Results 4,041-4,060 of 8,214 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 91: In page 17, line 39, to delete “, in so far as practicable,”. I will withdraw this amendment and reserve the right to submit it on Report Stage.

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 93: In page 18, to delete lines 19 to 23. This comes back to the point about the greatest possible ambition and progression. I do not believe we have room to carry carbon emissions forward. I propose a deletion of this section but I may come in with an alternative to this section on Report Stage rather than a straightforward deletion. In that context, I will...

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 95: In page 18, between lines 40 and 41, to insert the following: “(7A) The Advisory Council may issue a formal request to the Minister, asking him or her to exercise his or her powers to revise a carbon budget under this section, where the Council believe that a greater reduction in greenhouse gases has become necessary due to either of the factors specified...

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Can the Acting Chairperson clarify which amendments are in this grouping?

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am not sure if this is in my grouping but I want to point to the question in the section with regard to who is on the advisory council. The part I am concerned about is on the subcommittees of the advisory council. The subcommittees do not have to meet the same criteria in that members are not necessarily members of the advisory council. The committee can maintain other members. There...

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Okay, it is the composition and the functions.

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: These amendments will be key to the success of this legislation. There was a narrative early in year that it was investor court systems versus the climate Bill, and that there is a trade-off. We must be clear that investor court systems are what will undermine the climate Bill in the context of it actually succeeding. Those of us who are passionate about climate action want to make sure...

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I second the amendment.

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: These are very important amendments because energy policy will be at the heart of this issue. We have talked a lot about agriculture, but perhaps this is now the moment to talk about energy. Energy and a change in how we approach it will be central to the making of this transition. There has been a reluctance to face the hard issues relating to energy. For example, there has been a...

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am glad that more nuance is at least being added. I was concerned about the lack of clarity as to how the process of removals would be approached and what models and measures will be adopted. I made that clear at the time. It is important for me to speak now because amendment No. 9 in my name, to which we will come later, relates to removals and to the importance of international best...

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 4: In page 6, between lines 33 and 34, to insert the following: “ ‘climate justice’ reflects the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change commitments on equity and ‘common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities’ and requires that the decisions and actions taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions...

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will speak to the question of climate justice. We discussed the issue on Committee Stage. With respect to my colleagues, who spoke of a situation that is not of our creation, it is of our creation. Anthropogenic climate change is driven by human activity, predominately in developed and wealthier countries, including Ireland. We have a huge responsibility in that regard. When we talk...

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I regret that the Minister is not accepting amendment No. 4. I know there are other things that will be done and I will come back to them later, but I want to first return to the question of injustice in the context of this amending legislation on climate action. Recognition of the injustice is core in terms of the action that we need to take. We need to understand, recognise and make as...

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: That is the level of injustice. I mentioned The Lancet. We know that in rich countries, unless they refocus and frame themselves within justice, the forces of injustice are strong. We wanted this amendment accepted to strengthen the Minister's hand. The Minister mentioned the UNFCCC. I am glad it exists and that the Minister acknowledges its connection. Let us be clear, the Minister...

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I second the amendment.

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I must unfortunately disagree with the idea that no party in this Oireachtas does not want workers' rights centre stage. The fact is Ireland is one of very few countries that are seeking to dilute or oppose new directives on workers' rights at European level. Specifically, Ireland is one of the countries that are effectively blocking the introduction of collective bargaining rights and...

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 7: In page 7, between lines 8 and 9, to insert the following: “ ‘just transition’ means bringing together workers and their trade unions, communities, employers and public representatives in social dialogue to develop, agree and drive the plans, policies and investments needed for a fast and fair transition to a low carbon economy and includes;...

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: When we were in early discussions about the Bill, I spoke to an environmental group in Galway. We were discussing the Bill, what needed to be changed or fixed and what areas could be strengthened. When I told the group the SDGs were not mentioned in the Bill, they were shocked, even though they are really supportive of the general thrust of the legislation. I was focusing on other matters...

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 9: In page 7, line 25, after "State" to insert "in a manner consistent with current international carbon reporting practice".

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: This amendment seeks to ensure that within the Bill the approach taken in regard to removals would be in a manner consistent with current international carbon reporting practice. This arises in the context of the elevated focus on removals signalled by the Government's acceptance of amendments on Committee Stage and the Report Stage amendments brought forward by the Government which place a...