Results 3,621-3,640 of 8,196 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Aligning Disability Services with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Nov 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank Mr. O'Regan.

Seanad: Companies (Emission Reporting) Bill 2021: Second Stage (24 Nov 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I know the Minister of State has been engaging very constructively with my colleague, Senator Ruane, and I commend her and both Tadhg Browne, her current assistant, and, of course, Sebastian McAteer, who has done really important work in developing this legislation. I am very proud to have this Bill brought forward in the name of the Civil Engagement Group. In the short time I have, I will...

Seanad: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Nov 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I had hoped that the sensible amendment tabled by the Labour Party Senators might have been accepted as it is better than the current section 7 in that it addressed the issues of the duration of tenancy and sequential tenancies. It is important that we recognise Part 4 and recognise that there is a duration issue beyond the question of simply qualifying as a Part 4 tenancy. For example, we...

Seanad: Bille na dTeangacha Oifigiúla (Leasú), 2019: Céim an Choiste - Official Languages (Amendment) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (24 Nov 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Tairgim leasú Uimh. 20: I leathanach 17, idir línte 15 agus 16, an méid seo a leanas a chur isteach: “Caighdeáin teanga sa tsainfháil phoiblí 9F.I gcás go ngabhfaidh comhlacht poiblí do phróiseas sainfhála poiblí lena bhféachfaidh an comhlacht poiblí le conradh a dhámhachtain as seirbhís phoiblí a...

Seanad: Bille na dTeangacha Oifigiúla (Leasú), 2019: Céim an Choiste - Official Languages (Amendment) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (24 Nov 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will not dwell on this amendment. I mentioned the local employment service as an example. To be absolutely factual, it is 100% the case that it does not have to go out to tender. There is very clear guidance within EU law, procurement law and the 2014 directive on that, but I will leave it aside. I want to make it clear that there is nothing in my amendment that is tied to that example....

Seanad: Bille na dTeangacha Oifigiúla (Leasú), 2019: Céim an Choiste - Official Languages (Amendment) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (24 Nov 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I understand that the Minister is saying that it is already implied. Nonetheless, I will reserve the right to bring back an amendment on Report Stage. It is not just about the obligation being there but also the weighting. It is one thing to have the obligation there and it is another to have the mechanisms to ensure that it is given proper consideration, that it does not just pass on an...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy Charter Treaty and Energy Security: Discussion (23 Nov 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Acting Chair-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy Charter Treaty and Energy Security: Discussion (23 Nov 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I again apologise for the conflict I had. I have two or three questions for the witnesses. They can feel free to indicate if they have been answered at length in one of the sections I missed when I was disconnected. I am interested in what Dr. Saheb says about the compensation piece because this was a very strong narrative coming from COP 26, whereby there is a very hard line being held in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy Charter Treaty and Energy Security: Discussion (23 Nov 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is important to refer to the CETA deal, which relates to that. As I understand it, the protections in terms of CETA are quite strong on certain forms of subsidies, but in terms of regulation, companies still do have the right to seek compensation. I do not know if the witnesses have already spoken on this. I refer to the role of EU courts in potentially enforcing rulings from an...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy Charter Treaty and Energy Security: Discussion (23 Nov 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is the analogy in terms of courts.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy Charter Treaty and Energy Security: Discussion (23 Nov 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: They are to both witnesses.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy Charter Treaty and Energy Security: Discussion (23 Nov 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: On the margins.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy Charter Treaty and Energy Security: Discussion (23 Nov 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am conscious of the interpretation of the arbitration panels with regard to the previous Achmea ruling and potentially this ECJ ruling. I am familiar with the ECJ ruling but I wanted to get the intersection with the arbitration panels.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy Charter Treaty and Energy Security: Discussion (23 Nov 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: What I really wanted to go to is the question of enforcement.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy Charter Treaty and Energy Security: Discussion (23 Nov 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: What I really I wanted to go to is not the mechanisms per sebut the fact that an enforceable order can be enforced in a local court in other places. We have seen cases of this. As Dr. de Boeck said, it is interesting that it is only in the case of New York state that public policy has been used as a defence and again, this is the defence by states or by public bodies that are being sued by...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy Charter Treaty and Energy Security: Discussion (23 Nov 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Would Dr. Saheb like to comment on how Europe approaches the Energy Charter Treaty? From a climate perspective, the treaty is a global issue.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy Charter Treaty and Energy Security: Discussion (23 Nov 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Apologies, I came from another meeting.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy Charter Treaty and Energy Security: Discussion (23 Nov 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I ask Dr. Saheb to comment on what an exit from the Energy Charter Treaty by Europe might look like and the implications for other countries that are parties to the treaty. EU companies still being able to sue would be a potential issue. Would a large-scale exit from the Energy Charter Treaty perhaps lead to either a full renegotiation or-----

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Nov 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: My colleague, Senator Ruane, spoke about the case of Seán Binder, which is being heard today. These issues were debated in the past two weeks. Ireland stopped its bilateral search and rescue in the Mediterranean Sea. Then we joined Operation Sophia, which then stopped doing search and rescue. We warned that would happen because the then Minister of State at the Department of Foreign...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by An Taoiseach (18 Nov 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The Taoiseach campaigned, as did I, for the retention of the Seanad. He will remember that the message in that campaign was "Open it; don't close it." While we have had discussion of the 1979 referendum, we have two referendums that need to be vindicated. It is vital that the 1979 referendum on the expansion of the university franchise be implemented. However, it is not acceptable that...