Results 4,961-4,980 of 8,229 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022: Committee Stage (26 Apr 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: With that consequence again. That is a very slippery slope in that context.

Seanad: Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022: Committee Stage (26 Apr 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It has been the practice that the functions can be addressed. There is no additional resource requirement or suggestion in our pieces. We will come back to this discussion but this is a really dangerous direction.

Seanad: Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022: Committee Stage (26 Apr 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: That needs to be reviewed.

Seanad: Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022: Committee Stage (26 Apr 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: As I understand it, amendments Nos. 10 and 12 split the section. I wanted to be clear about that. My amendment No. 11 seeks to ensure the interests of children are "protected and promoted". This is trying to be in tune with the clear spirit of the audiovisual directive. That directive is not only intended to protect against harm, it is meant to promote inclusion and participation. I have...

Seanad: Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022: Committee Stage (26 Apr 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 11: In page 18, line 40, after “protected” to insert “and promoted”. With the leave of the House, I will withdraw the amendment while reserving the right to reintroduce it on Report Stage.

Seanad: Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022: Committee Stage (26 Apr 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 13: In page 19, line 2, after “open” to insert “, inclusive”. The Minister was saying things can be interpreted in certain ways but with many of the suggestions she is getting around the functions it is important, and all of us have run up against very narrow interpretations of a function. I urge that in general, where it does no harm, to...

Seanad: Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022: Committee Stage (26 Apr 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I urge the Minister to take on board or consider these amendments. Amendment No. 14 may not need to delete line 5 but rather include the substitute text as an additional point. It is important to bear in mind the languages and traditions across the island in all of their diversity but there exists a special duty in respect of the Irish language and it is crucial that this be reflected in a...

Seanad: Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022: Committee Stage (26 Apr 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will make two points about the previous discussion on the Irish language. The Minister's main argument was on the inadvertent deletion of line 5. It is important to put in something on the Irish language and Irish Sign Language. I hope that is something that might come true. This section deals with functions. There is a number of constructive amendments and I support some of them. ...

Seanad: Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022: Committee Stage (26 Apr 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 18: In page 19, line 11, after “services” to insert “and the right to and importance of cultural participation”. The equality and human rights component of the legislation is crucial. Even if the equality grounds evolve, it is important that they are named. I know the Minister has said she will engage further on Report Stage-----

Seanad: Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022: Committee Stage (26 Apr 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: This is determining my decision.

Seanad: Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022: Committee Stage (26 Apr 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is important that we have discussion in between. I do not think we want to have to start from scratch on Report Stage. Let us make sure that we are not all producing five versions of the same amendment on Report Stage, but that we discuss this in between.

Seanad: Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022: Committee Stage (26 Apr 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 19: In page 19, between lines 15 and 16, to insert the following: “(ii) support equality, human rights and participation in cultural life,”.

Seanad: Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022: Committee Stage (26 Apr 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 20: In page 19, line 16, to delete “and societal change” and substitute “and societal and environmental matters”. I am trying to tackle two issues with this. I am open to working with the Minister and the Department on them. I am concerned about the potential inadvertent effect of mentioning technological and societal change. Many...

Seanad: Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022: Committee Stage (26 Apr 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am open to that. There is content relating to the promotion of messages about climate and the environment and there are the mechanics of how emissions are produced. Some measures and policies are less wasteful in comparison with others. A thousand choices are made about online service providers. Do they refresh every nanosecond or every millisecond? There are many choices about the...

Seanad: Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022: Committee Stage (26 Apr 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 21: In page 19, line 16, after “change” to insert “and environmental considerations”.

Seanad: Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022: Committee Stage (26 Apr 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Both amendments are complementary. A really important point about amendment No. 24 is that it refers to community and community awareness programmes. At the moment it relates to educational initiatives and activities and educational bodies. Ireland has one of the lowest levels of digital literacy in the EU. That is shocking when we have these tech giants all around and we are early...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: New Retrofitting Plan and the Built Environment: Discussion (26 Apr 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: This is a very interesting discussion. There are three areas I want to ask about, two of which are very much related.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: New Retrofitting Plan and the Built Environment: Discussion (26 Apr 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Yes, I am joining in person.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: New Retrofitting Plan and the Built Environment: Discussion (26 Apr 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Oh, I apologise.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: New Retrofitting Plan and the Built Environment: Discussion (26 Apr 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I have a couple of questions on the public role and the issues of demolition and vacancy. Then I will ask two short follow-up questions. In terms of the public role, the new renovation wave policy document talks about public buildings and social infrastructure showing the way. There has been considerable focus on building this sector. Do we need a stronger emphasis on the public role in...