Results 1,321-1,340 of 8,196 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Public Service Broadcasting and Social Media Regulation: Statements (19 Apr 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will not touch on the issues raised in regard to media mergers, except in so far as the Minister raised the question of his regret about the phone call that he made to Mr. Ó Neachtain. I accept the Minister has regret over the phone call, but I appeal for us to be careful about the language we use. It is important if we are to restore the confidence of the public in politics that we...

Seanad: Public Service Broadcasting and Social Media Regulation: Statements (19 Apr 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I would suggest the Minister amend Deputy James Lawless's Bill if he needs to, but we need legislation on this before the summer.

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Apr 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I note that the Minister for Finance, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, indicated today that he will be opposing new bonuses for senior figures in the banks. The proposal to reintroduce bonuses at AIB is disgraceful and I welcome the fact that the Minister will be opposing it. I ask the Leader to invite the Minister to the House to debate the issue of tax reliefs. If we are looking at a situation...

Seanad: Prohibition of Conversion Therapies Bill 2018: Second Stage (2 May 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am delighted to be one of the many co-signatories of this Bill. It is an extremely important one and I really commend Senator Warfield on introducing it. When I was a young person in Galway I had an older friend, in his 20s, who had gone through electroconvulsive therapy because he was gay. He had depression and it was framed around this. It was not framed as a conversion therapy but it...

Seanad: Domestic Violence Bill 2017: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (Resumed) (2 May 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I was indicating to speak on group 2, so I will wait for that. I commend the Minister again and will speak to those issues on group 2, when they arise.

Seanad: Domestic Violence Bill 2017: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (Resumed) (2 May 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome the Minister. I am very happy that so many of the debates we had in the Seanad were reflected in the shaping of this Bill. For example, I am particularly happy that the crime of coercive control, which was debated in this House, is contemplated under the Bill. It is a credit to the Minister and his Department that he engaged on all of those issues and that they are now reflected...

Seanad: Domestic Violence Bill 2017: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (Resumed) (2 May 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I believe my colleague, Senator Kelleher, already spoke very eloquently and covered all the points. There is a suite of measures. Even since the Bill passed through the House, new areas and measures have evolved in the experience of women in particular and victims of violence, including intimate and sexual violence, which is passing through the courts. Progressive and strong as it is, I...

Seanad: Project Ireland 2040: Statements (Resumed) (2 May 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Colleagues have spoken about many of the issues, and I will try to raise a new one. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy O’Donovan, to the House. We are considering long-term thinking, which is important and needed if we are to ensure we can plan for a collective future in Ireland and, importantly, situate ourselves within the collective challenges faced in Europe and the wider...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Joint Meeting of the Joint Committee on Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Joint Committee on Education and Skills and Joint Committee on Health
Supports for People with Disabilities: Discussion (3 May 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank all of the presenters for speaking and identifying so many overlapping issues. I know we have touched on some of them before. I was struck by a few patterns. The witnesses might elaborate a little on one or two of them. I refer to the transition points and what seems to happen to people around transition points. There is a question of people who may be coming out of education and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Joint Meeting of the Joint Committee on Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Joint Committee on Education and Skills and Joint Committee on Health
Supports for People with Disabilities: Discussion (3 May 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank all of the presenters for speaking and identifying so many overlapping issues. I know we have touched on some of them before. I was struck by a few patterns. The witnesses might elaborate a little on one or two of them. I refer to the transition points and what seems to happen to people around transition points. There is a question of people who may be coming out of education and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Joint Meeting of the Joint Committee on Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Joint Committee on Education and Skills and Joint Committee on Health
Supports for People with Disabilities: Discussion (3 May 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank all of the presenters for speaking and identifying so many overlapping issues. I know we have touched on some of them before. I was struck by a few patterns. The witnesses might elaborate a little on one or two of them. I refer to the transition points and what seems to happen to people around transition points. There is a question of people who may be coming out of education and...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 May 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The cervical cancer screening issue has created a number of knock-on issues in terms of legislation. We must, in legislation, address open disclosure and the issue of corporate manslaughter. Major questions also arise regarding procurement and ensuring the best and most appropriate outcomes in this area. I will bring proposals to the House on this issue before the summer. I hope all sides...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 May 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I acknowledge the transparent referendum initiative.

Seanad: Order of Business (8 May 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: That is all I want to say. I simply acknowledge the transparent referendum initiative.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: EU Employment Legislation and JobPath: Discussion (Resumed) (8 May 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: One of my questions follows up on that question of the contract agreement and the referrals and the 60,000 every year as an average of the 240,000. I noticed in the presentation from Seetec that it is mentioned that 40% of its customers or clients have been unemployed for between two and five years, 24% between six and ten years. Are we then to understand that 36% of Seetec's clients are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: EU Employment Legislation and JobPath: Discussion (Resumed) (8 May 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will. I have a last question on the contract which may add clarification. As I understand it, there is scope within the European procurement rules relating to the exclusion of health and social services. I also know specifically with regard to procurement, because it was recognised as an area of specific sensitivity in Europe, that contracts up to €250,000 - I know this is a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: EU Employment Legislation and JobPath: Discussion (Resumed) (8 May 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I do not think that is what has been suggested. We are talking about the fact that there are different metrics.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: EU Employment Legislation and JobPath: Discussion (Resumed) (8 May 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: That is very important with regard to procurement. We are not suggesting that there should not be a process. We are pointing out that the European procurement rules set out a specific space around social services because they recognise their particular role. Mr. McKeon might address the scale of the project. Was it most economically advantageous to tender-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: EU Employment Legislation and JobPath: Discussion (Resumed) (8 May 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: -----and to what percentage was quality to cost considered in the decision?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: EU Employment Legislation and JobPath: Discussion (Resumed) (8 May 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will be brief. I will follow up on personal progression plans, which have been raised, perhaps with the two companies that are here. It is important that we are clear that personal progression plans are not the same if it is in Intreo or if it is a public service that has been signed and it is a private company. We know that people have objected to signing. It was perhaps misleading to...