Results 6,081-6,100 of 8,235 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins
- Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (20 Sep 2022)
Alice-Mary Higgins: I echo the point made that there should be no risk that students' unions are not consulted. The Bill clearly outlines a situation where there may be that risk and later we will come to the question of the very strong risk that students' unions may not be represented on the boards of governing authorities. Again, that is an avoidable risk. My colleague, Senator Ruane, has spoken very well...
- Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (20 Sep 2022)
Alice-Mary Higgins: I will speak to this set of amendments. This is one of the aspects of the Bill about which I have the most serious concern. It is probably one of three or four areas that I urge the Minister to address and I ask because this area creates a significant risk of overreach.These amendments relate to a requirement that occurs in multiple sections, that is, the requirement of governing...
- Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (20 Sep 2022)
Alice-Mary Higgins: They are not student union representatives.
- Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (20 Sep 2022)
Alice-Mary Higgins: It is implementation and reports rather than compliance with. To be clear, if we thought it was a conversation that Ministers are having with institutions, it is quite firm language.
- Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (20 Sep 2022)
Alice-Mary Higgins: Will the Minister accept the amendment?
- Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (20 Sep 2022)
Alice-Mary Higgins: I do not have the privilege of coming in again.
- Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (20 Sep 2022)
Alice-Mary Higgins: The Technological Universities Act provides for that.
- Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (20 Sep 2022)
Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 80: In page 57, between lines 4 and 5, to insert the following: “(f) trade union representatives of both academic and professional staff;”.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Engagement with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (20 Sep 2022)
Alice-Mary Higgins: I have a few questions building on the questions asked by Deputy Cronin. I have another set of questions on the energy demand piece. On the standing charges and the moving away from price regulation, I believe it is pretty clear that the position in the European Union is no longer about moving away from price regulation but is about much more hands-on measures on price caps and...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Engagement with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (20 Sep 2022)
Alice-Mary Higgins: It strikes me as more of an emergency concern as well. It is quite pressing. I do not think this is a long-term piece. We have seen standing charges jump massively at a time when profits have gone up massively. With respect, I do not think that the standing charges costs have gone up so massively for the companies. It seems to be something that requires market intervention rather than a...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Engagement with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (20 Sep 2022)
Alice-Mary Higgins: It is flexible but it is not necessarily-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Engagement with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (20 Sep 2022)
Alice-Mary Higgins: To clarify, most gas is still a fossil fuel and is carbon-intensive.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Engagement with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (20 Sep 2022)
Alice-Mary Higgins: What happens in-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Engagement with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (20 Sep 2022)
Alice-Mary Higgins: I asked something different. I was concerned that the witnesses talked about gas for all customers. How is the CRU supporting both domestic and larger customers to move away from gas and towards renewables, given the price volatility relating to gas? I accept that many people rely on gas, but we know that the price of gas is extremely volatile. What is the exit? I asked about the lowest...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Engagement with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (20 Sep 2022)
Alice-Mary Higgins: I-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Engagement with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (20 Sep 2022)
Alice-Mary Higgins: I am sorry. We discussed those measures at great length. I was looking at people who are trying to shift suppliers and who are dependent on gas at the moment. How could we use some of the levies that will be placed on gas to facilitate the transition? It is fine. I am happy. I had a separate question.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Engagement with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (20 Sep 2022)
Alice-Mary Higgins: I have a separate question which is important. Should I ask it now?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Engagement with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (20 Sep 2022)
Alice-Mary Higgins: There was a discussion about reflection and looking back at areas. In some of the written pieces from the CRU on the ongoing data centre discussions, I noticed there were multiple references to EirGrid but almost no reference to the review the CRU conducted that considered the options of doing nothing and a moratorium on data centres until the demand can be safely and securely facilitated by...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Engagement with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (20 Sep 2022)
Alice-Mary Higgins: To clarify, the CRU is open to it being renewable but there is no requirement to that effect.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Engagement with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (20 Sep 2022)
Alice-Mary Higgins: To be clear, has the CRU reflected on the decision not to suspend the increase in demand for data centre energy until it could be safely and securely facilitated by the network? That was the second option, which was not chosen. As I understand it, this does not relate simply to the day-to-day. The discussions were around what conditions would be attached to connections and to requests for...