Results 361-380 of 431 for speaker:Lorraine Higgins

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Wastewater Treatment Systems (11 Dec 2012)

Lorraine Higgins: I thank the Minister for outlining the situation. I welcome the fact that 290,000 people have registered their septic tank or wastewater treatment system. It is also welcome to hear the Minister not ruling out the possibility of providing financial assistance to those whose tanks might fail a test.

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Dec 2012)

Lorraine Higgins: A significant event happened 167 years ago, which marked a watershed in the history of this country. Its effects have permanently changed the face of this island?s demographic, political and cultural landscape. Its impact and human cost at the time was colossal. Such was its effect that it not only left an indelible mark on the Irish psyche; it also led to 1 million people dying...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Nov 2012)

Lorraine Higgins: I am leading the Order of Business today on behalf of the Labour Party leader, Senator Ivana Bacik. I want to highlight an issue of utmost importance to the country and its recovery, which relates to the banking system and the SME sector. The latest news from the Department of Finance is that 24% of SMEs who were refused finance were not given reasons. Almost half of all applications take...

Seanad: Personal Insolvency Bill 2012: Second Stage (21 Nov 2012)

Lorraine Higgins: I commend the Minister and the Government for moving to put measures in place to alleviate the debt burden the Irish people have been drowning in over the past number of years. The Celtic tiger situation was most regrettable in that some people were engaged in an orgy of spending, which was encouraged by aggressive marketing by banks and light touch regulation. Times have now changed and...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Nov 2012)

Lorraine Higgins: I am very concerned by the ongoing rise in the black market and the devastating effect this is having on our retail sector. Everywhere I turn in Galway, I am told by retailers and their employees that they are being financially devastated by the sale of counterfeit products in unregulated and unpoliced markets and fairs which roll into country towns on a weekly basis. Meanwhile,...

Seanad: The Economy: Statements (13 Nov 2012)

Lorraine Higgins: I raise an issue which has been raised by several colleagues, that is, the banking sector in Ireland. If the Irish banks are reluctant to reverse their current rule of thumb and associated trends of having a loan rejection rate second only to Greece in the eurozone of 24% of all loan applications to the SME sector, I ask the Minister of State to consider setting up a special working group in...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Nov 2012)

Lorraine Higgins: I call on the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to come to the House to discuss an issue relating to the single payment scheme application form and its associated terms and conditions. There appears to be a degree of ambiguity in the application of the law referred to in the form. This ambiguity relates to farm inspections. Page 22 of the form states that in submitting a single...

Seanad: Public Expenditure and Reform: Statements (8 Nov 2012)

Lorraine Higgins: I want to mention an issue that affects my constituents in Galway East, not me, Garda vetting and the delays in the system. In my home town of Athenry there are 63 students undertaking child care, healthcare, nursing and social studies and post-leaving certificate courses, PLCs, at Athenry vocational school. In the next few weeks they are expected to gain work experience, but they cannot do...

Seanad: Public Expenditure and Reform: Statements (8 Nov 2012)

Lorraine Higgins: I have made the suggestion about Garda clearance because we are debating the issues of public expenditure and reform. I need Garda clearance if I want to work in the healthcare or child care industry, but I must make a separate application if I want to coach a camogie team. There is replication. I suggest the Minister and the Minister for Justice and Equality introduce a card system to...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Garda Vetting (24 Oct 2012)

Lorraine Higgins: I, too, welcome the Minister of State to the House to discuss this issue regarding Garda vetting. It is a central pillar of the Government's objective to have large numbers of those who are currently out of work gain meaningful employment as a means of rectifying our current economic crisis. I commend the efforts made by the Government in this regard, including the increase in foreign...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Garda Vetting (24 Oct 2012)

Lorraine Higgins: I thank the Minister of State for his succinct response on this matter. The system needs to be reformed as it is clear that there is a huge amount of duplication. A person wishing to work in the area of social services must satisfy Garda vetting requirements in this regard. Where such person also wishes to train a Gaelic or soccer team, he or she is required to make a further application...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Garda Vetting (24 Oct 2012)

Lorraine Higgins: I, too, welcome the Minister of State to the House to discuss this issue regarding Garda vetting. It is a central pillar of the Government's objective to have large numbers of those who are currently out of work gain meaningful employment as a means of rectifying our current economic crisis. I commend the efforts made by the Government in this regard, including the increase in foreign...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Garda Vetting (24 Oct 2012)

Lorraine Higgins: I thank the Minister of State for his succinct response on this matter. The system needs to be reformed as it is clear that there is a huge amount of duplication. A person wishing to work in the area of social services must satisfy Garda vetting requirements in this regard. Where such person also wishes to train a Gaelic or soccer team, he or she is required to make a further application...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Oct 2012)

Lorraine Higgins: I welcome Senator Keane's comments regarding the children's referendum. A cross party referendum event supported by female Oireachtas Members will be held in Merrion Square Park at 12.30 p.m. I seek everybody's support later.

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Oct 2012)

Lorraine Higgins: Unlike Senator MacSharry and as a single woman, I would be delighted to have anybody call me special at the moment.

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Oct 2012)

Lorraine Higgins: I fully support ensuring that each of my constituents has access to the workforce and that boundaries and barriers to work are eliminated by the Government. However, to achieve anything of significance in this regard, we must rectify the delay in applicants receiving Garda clearance. While I acknowledge and understand that An Garda Síochána is providing a great service in ensuring there...

Seanad: Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Statements (9 Oct 2012)

Lorraine Higgins: I will conclude shortly. The Government will win as it would bring some much-needed funds into the Exchequer while stimulating the SME sector. I commend the Government on the steps taken with regard to the action plan for jobs, the school building programme, the capital spending on infrastructure announced in the July stimulus plan and the micro-finance fund which was recently announced....

Seanad: Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Statements (9 Oct 2012)

Lorraine Higgins: I welcome the Minister of State to the House to hear our views on the SME sector in Ireland and what we think should be done to ensure the sector becomes the engine room of Ireland's recovery. It is a suitable portfolio for the Minister of State given his background and I commend him on all the work he has done in the area thus far. This issue has been widely discussed in the past by my...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Oct 2012)

Lorraine Higgins: I beg the indulgence of the Leas-Chathaoirleach as I paint the scenarios of payment protection insurance fraud on customers; bad management decisions resulting in hundreds of thousands being unable to get access to their own cash; increasing interest rates unilaterally without consultation with the Government or the Central Bank; the second worst lending record to the SME sector, only behind...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2012)

Lorraine Higgins: I call on the Minister for Finance to come to the House to discuss the most recent problem afflicting bank customers. Only yesterday a new story broke about data audits having revealed that the credit histories of thousands of customers had been misreported to the Irish Credit Bureau. This is a scandal and an unmitigated mess inflicted on unsuspecting bank customers. It is clear from the...