Results 1,521-1,540 of 8,196 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (4 Jul 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I second the amendment.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jul 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: There is much that is useful in amendment No. 7 and it offers some constructive proposals to ensure that there is clarity regarding the independence of the process. However, I do not think it is worded as well as it might be. I have concerns about the phrase "and if asked shall not answer", which is quite different from not being obliged to answer. I do not want people to be penalised for...

Seanad: Civil Liability (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2018: Second Stage (4 Jul 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: When is the debate concluding?

Seanad: Civil Liability (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2018: Second Stage (4 Jul 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will be brief so as to ensure that there is adequate time for Senator Devine to come back in. I support this Bill. It was unfortunate that when the Civil Liability (Amendment) Act 2017 passed through these Houses more recently that the change was made at that time to go from "shall" to "may". I appreciate the Minister's sincerity and I believe he is serious about engaging with and...

Seanad: Civil Liability (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2018: Second Stage (4 Jul 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I appreciate that we are putting the question again and that is fine, but it will be interesting to look back on the transcript because there was some lack of clarity. I have had amendments that I did not get to vote on because I was not quick enough. That is fine.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jul 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will speak briefly to amendments Nos. 82 and 83. There may a drafting error in one of the amendments. I do not know if it came from my office or if it happened along the way. My key concern was the issue of health, as it is inappropriate that there be health tests for those being considered for the Judiciary. It is something not done in many other areas and the danger is this could...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jul 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: To be clear, it is not only inappropriate, it may be illegal. Whenever the grounds of health may have been used or introduced in the past has changed. Recently the general data protection regulation came into effect. Under those regulations, the legislation for which we passed in this House, there are much stricter tests that need to be established in any situation in which persons are...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jul 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: We heard the word "reasonable" many times. I am not saying that it is automatically illegal. My point is that it has to meet a test of being necessary and proportionate. All of the circumstances which were described as a concern were questions of capacity, but the key question is a person's capacity to do the job. One needs to pass a physical examination if one is to become a garda...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jul 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: May I clarify which amendments we are discussing?

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jul 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will let Senator Bacik go ahead because I just wanted clarification.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jul 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcomed the amendments made in the Dáil because it was appropriate that the President of each of the courts should be included. A person from the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission was a positive and constructive addition to the mix. I do not have a problem with the board being larger if it accommodates all suitable legal persons and a suitable number of laypersons. From my...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Jul 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I echo the comments made by Senator Lombard about the cessation of a transatlantic flight from Cork Airport. The move made the airline is a classic example of bait and switch. His call for action is very appropriate because Norwegian Airlines handled the matter in a disgraceful manner by making false promises. I want to speak about the increase in the number of racist attacks. I am...

Seanad: Health (General Practitioner Service) Bill 2018: Second Stage (5 Jul 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I join with others in welcoming the Bill. It is a small but significant recognition of the work of care in our society and the fact that the care given in so many homes across Ireland is a contribution to the State and to our shared common good. The State bears a responsibility to acknowledge and support carers in their work. There are many positive elements in the Bill. That is why it is...

Seanad: Health (General Practitioner Service) Bill 2018: Second Stage (5 Jul 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am into my final time.

Seanad: Health (General Practitioner Service) Bill 2018: Second Stage (5 Jul 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: With my colleague, Senator Dolan, I had the opportunity to co-host a joint meeting of the Joint Committee on Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Joint Committee on Education and Skills and Joint Committee on Health. It was an opportunity to bring together persons with disabilities. The medical card system was brought up as a real concern and a fear for those seeking to access...

Seanad: Health (General Practitioner Service) Bill 2018: Committee and Remaining Stages (5 Jul 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: To speak briefly, I very much welcome the passing of the Bill. I commend the Minister on one point he made just there and indeed in his initial speech, when he spoke first of respite care and also on the question of personal assistance.It is very important that carers recognise that in the case of the person being cared for, even though he or she is being cared for at home, the State has a...

Seanad: National Archives (Amendment) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (5 Jul 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I express my disappointment. I refer to the excellent suite of well thought out measures put forward by Senator Marie-Louise O'Donnell, and Senator Diarmuid Wilson. They are thoughtful and detailed amendments which attempt to do something vitally important in capturing our shared social history as an island. This is something I studied many years ago in America. I remember Professor...

Seanad: National Archives (Amendment) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (5 Jul 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: -----administration and even finances when we look at things like the vaccine trials that took place on children in Ireland. It is important for us to look at that issue. There is a double role. There is the identity of individuals and the battle in that regard, but there is also our shared identity. I feel very passionately about this issue and we need to be able to look at it. We have...

Seanad: National Archives (Amendment) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (5 Jul 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: We cannot get back papers that talked about what it was like to be an unmarried mother or somebody dealing with separation in a society in which he or she was invisible.All the difficult systems people had to go through in those situations will be missing. Another issue is the industrial school records about which our colleague, Senator Boyhan, who is not present, has spoken passionately....

Seanad: National Archives (Amendment) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (5 Jul 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will conclude.