Results 81-100 of 431 for speaker:Lorraine Higgins

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Mr. Gay Mitchell, MEP (24 Jan 2013)

Lorraine Higgins: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Mr. Gay Mitchell, MEP (24 Jan 2013)

Lorraine Higgins: I welcome Mr. Gay Mitchell, MEP, to the House. It is always a welcome departure to have guests address the House, especially those of his experience in local, national and European politics. It is great that he has shared Europe's history and experiences with us and I enjoyed listening to his speech. This is a timely visit given that Ireland is holding the Presidency of the European Union...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Mr. Gay Mitchell, MEP (24 Jan 2013)

Lorraine Higgins: I accept that. I thank Mr. Gay Mitchell, MEP, for coming to the House and addressing us today and I thank the Acting Chairman for being given the opportunity to put my point across.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Jan 2013)

Lorraine Higgins: Like my colleagues, I express my sympathies to the Henry family in Sligo and to the family of Éamon de Buitléar, whom I had the pleasure of meeting on a school tour back in 1985. Today, however, I want to bring up the unforgivable act that resulted in the loss of life Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe and the trauma inflicted on Detective Garda Joe Ryan in County Louth last week. What...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Feb 2013)

Lorraine Higgins: With a number of my colleagues, I want to address the very serious issue of the horsemeat scandal that has gripped the country in recent weeks. Undoubtedly, it has done untold damage to the beef industry. As a consequence of what has happened, the industry is now, clearly, on its knees and at crisis point, with farmers being pushed to breaking point and a considerable number of employees,...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Rare Sheep Breeds (19 Feb 2013)

Lorraine Higgins: I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to respond to the need to outline the steps that will be taken to protect the Galway sheep breed from extinction. I ask that breeders be admitted to the AEOS 3 scheme for this purpose. Galway sheep have been granted rare status due to the steady decline of flocks in recent years. National statistics show that the percentage of Galway...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Rare Sheep Breeds (19 Feb 2013)

Lorraine Higgins: I thank the Minister of State for giving such a detailed response to my question. I am glad to see Galway sheep will be considered eligible for support and I urge the Minister to ensure that all such applicants who apply for assistance will be furnished with moneys. It is important to ensure the continuity of the breed, which is under a significant threat of extinction. There are cultural,...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Rare Sheep Breeds (19 Feb 2013)

Lorraine Higgins: I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to respond to the need to outline the steps that will be taken to protect the Galway sheep breed from extinction. I ask that breeders be admitted to the AEOS 3 scheme for this purpose. Galway sheep have been granted rare status due to the steady decline of flocks in recent years. National statistics show that the percentage of Galway...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Rare Sheep Breeds (19 Feb 2013)

Lorraine Higgins: I thank the Minister of State for giving such a detailed response to my question. I am glad to see Galway sheep will be considered eligible for support and I urge the Minister to ensure that all such applicants who apply for assistance will be furnished with moneys. It is important to ensure the continuity of the breed, which is under a significant threat of extinction. There are cultural,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Trade Promotion: Discussion (Resumed) with British Irish Chamber of Commerce (20 Feb 2013)

Lorraine Higgins: I welcome Mr. Aiken and Ms Glen. It is great that they have given such forthright answers. The question I wish to pose relates to the banking industry. As our guests will be aware, economic activity in Ireland has been greatly affected in recent times as a result of austerity and on foot of the lack of lending to SMEs. Some 99% of businesses in Ireland are SMEs. The Government has taken...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Trade Promotion: Discussion (Resumed) with British Irish Chamber of Commerce (20 Feb 2013)

Lorraine Higgins: Is there a difficulty in that we are continuing to adhere to the traditional way of assessing applications for credit, that is, in the context of bricks and mortar and other forms of security, as opposed to considering the business plans being put forward by companies which are trying to access loans?

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Social Entrepreneurship: Discussion (21 Feb 2013)

Lorraine Higgins: Never say never.

Seanad: Ireland's Presidency of the European Council: Statements (26 Feb 2013)

Lorraine Higgins: I apologise to the Minister of State for not wearing my Presidency scarf and thank her most sincerely for giving me one. I was afraid it would clash with my jacket.

Seanad: Ireland's Presidency of the European Council: Statements (26 Feb 2013)

Lorraine Higgins: Perhaps I will take some style tips from Senator Zappone. I welcome the Minister of State to the House. It is welcome to have her address the Seanad, especially given her experience in dealing with issues of national and European importance in her role as Minister of State with responsibility for European affairs. She is a great ambassador and Irish people can be proud to have her...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Schools Building Programme Applications (27 Feb 2013)

Lorraine Higgins: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and I thank her for taking this matter on the Adjournment. This deals with the potential provision of a new school building for the Educate Together multi-denominational school located at Kilcolgan, County Galway. I have been contacted by a number of parents of children attending the school, who want to know the Department's plans to provide a...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Schools Building Programme Applications (27 Feb 2013)

Lorraine Higgins: I thank the Minister of State for her reply. It is quite clear that there is a difficulty now in that the school will have to go back and seek further planning permission for a temporary, modular-type facility. That will obviously result in a significant time lapse in terms of the school getting through the planning process. As I stated earlier, there is an urgent need for a school in the...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Public Transport (28 Feb 2013)

Lorraine Higgins: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I thank him for taking the Adjournment matter which is my request that the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport intervene with the National Transport Authority to save bus route 418, which is being discontinued and which operates between Athenry and Galway via Derrydonnell and Oranmore, County Galway. The Minister of State might not be...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Public Transport (28 Feb 2013)

Lorraine Higgins: Regarding the response, it is all very well saying the extension of the route to serve Oranmore is satisfactory and is the reason another route should be abolished. That does not address the issue for the people living west of Athenry in Mulpit, Derrydonnell and the area east of Oranmore. What will commuters and those attending schools in Galway city do? Regarding the increase in rail...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Public Transport (28 Feb 2013)

Lorraine Higgins: At the moment there is no service at 7.30 a.m. I ask that the Minister of State conveys my comment on the bus route to the Minister and asks him to organise a delegation from Athenry, Derrydonnell and Mulpit to attend the offices of the National Transport Authority and see if we can make progress on the matter.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Planning Issues (6 Mar 2013)

Lorraine Higgins: I welcome the Minister of State and thank her for taking this matter on the Adjournment. I request that she clarify the legal position on planning conditions otherwise known as enurement clauses which are imposed by some local authorities and have the effect of restricting the sale of a dwelling house for a period of time. A significant number of people in my constituency in places such as...