Results 7,241-7,260 of 8,235 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins
- Seanad: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2024)
Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 51: In page 13, line 24, after “objective” to insert “, which is provided for in legislation,”.
- Seanad: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2024)
Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 52: In page 13, line 25, after “a” to insert “reasonable”.
- Seanad: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2024)
Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 53: In page 13, line 26, to delete “the period” and substitute “a reasonable period”.
- Seanad: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2024)
Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 54: In page 13, between lines 31 and 32, to insert the following: “(6) The Minister shall not give a direction under this section which would disrupt parity of esteem between the arts, humanities and social sciences and science, engineering, technology and mathematics.”.
- Seanad: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2024)
Alice-Mary Higgins: Votáil.
- Seanad: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2024)
Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 55: In page 13, line 37, to delete “a Minister of the Government” and substitute “the Minister”.
- Seanad: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2024)
Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 56: In page 14, line 4, to delete “may” and substitute “shall”.
- Seanad: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2024)
Alice-Mary Higgins: Taken together, sections 11 and 12 provide extraordinary discretionary ministerial powers that I have not seen in almost any previous legislation. We discussed section 11 at length. It allows a Minister to give direction in writing for any purpose relating to any matter referred to in the legislation or any other enactment - basically, that means anything ever referred to in any law...
- Seanad: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2024)
Alice-Mary Higgins: I did not get clarity on whether they will be published.
- Seanad: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2024)
Alice-Mary Higgins: I may table amendments just to try to clarify that further on Report Stage.
- Seanad: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2024)
Alice-Mary Higgins: Can I clarify whether amendment No. 69 is in this grouping for discussion?
- Seanad: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2024)
Alice-Mary Higgins: I believe that amendment No. 69 was added. No, it was not as it was discussed previously, that is fine.
- Seanad: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2024)
Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 57: In page 14, to delete lines 33 to 35, and in page 15, to delete lines 1 and 2. The amendment seeks the deletion of section 15 (2)(b) (iii), which currently provides that the board "satisfy itself that appropriate systems, procedures and practices are in place ... in order to enable compliance with the policies (whether contained in guidelines, codes or other...
- Seanad: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2024)
Alice-Mary Higgins: I report progress.
- Seanad: Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (8 May 2024)
Alice-Mary Higgins: I commend Senator Clonan on tabling this legislation. I am proud to be one of the co-sponsors of it, along with my Civil Engagement Group colleagues, namely, Senators Ruane, Black and Flynn. I am glad to be able to support its passage and am hopeful the Government also will allow and support its passage and progression through this House. It is an important opportunity to send a signal in...
- Seanad: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 May 2024)
Alice-Mary Higgins: I will continue on amendments Nos. 57 to 60, inclusive. Amendment No. 69 has now been included in that grouping if I am correct because it is technical. I had outlined many of my main concerns, which were with section 11 and the rather excessive powers given to the Minister to "give a direction in writing to the Agency" on "any matter ... referred to in this Act" or any other Act and,...
- Seanad: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 May 2024)
Alice-Mary Higgins: Much of the language in the Bill does not reflect standard practice. The language in section 11, which affects the approach we have to take in section 15, is not standard. I have examined a lot of legislation coming through these Houses and have very rarely seen such discretionary power given to a Minister to give directions to an agency. There is not that breadth of discretionary power in...
- Seanad: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 May 2024)
Alice-Mary Higgins: Perfect. I thought it was but I have the old grouping to hand. I just wanted clarification. With respect, the Minister of State's explanation does not really satisfy me. I am not suggesting the agency should be free-form and not respond to anything, but we need to be really clear about what it is being asked to do.
- Seanad: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 May 2024)
Alice-Mary Higgins: On Report Stage, I might propose a measure to ensure transparency where the Minister is giving directions and where there are policies that the board has to comply with, such that we would be able to know which policies. Of course, I am in favour of strong governance measures, but policies do not necessarily equate to those measures. In fact, sometimes policies go against good governance,...
- Seanad: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 May 2024)
Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 58: In page 14, lines 34 and 35, to delete "(whether contained in guidelines, codes or other documents, or any combination of them)".