Results 7,981-8,000 of 8,235 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Engagement with the Central Bank of Ireland (9 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: When we consider the sustainability of risk with regard to debt sustainability, risk is core to that. When we look at debt sustainability, is it the view that there is a need for an assessment of climate risk and potentially looking to the area of preventative spending, namely, the need to spend now in order to avoid significant cost that may be of damage to the Exchequer down the line as a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Engagement with the Central Bank of Ireland (9 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The input the Central Bank of Ireland offers is significant, however. Mr. Makhlouf mentioned demographics. As I understand it, one of the assumptions there seems to be at the moment is that there will be a flat line on immigration. That does not seem to be plausible in a geopolitical context. As I said, I know the Central Bank does not do the debt sustainability assessment, but it has, as...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Engagement with the Central Bank of Ireland (9 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I ask the Central Bank to share the two published articles Mr. Madouros highlighted.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Engagement with the Central Bank of Ireland (9 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Sure.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Update on the Public Sector Climate Action Mandate: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I listened to some of the debate. I apologise if I repeat some of the questions that have already been asked. I was trying to make sure I was on the premises in order to contribute. I will begin with the Office of Government Procurement. Ms Stewart spoke about developing the criteria, which is really important work. She referred to what the OGP will use for assessing green public...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Update on the Public Sector Climate Action Mandate: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Of course there is individual discretion and, even in my legislation, the individual discretion of the procurement officers is there. What would indicate a change? What would give us the shift we need? Ms Stewart might also address the question of the technical specifications. There are two pieces: the technical specification, which is included within the details, and there is the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Update on the Public Sector Climate Action Mandate: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The witnesses might provide the committee with figures on life-cycle costing and the extent to which that is being done. I know it was touched on a little bit but it would be good to get it in writing, particularly some examples of the kinds of weighting given to environmental criteria and a sense of the extent of life-cycle costing. I have two specific questions, one of which comes back...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Update on the Public Sector Climate Action Mandate: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I know another Senator has arrived. On the SEAI, there is something I cannot understand. The witnesses spoke about the €96 million that has been invested in the HSE and the fact that ten buildings are being done. It seems to me that again, we are operating within a particular timescale. It seems that 2030 is almost the bar for how we achieve things. It seems to me that the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Update on the Public Sector Climate Action Mandate: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Yes, of course.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Update on the Public Sector Climate Action Mandate: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is interesting that 80% of industry emissions are from 250 companies. There are two things. One is the business case. A concern I have about the climate fund is that this is where most of the resources are going. When a business case is being made, is there scope in that for preventative spending? Is there a narrative of "We are spending so that the State does not have to spend in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Update on the Public Sector Climate Action Mandate: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am referring to what occurs above that level. Let us say it is about the State leading.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Update on the Public Sector Climate Action Mandate: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: With regard to energy choice, for example, surely we should not be connecting anything to gas at this point.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Update on the Public Sector Climate Action Mandate: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I do not want to pre-empt our report but I will just mention it. The recertification of materials – Mr. O’Brien mentioned certification – is a matter that the committee looked into. It would be of great assistance if there were a recertification mechanism.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Update on the Public Sector Climate Action Mandate: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It strikes me that there is potentially a role for in-house skill development as well. It is not just a case of the public sector being a customer but we need to build in-house skills within that area whereby people could even be employed by the State. Expertise could then be transferred from project to project. It sounds like that might be another way this could be addressed. My last...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Update on the Public Sector Climate Action Mandate: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Excellent. I asked Mr. O'Sullivan about the potential for a State body which would ensure that we have in-house skills available for some of those areas in which we are going to need people for the next 30 years.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I formally second my colleague, Senator Ruane’s amendment to the Order of Business. I support Senator Gavan’s recommendation about our nurses, from student nurses up to those who are trying to put together teams who are managing entirely unwieldy situations in our hospitals. We need to look at a crisis not only in recruitment but also in retention of our nursing staff. For a...

Seanad: Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am going to speak a little. I was going to suggest a different grouping but that is academic now, given the amendments that have been ruled out of order. Those amendments spoke to some of the key aspects of this section. As I understand it, this Bill is going to the Dáil next. That our amendments have been ruled out of order gives the lie to the indication and promise we were given...

Seanad: Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am talking about the amendments that have been ruled out of order and the definitions of categories in the Bill. Perhaps I can clarify matters with the Leas-Chathaoirleach. All of the amendments that have been ruled out of order were to page 6, which is section 3. Is that correct?

Seanad: Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Do they all relate to section 3? That is what I understand.

Seanad: Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will speak to section 3 and the definitions contained in it. We indicated the issues we saw with the section through the amendments we proposed. While our amendments have been ruled out of order, our concerns and issues remain and can be expressed. Our amendments have been available to the Minister. We are being constrained by the limits to what is allowed to be put forward. Even the...