Results 3,981-4,000 of 8,211 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Sep 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I echo the comments made around International Safe Abortion Day and note the launch today of an atlas of where safe access is across Europe. It is notable that countries like San Marino and Gibraltar have followed Ireland's example in seeking to ensure access, but there are practical barriers still in place. It will be important that in the review we address the practical, de facto barriers...

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (28 Sep 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I join with others in welcoming the commitment to holding an independent review regarding the experiences of the Women of Honour. It is correct that there is a need for cultural change and concrete protections. Both are needed. Cultural change is crucial within the Defence Forces. As Senator Martin, I think, referred to, however, there is also a need for a wider cultural shift concerning...

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (28 Sep 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: They have joined a German-commanded force. The key point is that this is slippage. Where is the clarity about our UN and humanitarian mandates? How can we reinforce this, given the discretion that the Minister asks us to give him under section 2 of the Bill to allow operational control to be delegated? The limitations and exemptions that the Minister mentions relate to important issues...

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (28 Sep 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I specified that that was under a different section than the one under which I have a concern.My concern relates to Part A, which involves the delegation of the secondment of forces. It is Part F that relates to humanitarian concern. This is just for clarity.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy Charter Treaty, Energy Security, Liquefied Natural Gas and Data Centres: Discussion (28 Sep 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Those were interesting presentations. The data piece struck me. We have focused a lot on energy production but to drill down into the question on demand, the fact is that all data are not the same, as we know. We know from the general data protection regulation, GDPR, that different kinds of data are treated differently. We know there is currently an artificial intelligence, AI,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy Charter Treaty, Energy Security, Liquefied Natural Gas and Data Centres: Discussion (28 Sep 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will be brief. I will ask about the Energy Charter Treaty and the exit from it. If we need to be in a different place in 15 years, how much do we need to accelerate the exit process? Russia was able to exit with a six-month clause, whereas Italy had a 20-year clause. How foolish would we be to sign up to new ISDS mechanisms which also have a 20-year exit clause? I know that Dr....

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I was also very disappointed by the decision regarding the supervised injection facility. A plan B is urgently needed. However, I note that while we may be disappointed by that High Court decision, as others may be about other decisions, it is also very important that, regardless of our feelings on the matter, we recognise the independence of, and checks and balances within, our judicial...

Seanad: Finance (Local Property Tax) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (16 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I join colleagues in thanking the Leas-Chathaoirleach for his work in recent months. We need a wider array of wealth taxes in Ireland. That need has been driven home in the past year as we saw the very wealthiest become much wealthier during the pandemic. We have seen an increase in the wealth of many of the people on the rich lists at the same time as a large part of the population has...

Seanad: Finance (Local Property Tax) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (16 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: No.

Seanad: Finance (Local Property Tax) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (16 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It would be done on a legislative basis.

Seanad: Finance (Local Property Tax) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is important to say that not everybody feels the confidence in terms of accessing the exemption and that there would be measures. Again, I am noting that the section contains the words "may require", which will be really important. It will be excessive if it is required for a person to provide an engineer's report in every instance. We are going to create a situation where people will...

Seanad: Finance (Local Property Tax) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will briefly note I did not actually get an answer - I might not get it now and that is fine - in respect of those people whose property tax has decreased and the statements that were made. This is when we are into the midpoint in valuations. We have been told that due to the change in the midpoint of valuations, we are maintaining progressivity. However, I am concerned that, for...

Seanad: Finance (Local Property Tax) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I completely agree with Senator Ward's point about discretion. It would result in much less of a binary discussion every year if local authorities had the flexibility to be able to determine the level of reduction to a decent degree. Rather than having the blunt 15%, a more nuanced tool would have been welcome. On the higher level, I am not picking out these; these were the examples that...

Seanad: Finance (Local Property Tax) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 4: In page 18, to delete lines 24 to 27. This amendment concerns the discussion we had in the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach concerning a tax on vacant properties. The Minister told us then that was almost the information gathering stage and perhaps the introduction of such a measure would come later. In the text of this...

Seanad: Finance (Local Property Tax) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: In regard to the fact of there being variations in amendments Nos. 4 to 6, inclusive, that is the nature of the situation when we have legislation going through all Stages. The presenting of options has to happen side-by-side on Committee Stage rather than Members being allowed to have a discussion and a different version on Report Stage. However, amendment No. 6 is completely legitimate...

Seanad: Finance (Local Property Tax) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The term "residential property" is the language of the Bill so that is why that is the language of the amendment. I will withdraw amendment No. 4 as a valid point has been made in respect of it.

Seanad: Finance (Local Property Tax) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 5: In page 18, line 27, after "dwelling" to insert "and such use by the Revenue Commissioners as may be required in respect of a levy or tax".

Seanad: Finance (Local Property Tax) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 6: In page 18, line 27, after "dwelling" to insert the following: "and such use by the Revenue Commissioners as may be required in respect of a levy or tax on vacant residential properties or a certain category of vacant residential properties".

Seanad: Finance (Local Property Tax) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 7: In page 21, between lines 28 and 29, to insert the following: "Report 41. The Minister shall, by 1 December 2022, lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas setting out policy options and recommendations in respect of the potential introduction, under the Principal Act or the Act of 1997, of a new levy or tax, or an increase in levy or tax in respect of...

Seanad: Finance (Local Property Tax) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jul 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 8: In page 21, between lines 28 and 29, to insert the following: "Report 41. The Minister shall, by 1 December 2022, lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas in respect of the data obtained under the provisions of this Act with regard to the ownership of residential properties.". Amendment No. 8 could apply to all the statistical information that the...