves and our foreign policy in this way. We are correctly proud of our policy on aid and on the relief of hunger, but we contradict it comprehensively by ramming through these agreements without discussion.

Order of Business. (25 May 2010)

Michael D Higgins: There are no other times.

Order of Business. (25 May 2010)

Michael D Higgins: I am not making a Second Stage speech. I have said why the first interim agreement is inappropriate. The second one deals with eastern Africa and the same thing applies. Let us be clear about what is appropriate and inappropriate. Ten out of 47 African countries have signed these agreements. This is the imposition of old, failed policies on African countries that can ill afford them.

Order of Business. (25 May 2010)

Michael D Higgins: I am not out of order. How am I out of order?

Order of Business. (25 May 2010)

Michael D Higgins: There are no other ways. What you would like is that they would drift off to a select committee with about three of us in attendance and hundreds of millions of people, for a decade, pay with their lives, their exports and their right to livelihood. It is a time for ending the hypocrisy of contradicting our aid and hunger policy by ramming through these agreements that are not properly...

Order of Business. (25 May 2010)

Michael D Higgins: I will finish now. They should be considered by plenary session in this Chamber. We should not compromise. The African countries are holding their meeting on 18 June. Today is Africa Day. Let us have a debate on these agreements. Then they can go to any select committee the House wishes. Let us not use the select committee as a cover for absence of transparency and morality in our...

Order of Business. (25 May 2010)

Michael D Higgins: They go much beyond the WTO requirements.

Order of Business. (25 May 2010)

Michael D Higgins: That would be entirely too late.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (25 May 2010)

Michael D Higgins: Question 62: To ask the Minister for Social Protection when he plans to amend the qualifying criteria for mortgage interest supplement. [21583/10]

Criminal Justice (Public Order) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (26 May 2010)

Michael D Higgins: It is interesting that we are spending this time, late on a Wednesday afternoon, making arrangements to fine people who beg in a adverse fashion, or if they do not pay their fine they will be imprisoned. This is happening at a time when our economy and financial system have been brought into what is regarded as daily peril by a group of well-heeled people who probably never walked past a...

Written Answers — Domestic Abattoirs: Domestic Abattoirs (26 May 2010)

Michael D Higgins: Question 94: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the position regarding some meat plants prior to 15 February 2010; if his Department is unable to verify whether payments under the new grid were accurate prior to this date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21975/10]

Written Answers — Beef Industry: Beef Industry (26 May 2010)

Michael D Higgins: Question 108: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when beef carcase grading figures will be published under the new MII grid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21974/10]

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (26 May 2010)

Michael D Higgins: Question 131: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, further to reports that prosecutions taken against employers were up by over 50% in 2009, the number of employers who were prosecuted in this manner; the numbers of such employers; if he will give a geographical breakdown of these; if specifically he will give the figures as they apply to both Galway city and county....