Results 1,301-1,320 of 8,196 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Data Protection Bill 2018: Report Stage (22 Mar 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: This is the same issue. I do not wish to impugn the commitment of any Minister or to put forward an expectation that any Minister would act. A very clear example of this is the very serious concerns expressed by the data commissioner in respect of the roll-out of the public services card. The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Department of Employment Affairs and Social...

Seanad: Data Protection Bill 2018: Report Stage (22 Mar 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Yes. I move amendment No. 21:In page 26, to delete lines 26 to 30 and substitute the following: "(a) the Minister, provided that—(i) the Minister has consulted with such other Minister of the Government as he or she considers appropriate and has also consulted with and sought the advice of the Commission, and (ii) the Minister has, if he or she intends to set out regulations which...

Seanad: Data Protection Bill 2018: Report Stage (22 Mar 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I wish to speak to these amendments, which were put forward by Senator Ó Donnghaile, Senator Ruane and myself. Senator Ó Donnghaile regrets he cannot be here today and appreciates the Minister's engagement on them. The amendments are about the importance of a proportionality test. I acknowledge the engagement of the Minister and the Department in agreeing to reinsert that vital...

Seanad: Data Protection Bill 2018: Report Stage (22 Mar 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Yes. I spoke to amendment No. 21. I knew that these amendments would be taken together. I believe this is a good decision from the Minister that will stand to us, and I welcome it.

Seanad: Data Protection Bill 2018: Report Stage (22 Mar 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I indicated that I wished to speak to it. I simply want to note that this is an issue that has been raised again. I supported it on Committee Stage and it is about addressing the issues expressed by journalists and the very important Fourth Estate. I request that it would be re-examined by the Dáil when it goes to that House.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: EU Employment Legislation and JobPath: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Mar 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the witnesses for their presentation. The need to examine carefully what we mean when we talk about flexibility and responsiveness has come across very strongly. A hard contract that has been tied in over the long term, with one or two versions of success, is not necessarily the most flexible thing. The point has been well made that it took from 2011 to 2015 for this to start to be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: EU Employment Legislation and JobPath: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Mar 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I would like to ask Mr. O'Neill a follow-up question.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: EU Employment Legislation and JobPath: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Mar 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: There has been a recommitment to the European social pillar in recognition of the neglect of social funding. Is there any sense of this new mandate from Europe being invoked?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: EU Employment Legislation and JobPath: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Mar 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I have a question on the same point. It is about the lock-in. When the delegates are managing multiple schemes within the local employment service, do they have flexibility which enables them to say there is a different scheme or project if a certain scheme or project is not working for a person? The person-centred approach is key. Are there people who come back after one year away from...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: EU Employment Legislation and JobPath: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Mar 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: For persons who participate in community employment and other schemes, there may be benefits to their children in terms of their participation. Schemes that may not provide for full employment may have inter-generational benefits.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: EU Employment Legislation and JobPath: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Mar 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Hidden unemployment and under-employment, particularly in an era of precarious work, are issues where those skills will be needed.

Seanad: An Bille um an Séú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht 2018: An Dara Céim - Thirty-sixth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2018: Second Stage (27 Mar 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Hear, hear.

Seanad: An Bille um an Séú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht 2018: An Dara Céim - Thirty-sixth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2018: Second Stage (27 Mar 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: As I have told the House before, I first marched for repeal in 1992 as a teenager who was shocked to hear what was happening to another teenager in the X case, someone who was the same age as me. Knowing what she was encountering at that time at the hands of the State was a shock to my system. I never would have believed at the time that some years later we would still be hearing such...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (28 Mar 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I echo the concern expressed by Senator Gavan regarding Catalonia. It is sad that Europe has political prisoners and political arrests of this nature are taking place.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (28 Mar 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: We need to push for better peace-building, dialogue and mediation in Europe because we do not want to return to a Europe of hard borders and the divisions of the past. I note the Leader's comment that the debate on the Data Protection Bill is to conclude after four hours. I will be disappointed if the Bill is guillotined, although I do not expect the debate to last for four hours. I...

Seanad: An Bille um an Séú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht 2018: Céim an Choiste agus na Céimeanna a bheidh Fágtha - Thirty-sixth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2018: Committee and Remaining Stages (28 Mar 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I wish to respond to a couple of the points raised as Committee Stage draws to a close. Many of those who argued against the Bill called for clarity. I appeal to them to be clear on what their proposal entails. We heard, for example, a suggestion that regulations could be made to deal with hard cases. If we retain Article 40.3.3°, regulations will not be introduced to deal with many...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Influence of Social Media on Elections and Referenda: Discussion (17 Apr 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: While the timeline in the presentation begins in 2016 the timeline in Cambridge Analytica begins in 2011. The witnesses have spoken of their concerns about litigation but there is an option between recommendation and litigation, which is an enforcement notice. The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner has the power under section 10 to issue enforcement notices. Is it not the case...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Online Advertising and Social Media (Transparency) Bill 2017 and the Influence of Social Media: Discussion (17 Apr 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am conscious of the huge number of questions to be answered. I ask, therefore, if I can do follow-up questions also. Specifically, I want to pick up on what specific measures are being putting in place in relation to article 9 and the processing of special categories of data. To be clear, we are not simply talking about special categories of data, that is, political views, religious views...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Online Advertising and Social Media (Transparency) Bill 2017 and the Influence of Social Media: Discussion (17 Apr 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Is the witness concerned about facilitating the sale of data that might be scraped from-----

Seanad: Northern Ireland and 20th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement: Statements (18 Apr 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am lucky enough to share a birthday with the Good Friday Agreement. I still remember the incredible power and hope on that day. It has been a beacon globally which has been shown to impact on peace agreements in Bosnia, Sudan, South Africa, Colombia and around the world. It is a beacon not only in itself but because of how it was achieved, including the role played by women, from Betty...