Results 1,421-1,440 of 8,196 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: State Pension Reform: Discussion (14 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: That is exactly what I am suggesting.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: State Pension Reform: Discussion (14 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Excuse me. Mr. Duggan has given his opinion. He has said nothing has been decided, but it seems that ideas are set in his mind. He has made his opinion and preference very clear. However, it is for public consultation and us, as representatives of the public, to put forward perspectives. I do believe that if we are genuinely serious about recognising care-giving as a contribution, as I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: State Pension Reform: Discussion (14 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: That is the extended opinion of Mr. Duggan, whereas I want to ask questions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: State Pension Reform: Discussion (14 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Before asking questions I wish to make two very brief points. The sustainability of society as recognised in our Constitution, depends on home life and care which is part of the common good. The question of sustainability is not simply an economic exercise, it is more substantial. We need to look at the intergenerational question to a wider degree. There is a wider section of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: State Pension Reform: Discussion (14 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Because it was an opinion, I needed to respond to it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: State Pension Reform: Discussion (14 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am very concerned about the 40 years. Those who have insecure employment, returning emigrants and immigrants have gaps in contributions and the lead-in to the change of adding ten years will really affect anybody between the ages of 40 and 50 years. In that regard, I will ask all my questions now. What are the changes in respect of voluntary contributions? The threshold for making...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: State Pension Reform: Discussion (14 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Women are 40% less likely to have a private pension. They do not tend to benefit from that tax relief. There is at least €3 billion there.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: State Pension Reform: Discussion (14 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: That is fine. I thank the Chairman.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: State Pension Reform: Discussion (14 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Is there a timeline on that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: State Pension Reform: Discussion (14 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Is it likely to affect the budget? I know that is a political decision.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: State Pension Reform: Discussion (14 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: On the extension of the age, for example, France recognises the age people start work. It was stated some measure may need to be looked at around facilitating part-time workers. Should we be requiring full-time availability for work in those later years or have a measure such as jobseeker’s transitional where the requirement is waived to facilitate part-time working attachment?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: State Pension Reform: Discussion (14 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It increased to 520 in 2012. There was a three-stage increase which brought it to 520 in 2012.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: State Pension Reform: Discussion (14 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: There were changes to the bands in 2012, in particular the shift to 520 contributions, which raised concerns. There were people who in 2010 believed they would be accessing at least a minimal pension or would be somewhere on the pension bands who, following the shift to 520 in 2012, had fallen out of the system.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: State Pension Reform: Discussion (14 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I think the point Mr. Scully is making is that there are people who still have concerns and that while some of the 2012 concerns have been addressed, this one has not.

Seanad: Data Sharing and Governance Bill 2018: Second Stage (19 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The Galway-Mayo border.

Seanad: Data Sharing and Governance Bill 2018: Second Stage (19 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the Minister of State for his attendance. I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Bill. Although it is important to recognise that very important work needs to be done in terms of clarity and governance, my colleague, Senator Conway-Walsh, touched on the question of rationale, which is crucially important because the test of necessity and proportionality is the...

Seanad: Data Sharing and Governance Bill 2018: Second Stage (19 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: There is some concern in regard to the base register of the lead agency and the data controller and the intersection between the two. I mentioned section 12(a), whereby bodies can share data in order to avoid administrative or financial burden. That is at odds with the 2014 European Court of Justice ruling on a case taken by Google Spain. It stated that financial burden is not a sufficient...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Second Stage (20 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome the Minister. Like others, I recognise the origins of the Bill, coming as it does from the issues identified by the public consultation regarding the independence of the Judiciary on the one hand, as well as the importance that the Judiciary would reflect the eligibility and diversity of our population and that there would be clear transparency in the judicial appointments process....

Seanad: Address by Mr. Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission (21 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome President Juncker to the House. As he said, we have many passionate Europeans in Ireland. As one of those passionate Europeans, I believe I speak for many when I say we are concerned about the point at which we find ourselves in Europe and the period from which we have just emerged. During that period it seemed to many Europeans that market sentiment took precedence over public...

Seanad: Data Sharing and Governance Bill 2018: Committee Stage (26 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 1:In page 9, between lines 24 and 25, to insert the following:“Interaction with Data Protection Acts and General Data Protection Regulation 5.Nothing in this Act shall affect the operation of data protection law.”. This amendment proposes to delete the lines which would suggest that section 38 of the Data Protection Act, which recently went through these...