Results 341-360 of 3,478 for speaker:Emer Higgins

Double Taxation Relief (Taxes on Income) (Jersey) Order 2024: Motion (9 Jul 2024)

Emer Higgins: I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the following Order in draft: Double Taxation Relief (Taxes on Income) (Jersey) Order 2024, a copy of which was laid before Dáil Éireann on 19th June, 2024.

Reappointment of Member of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission: Motion (9 Jul 2024)

Emer Higgins: I move: That Dáil Éireann, noting that the Government on 2nd July, 2024, nominated Emily Logan for reappointment by the President as a member of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, recommends, pursuant to section 65(1)(b) of the Garda Síochána Act 2005, that she be reappointed by the President to be a member of the Commission.

Appointment of An tOmbudsman Póilíneachta: Motion (9 Jul 2024)

Emer Higgins: I move: That Dáil Éireann, noting that the Government on 2nd July, 2024, nominated Emily Logan for appointment by the President as An tOmbudsman Póilíneachta, recommends, pursuant to section 171(3)(b) of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024, that she be appointed by the President as An tOmbudsman Póilíneachta.

Seanad: Nithe i dTosach Suíonna - Commencement Matters: Legal Aid (9 Jul 2024)

Emer Higgins: I thank the Senators for raising this important matter and I acknowledge their passion for and work on this issue. I will first reiterate my and Minster for Justice, Deputy McEntee's, appreciation of the important role played by barristers and solicitors in the administration of criminal justice. I also acknowledge the important role that women play in this sector, as Senator Seery Kearney...

Seanad: Nithe i dTosach Suíonna - Commencement Matters: Legal Aid (9 Jul 2024)

Emer Higgins: I hear what the Senators are saying and I will convey their feedback to the Minister. The main message is that, from a budgetary perspective, it is very difficult to make budgetary announcements ahead of budget day and I know that the Senators appreciate that. I understand their sincerity and passion about this matter. I also understand that they want to see a resolution and that is...

Seanad: Nithe i dTosach Suíonna - Commencement Matters: National Advocacy Service (9 Jul 2024)

Emer Higgins: I thank the Senator for raising this issue. I commend him on the passion he has shown for the provision of advocacy services. The Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys, acknowledges the value of the important services the National Advocacy Service, NAS, provides to adults with disabilities throughout the country, as the Senator articulated so well. I, too, value them. The...

Seanad: Nithe i dTosach Suíonna - Commencement Matters: National Advocacy Service (9 Jul 2024)

Emer Higgins: As the Senator will be aware, talks which were led by Kevin Duffy broke down on Friday without agreement and strike action has now recommenced. That is the reason for that. It is deeply unfortunate and will undoubtedly impact people with disabilities. We do not want that to happen and we do not want that to continue. I understand a number of offers were made over the course of the...

Seanad: Nithe i dTosach Suíonna - Commencement Matters: National Advocacy Service (9 Jul 2024)

Emer Higgins: -----but that all were rejected.

Seanad: Nithe i dTosach Suíonna - Commencement Matters: National Advocacy Service (9 Jul 2024)

Emer Higgins: Offers included measures to immediately address pay divergences with NAS, an immediate pay increase for all NAS employees, and an independent assessment to establish the grades within CIS to which the NAS staff would be benchmarked. Significantly, the immediate pay increase for staff went beyond the Labour Court's recommendations, which was limited, as the Senator has said earlier, to four...

Seanad: Nithe i dTosach Suíonna - Commencement Matters: International Protection (9 Jul 2024)

Emer Higgins: Ireland and many other European countries are experiencing a significant increase in people seeking international protection. The arrival numbers remain significantly elevated. In the first 26 weeks of this year, more than 10,000 people have arrived in Ireland seeking accommodation from the State, averaging 386 people per week. This is more than five times the average from 2017 to 2019....

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Mental Health Services (9 Jul 2024)

Emer Higgins: I am taking this Topical Issue on behalf of the Minister for Health. I thank the Deputy for his support for this Government initiative. The development of a CAST, a multiagency initiative proposed for Limerick city, was a recommendation of the final report of the high-level task force, HLTF, on mental health and addiction challenges of those who come into contact with the criminal justice...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Mental Health Services (9 Jul 2024)

Emer Higgins: The Deputy referenced 2022 in his opening contribution and the report of the high-level task force was published in 2022. Progress is happening. Posts have been approved. Additional progress happened just yesterday. That underscores this Government's commitment to make this pilot happen. I have given him the target date of the fourth quarter of 2024. From a HSE mid-west perspective,...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Brexit Supports (9 Jul 2024)

Emer Higgins: I propose to take Questions Nos. 257 and 290 together. The Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR) was established in 2021, by the EU, to support Member States in managing the impacts of Brexit. Ireland, as the country clearly most affected by Brexit, was awarded the largest share, 20% of the entire fund. In 2023, there was €15 million allocated to Enterprise Ireland (EI) for disbursal...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (9 Jul 2024)

Emer Higgins: Minister Higgins approved the new ERO for the Security Industry on 13 June 2024 and it commenced on 1 July 2024. It is currently available on S.I. No. 319/2024 - Employment Regulation Order (Security Industry Joint Labour Committee) 2024 (irishstatutebook.ie). Under legislation the statutory role of the Minister in the ERO process is clearly defined. As soon as practicable after...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (9 Jul 2024)

Emer Higgins: Minister Higgins approved the new ERO for the Security Industry on 13 June 2024 and it commenced on 1 July 2024. It is currently available to the public on the Department’s website: SI No 319 of 2024 Employment Regulation Order (Security Industry Joint Labour Committee) 2024 - DETE (enterprise.gov.ie).

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Industrial Relations (9 Jul 2024)

Emer Higgins: The Labour Court is an independent statutory office under the aegis of my Department. The Court was first established under the Industrial Relations Act, 1946. Since the enactment of the Workplace Relations Act 2015, the Labour Court holds sole appellate jurisdiction in all disputes arising under employment rights enactments. This sole appellate role is in addition to those functions held by...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (9 Jul 2024)

Emer Higgins: As Minister I have no means available to me to review pay in any sector. There are statutory provisions available to employer organisations and trades unions to request that such reviews to be undertaken by the Labour Court. The Government strongly supports Ireland’s industrial relations wage-setting mechanisms. I believe collective bargaining is an important element of ensuring...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Export Controls (9 Jul 2024)

Emer Higgins: Enterprise Ireland does survey its’ client base annually, and it does gather information about client company exports to Germany and all other global markets. The information gathered is collected in confidence and cannot be shared publicly as it is commercially sensitive information. If an Enterprise Ireland client is looking to target the German market, they can access Enterprise...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Trade Data (9 Jul 2024)

Emer Higgins: Enterprise Ireland have advised that they are not in a position to provide a forecast for 2024 exports. Companies supported by Enterprise Ireland will be surveyed in Q1 of 2025 to establish the level of exports achieved in 2024. Internal monitoring of export performance to date in 2024 suggests that there has been moderate growth in exports over the first six months of 2024. Companies...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (9 Jul 2024)

Emer Higgins: On 15th May, my colleague, Minister for Justice McEntee, and I announced that Government approval had been secured for rolling out a single permit to both work and live in Ireland. Implementing a single permit will eventually allow Ireland to opt into the EU’s Single Permit Directive. The Government also approved the Report of the Inter-Departmental Working Group on establishing a...