Results 21-40 of 3,478 for speaker:Emer Higgins

Ábhair Shaincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Matters: School Management (24 Jun 2025)

Emer Higgins: I thank the Deputy for sharing her own experience, which is so relevant. Ultimately, the existing models of leadership and governance in our schools place a burden on school principals as well as boards of management and the sector as a whole. It is a very difficult balance to strike to get the appropriate level of checks and balances which are critical for both our students and the...

Ábhair Shaincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Matters: School Management (24 Jun 2025)

Emer Higgins: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue, which is raised with many of us in this House by principals up and down the country whose jobs are constantly evolving and constantly getting more challenging. I really appreciate the Deputy raising this here today. The role of schools within communities is crucial and the Minister for Education and Youth, on whose behalf I am taking this...

Ábhair Shaincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Matters: Childcare Services (24 Jun 2025)

Emer Higgins: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue and for sharing her own experience. It is really important that we, as female parliamentarians, share our experience. It is inspiring for others who may follow in her footsteps that the Deputy has done so. The challenge of providing accessible childcare is very much real. The Deputy outlined the issues many of her constituents face....

Ábhair Shaincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Matters: Childcare Services (24 Jun 2025)

Emer Higgins: I thank the Deputy and her colleague for the work they are doing on this issue. The Government is committed to building an affordable, high-quality and accessible early learning and childcare system. I will take her recommendation for a cross-party committee to the Minister, Deputy Foley. The programme for Government commits, for the first time ever, to provide capital investment to...

Ábhair Shaincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Matters: An Garda Síochána (24 Jun 2025)

Emer Higgins: I thank the Deputies for raising all of those issues. Regarding the joint policing committees - I too sat on my JPC - as the Deputies will be aware, they are being replaced by the LCSPs. We will get further information on that-----

Ábhair Shaincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Matters: An Garda Síochána (24 Jun 2025)

Emer Higgins: -----but that is the latest information we have in relation to that. Deputy Quinlivan raised community gardaí and the need to invest in them. I absolutely hear him and will certainly bring that back to the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, on whose behalf I am taking this Topical Issue. At the end of April this year, there were 585 Garda members of all ranks assigned to the Limerick...

Ábhair Shaincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Matters: An Garda Síochána (24 Jun 2025)

Emer Higgins: According to the figures that have been provided to me by the Department of Justice, there was a 6% increase in the ten years previous to 2025. In addition to the specific measures I mentioned which are taking place in Limerick - I have gone through the different Garda operations - a number of key actions have been taken as part of our plan to tackle organised crime and the crime groups...

Ábhair Shaincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Matters: An Garda Síochána (24 Jun 2025)

Emer Higgins: I thank both Deputies for raising this cross-party Topical Issue which I am taking on behalf of the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan. I thank them for raising this issue. I was in Limerick city only earlier this week with Senator Maria Byrne and the issue of crime was raised with me by Limerick Chamber of Commerce. Like all decent citizens, I strongly condemn gangland criminality and, in...

Presidential Voting Rights: Motion [Private Members] (24 Jun 2025)

Emer Higgins: I thank all Members in the House for what was a really interesting discussion on this really important issue. Like my colleague the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, I am pleased the Government has not opposed this motion. The Dail’s engagement on diaspora matters is always welcome and it was really positive to have such good engagement today. Every day, we see the value of the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Passport Services (24 Jun 2025)

Emer Higgins: I thank Senator Lynch for tabling this Commencement matter, which I am taking on behalf of An Tánaiste, Deputy Simon Harris. The passport service is successfully meeting current demand for passports. To date this year, the passport service has issued more than 536,000 passport books and cards. As the Senator said, last year was a very strong year in terms of the number of passports...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Passport Services (24 Jun 2025)

Emer Higgins: I thank the Senator. Demand for passports is increasing. That is happening throughout the country and in the Senator’s region too. Given that Cork Airport, Shannon Airport and Farranfore Airport are in the region, I can appreciate that there are people who want to be able to collect and go straight to the airport, but the message from the passport service is not to rely on an urgent...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Health Services (24 Jun 2025)

Emer Higgins: I thank the Senator for raising this really important issue. I am taking this on behalf of the Minister for Health and I have been provided with a script which I am sure will be provided to the Senator. I am quite concerned because the situation the Senator has outlined does not tally with some of what is in here. Let me read what is in here in relation the Senator's very specific question...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Health Services (24 Jun 2025)

Emer Higgins: Every year, 250 women in Ireland are diagnosed with cervical cancer and, sadly, around 90 lives are lost to this disease. It is something the Government takes very seriously. The Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, is very passionate about it. Ireland is on track to eliminate cervical cancer in just 15 years, by 2040. That will be remarkable progress that will save lives. Cervical cancer,...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects (24 Jun 2025)

Emer Higgins: I thank Senator O'Loughlin very much for raising this matter, which provides me with the opportunity to respond on behalf of the Minister for Education and Youth and to outline to the Seanad and the Senator's constituents the current position on the major building project at the Curragh Community College in Magee Barracks in Kildare. As she outlined, this project is a very important school...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects (24 Jun 2025)

Emer Higgins: I absolutely hear the Senator on this. She wants to know when students will be able to walk into the school. Unfortunately, I cannot answer that today. We must make sure that the tenders that come in are valid and are awarded correctly. Then the construction phase must be entered into. I am sure that is something the Minister will keep the Senator informed of. Certainly, the Department...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Statute Law Revision Bill 2024: Committee Stage (11 Jun 2025)

Emer Higgins: I congratulate the Cathaoirleach on her appointment as committee Chair, all of the new TDs who have been appointed to this committee, and those who bring much experience with them, which I hope we can work and learn together from. I am pleased to bring the Statute Law Revision Bill, SLRB, 2024 to the committee. The Bill was introduced in the Seanad on 23 October 2024. It passed Report...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Statute Law Revision Bill 2024: Committee Stage (11 Jun 2025)

Emer Higgins: I move amendment No. 1: In page 5, lines 25 and 26, to delete “Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform” and substitute “Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation”.