Results 4,121-4,140 of 8,482 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (12 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 24: In page 12, between lines 15 and 16, to insert the following: "(5) The content of any direction under this section shall be published in Iris Oifiguil; in at least one national newspaper; and on the websites of the Minister and of the Land Development Agency.".

Seanad: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (12 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 25: In page 12, between lines 15 and 16, to insert the following: "(5) Any direction under this section shall have regard to any City or County Development Plan, Local Area Plan, or any other statutory plan made by a local authority.". Amendments Nos. 25 and-----

Seanad: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (12 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is not Second Stage.

Seanad: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (12 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Amendment No. 25 relates to the development plans. My key concern is that many development plans have been delayed, as the Minister will be aware. Where a new development plan is being produced, it and the new vision of the relevant local authority should be central to the considerations in the engagement with the Land Development Agency. That would be appropriate. It would allow-----

Seanad: Finance (Covid-19 and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: There have been lengthy comments. My questions and comments relate to the newly inserted section 2(1)(b). They relate to time and the fact that these provisions allow for the extension of emergency measures. It was described how we do not want to fall off a cliff edge and that there is not an indefinite pot of money. I am responding to those points raised by Government Senators. We are...

Seanad: Finance (Covid-19 and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am speaking to the section. I am speaking to it far more directly because I am speaking about financial emergency measures. The financial emergency measures, both at an EU level and in this section of the Bill, require us to be responsible. It is not responsible that we do not have stamp duty for investment funds if they are leasing back, which is notoriously bad value. According to the...

Seanad: Finance (Covid-19 and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: These are the measures. I am also going to speak about emergency measures.

Seanad: Finance (Covid-19 and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: This relates to the extension of measures to December 2021 from March 2021 and to June 2022. I am speaking on this because the fiscal rules at European level are only waived until 2023. This section is an example of how we can use that time. There are positive things in this Bill but there are also mistakes. I urge the Government to recognise and remedy that.

Seanad: Companies (Rescue Process for Small and Micro Companies) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 1: In page 25, between lines 27 and 28, to insert the following: “Further provision with respect to employees 558S.A rescue plan for an eligible company shall not contain provision that provides for either or both of the following— (a) a reduction in the number of employees after the date from which the rescue plan would come into effect under section...

Seanad: Companies (Rescue Process for Small and Micro Companies) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the Minister of State. I am glad there is an employee representative in terms of the creditors group. Of course, he will be aware that many Senators have pushed for employees to be the preferred creditors in situations of company dissolution. That is really important. It may be a step further, but it is a step that may emerge in the legislation the Minister of State may bring...

Seanad: Companies (Rescue Process for Small and Micro Companies) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will be very brief. Employees and employers are not being talked about in a simplistic or polarised way. It is a matter of recognising all these elements. The Minister of State has engaged very constructively and recognised that there are issues with how we manage employees. Yes, when we look at a company we should look at the employers and the employees not in a polarised way but in a...

Seanad: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (15 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I indicate my strong support for Senator Boyhan's amendment. It is a good reminder and comes at a crucial point. It would anchor the purposes of the Bill and recognise the essential involvement and contribution of members of local authorities. It is an appropriate place for this strong amendment. The Minister will be aware that I tabled amendments on Committee Stage which I have not...

Seanad: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (15 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 3: In page 12, to delete lines 19 to 21 and substitute the following: “(2) Not later than 31 October 2022 and every year thereafter, the Agency shall furnish a report to the Minister, to be laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas, regarding progress made by the Agency and subsidiary DACs towards achieving the purposes of this Act, which shall include but not...

Seanad: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (15 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Questions came from members of the Government regarding the review. My amendments concern the review and are intended to try to strengthen it. This amendment asks that "Not later than 31 October 2022" a report be provided breaking down the numbers of social, cost rental and affordable houses in each local authority area. We hear social and affordable housing being bundled together...

Seanad: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (15 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The key is that when the land is gone, it is gone.

Seanad: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (15 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am allowed to respond.

Seanad: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (15 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am responding to the debate. I pushed for this urgency of reflection because although we will be using State land, once the land enters the LDA's stock it will no longer be State land. Section 59 states that it will no longer be State land but land owned by the LDA, a commercial entity in which two Ministers are shareholders and they may dispose of those shares. That is the concern. By...

Seanad: Report of Independent Review Group Jadotville: Statements (15 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome the Minister to the House to discuss this and recognise this previous engagement with this House on it. I acknowledge the very sincere engagement by colleagues from right across the House and from every party who have spoken about this issue. I speak tonight on behalf of Senator Black, who has engaged very closely with many of the families of the survivors of Jadotville. She...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I was also very disappointed by the decision regarding the supervised injection facility. A plan B is urgently needed. However, I note that while we may be disappointed by that High Court decision, as others may be about other decisions, it is also very important that, regardless of our feelings on the matter, we recognise the independence of, and checks and balances within, our judicial...

Seanad: Finance (Local Property Tax) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (16 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I join colleagues in thanking the Leas-Chathaoirleach for his work in recent months. We need a wider array of wealth taxes in Ireland. That need has been driven home in the past year as we saw the very wealthiest become much wealthier during the pandemic. We have seen an increase in the wealth of many of the people on the rich lists at the same time as a large part of the population has...