Results 2,301-2,320 of 8,196 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It should be in the next grouping. I apologise for that.

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: We can come to it shortly. I accept the intent of the legislation. The Minister of State referred to an appropriate and transparent process. That language was not included. I imagine it was the intent but it is not included. I will not dwell further on it. The concern about excessively widely-framed language is more significant with regard to the next section. I will probably not press...

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am not clear what is happening. What is the position with amendment No. 45?

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 46: In page 18, lines 21 and 22, to delete from and including “(1) The” in line 21 down to and including line 22 and substitute the following: “(1) The Minister may give a direction in writing to An tÚdarás, following consultation with the Board of An tÚdarás, for any purpose relating to this Act and concerning—”....

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The majority of the amendments in this grouping relate to the functions of an t-údarás, the next section of the Bill which flows after the section concerning the objects of an t-údarás. In respect of the really important section concerning the objects of an t-údarás, the body which will oversee higher education across this State, I put forward 14 amendments and...

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: These amendments seek to address the manner in which the Minister may give direction to an t-údarás. Amendment No. 46 seeks to specify that in giving a ministerial direction, it will be done in consultation with the board of an t-údarás. Amendment No. 47 seeks to delete section 11(1)(b), according to which the Minister may give a direction in writing to an...

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I wish to come back over a number of these amendments. I thank the Minister for his response. I still have a concern. I note that in the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science report and scrutiny of the general scheme of the Bill, one of the key recommendations was that the legislation should ensure there is a strong and...

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I worry that there is a perception of equivalence. We do not operate a winner-takes-all type of politics in Ireland. It is the case that State agencies have their own mandate, which may span across a number of periods of government. Similarly, in the context of the relationship between the Executive and the Legislature, when we are giving powers to the Minister, especially powers around...

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will withdraw it.

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 47: In page 18, to delete line 24.

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I second the amendment.

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 50: In page 19, to delete lines 6 and 7 and substitute the following: “(4) The Minister shall publish guidelines issued by him or her undersubsection (1)in an accessible manner and shall lay such guidelines before both Houses of the Oireachtas.”.

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 51: In page 19, between lines 17 and 18, to insert the following: “Advocacy role of An tÚdarás and designated higher education institutions 15. Nothing in this Act shall be construed as preventing An tÚdarás, or designated higher education institutions, from freely expressing its views on matters concerning higher education.”.

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 52: In page 20, line 25, after “Minister” to insert “, following a recommendation from the Public Appointments Service,”.

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Amendment No. 52 is an important provision. It relates to the concern about the very high level of discretion that is afforded to the Minister in making appointments to the board of an t-údarás. The amendment would require that any persons who were proposed to be appointed to the board would have to be recommended by the Public Appointments Service for such potential appointment....

Seanad: Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022: Report Stage (11 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I second the amendment.

Seanad: Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022: Report Stage (11 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will be brief in seconding the amendments. We have debated back and forth and the key point we highlighted is that this already has been identified, recognised and accepted to be a problem. It was recognised as a problem most recently even by the Standards in Public Office Commission, SIPO, in its engagement with the committee on finance and public expenditure on other legislation. It...

Seanad: Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022: Report Stage (11 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I ask the Minister for clarification. At least one of these amendments relates to commercial communication. Is that where this change is being made? It is quite different to other user-generated content that might be personal or whatever. As I understand it, this change relates to user-generated content within the definition of commercial communication.

Seanad: Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022: Report Stage (11 Jul 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Is amendment No. 15 similar?