Results 2,061-2,080 of 8,196 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: COP27: Discussion (25 Oct 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Loss and damage is not aid.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: COP27: Discussion (25 Oct 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: That is a deeply unsatisfactory position.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Youth Perspectives on the Circular Economy and COP27, including Climate Justice and Energy: Discussion (21 Oct 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank our guests for coming in. There are a million areas of interest coming out of their contributions. I will perhaps finish the sentence that Deputy Cronin was in the middle of, which is that we cannot afford an extractive model on a finite planet with competing needs. That comes through in many different points. It requires very challenging thinking about how we live together on the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Youth Perspectives on the Circular Economy and COP27, including Climate Justice and Energy: Discussion (21 Oct 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am sorry I went over time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Youth Perspectives on the Circular Economy and COP27, including Climate Justice and Energy: Discussion (21 Oct 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: On the corporate Bill, I should be clear it is Senator Ruane’s Bill. Like me, the Senator is a member of the Civil Engagement Group. It was not an alternative to the labelling idea but rather related to what is called corporate accountability every year. The idea is that, as a whole, corporations would have to publish their emissions, much like we are doing now with requiring much...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality: Recommendations of the Report of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Oct 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Given the limited time, I will speak to two issues. First, I really welcome the idea, especially at local level, of looking to how we can design either the quotas and any other incentives in a way that look to represent the diversity of women and the diversity of those who are affected by issues at local level. I am noting those points on local political participation. The National...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality: Recommendations of the Report of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Oct 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I forgot to ask a question to the Women on Air group. I am one of those who benefitted from the really good training and work that Women on Air has done in the past. I remember from research the women's council did many years ago that it is not just around getting access but it is also around the question of what women are asked to do when they are given space in media and broadcasting. I...

Seanad: Poverty and Social Exclusion: Motion (19 Oct 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I do not think I am the ultimate word. I am following some very powerful and true speeches about what poverty is and they are pointing to one of the key asks. I have heard the Minister of State speak about poverty, but the nub of what we are asking for here is the idea of the independent voice on poverty: the Combat Poverty Agency. I want to bring us back a little bit and talk about why we...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Committee Stage (18 Oct 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Strong cases have been made by Senators McDowell and Ward. This area is not my focus, which tends to be on human rights representation and the very important layperson's perspective. I have always been an advocate in general, in all areas of public service, for 360° references, whereby not just those who have worked above a person but also those who have worked below and alongside him...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Committee Stage (18 Oct 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: A truism that is constantly put forward in the context of all boards is that we need boards to be much smaller. It is a message that comes out again and again but without evidence.In general, with regard to "nothing about us without us" and all these other principles for which we argue in different ways, there should be an openness to moving to 13 if that is the case. It is not so much to...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Committee Stage (18 Oct 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 4: In page 10, line 30, to delete “2” and substitute “3”. I will speak to the grouping because amendment No. 4 is consequential on the other amendments in this grouping. The core of this grouping is amendment No. 6, which would delete the provision in the Bill as stands that the Attorney General would sit on the judicial appointments...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Committee Stage (18 Oct 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Returning to my amendments, which relate to the Attorney General, if amendment No. 6 is not successful, I will not move amendment No. 11 so you will have it all to yourselves. I will certainly be opposing it if amendment No. 6 is not successful. The statements here have made the case for my amendments. I have not opposed the political stage of the process. My amendments do not seek to...

Seanad: Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Second Stage (13 Oct 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will be brief because I have several amendments that will give me an opportunity to discuss the specific issues. As said by others, it is right to recognise that many households are facing an emergency regarding energy costs but I believe more could and should be done to ensure that while we address the energy crisis, we also address the associated crisis, namely the climate crisis, and...

Seanad: Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Oct 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: These are good amendments. It is interesting that in the amendments there is a recognition of some of the nuance on this issue. As I mentioned previously, a decision was made in May this year, which was when the energy crisis was well flagged and very much under way. There was a clear understanding that by May energy companies were making large profits and were not struggling in any sense...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality: Recommendations of the Report of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Oct 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I was not on the premises so I could not speak until now. We have covered so much, I am not going to get the witnesses to repeat things. What was mentioned about Independents is interesting, speaking as an Independent Senator within an Independent Senator group who are all women. There is something there around the signal it sends and the signal that gets sent. I have a specific...

Seanad: Breastfeeding: Motion (12 Oct 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I warmly welcome the motion and congratulate Senator Pauline O’Reilly on it. It is great. It is very long - at three and half pages - because it is filled with practical, specific and real measures that could be implemented and would make a great difference to women and to breastfeeding. As the Senator has mentioned, the recommendations in the motion relate to matters like...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality: Recommendations of the Report of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality: Discussion (Resumed) (12 Oct 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: We might be better to have separate responses. I have very specific questions. I welcome the Taoiseach to the committee. In his opening statement, he specifically mentioned committing to holding a referendum on Article 41.2 of Bunreacht na Éireann but, as he will be aware, the recommendations of the citizens' assembly relate not only to Article 41.2 but also, crucially, Article 41.3...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality: Recommendations of the Report of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality: Discussion (Resumed) (12 Oct 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: On Article 41.3, the specific aspect I want to focus on is the recommendation on the family. Under Article 41.3 at the moment, the definition of "the Family" really only entails the marital family. That has a very real impact. We have spoken about lone parents where 25% of all the families in Ireland are single-parent households. That is 25% of all our families who are not recognised as...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality: Recommendations of the Report of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality: Discussion (Resumed) (12 Oct 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I must also mention what is useful for us. To be honest, there is very wide agreement in this committee but the information we do not have is on the questions or concerns that the Government has, including from the Attorney General and others. This is why we have constitutional experts who are coming to meet with the committee and who have spoken to us. We have legal experts on the...