Results 6,581-6,600 of 8,768 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Communications Regulation and Digital Hub Development Agency (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the Minister of State.

Seanad: Communications Regulation and Digital Hub Development Agency (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 63: In page 35, line 38, to delete “the” and substitute “both offline and online”.

Seanad: Communications Regulation and Digital Hub Development Agency (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I did not realise the House was taking Committee and Remaining Stages today. I am disappointed as it does not allow me to bring back some of my amendments, which I had hoped to do.

Seanad: Communications Regulation and Digital Hub Development Agency (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I acknowledge that. I simply regret that fact.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Building Reform Regulations: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: To follow up on procurement, one very concrete proposal is my own legislation which has just finished in the Seanad. The Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth, has been quite supportive of it. It provides for a price quality approach in respect of procurement, creating an obligation to have consideration for quality as well as price in determining public contracts. That creates a space....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Building Reform Regulations: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: As well as the detail, because my time is limited, I am looking for the timeline for that because-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Building Reform Regulations: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: -----it is already in place in other countries, including Denmark and France. I am concerned by the idea that we might need to wait before we start moving. Why are we not moving on this, as four or five other countries already are?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Building Reform Regulations: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I apologise for interrupting but, to be clear, Ireland has stated that we want to build more than 200,000 new homes in the next five years, with 158,550 new homes by 2026. Are we suggesting that we will not try to apply these measures to the 158,000 buildings that we have committed to build before that and that we will wait until we are made to in 2026, when somewhere like Denmark has...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Building Reform Regulations: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am glad to hear it is to happen shortly because my concern is we will wait until we are made. I will ask Mr. Armstrong to comment on the issue of light. I was a little concerned he mentioned the building regulations would not have to be reviewed until 2025. Surely we should start to review the building regulations in respect of these areas earlier given the impetus of our own carbon...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Building Reform Regulations: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Pardon me but the issue of light is important and has not been addressed yet.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Building Reform Regulations: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am asking about the impact of light with regard to energy usage. That is a new area which was not originally reflected in those documents.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Building Reform Regulations: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am talking about daylight.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Building Reform Regulations: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I do not need to ask any more questions but I have a suggestion with regard to planning, which is relevant. We are to have the Minister before the committee and we want him to address all of the issues across the Department. Perhaps the planning division could provide us with some material in writing on those issues colleagues have mentioned, such as daylight and demolition. We could then...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Building Reform Regulations: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: On one last thing, the questions to the planning division should address the lax approach taken to fire safety and emissions because it is a concern.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Building Reform Regulations: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Yes. It will be a short question. I am one of those who are concerned about recent reports. When a colleague asked about building controls, the chain on building controls was mentioned, but it appears that a link in the chain is breaking or letting the other links down. I am referring to An Bord Pleanála's decisions, particularly as regards fire safety. Local authorities' fire...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Building Reform Regulations: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am sorry, but I indicated that I wanted to ask a follow-up question.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: On one of the other issues that was raised previously, I might note that all development, including national and international development, is going to have to exist within the planetary boundaries we have in terms of climate. It behoves us to look to how we can adapt our development plans to recognise that. I wish to express my sadness at hearing the news that we may be losing another...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: -----about its humanitarian approach. It is not clear what we mean by that language. In terms of the word "hard", do we mean hard right individuals like Orbán and Meloni, members of the European People's Party, EPP, who were at that meeting along with representatives from Fine Gael? Do we mean it in the context of being hard-hearted? I refer to the vote by EPP members, including some...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: -----when we previously used to rescue 8,000 people a year? Do we mean hard borders, something we do not want on our island but which the EU is funding right across Africa? It is pouring money into the wall between Syria and Türkiye rather than pouring money in, as it should, in order to cover the humanitarian needs of the 6.7 million people in Syria who have been displaced, including...

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I seek more clarification from the Minister. I have amendments in this section also. The Minister indicated the employer can waive the requirement but I do not see where in the Bill this is allowed. In fact, the language is quite strong and clear in this respect. On page 14, subsection (4) states, "An employee's approved flexible working arrangement shall not commence before a time when...