Results 4,721-4,740 of 8,212 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Quality in Public Procurement (Contract Preparation and Award Criteria) Bill 2021: Second Stage (26 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will second it when I respond.

Seanad: Quality in Public Procurement (Contract Preparation and Award Criteria) Bill 2021: Second Stage (26 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I formally second the amendment. While I am glad to see the Government supporting the Bill passing Second Stage, I would rather that it would be deemed to have passed after six months rather than one year. That is important because, as we have heard, the decisions are going to be made in respect of that €116 billion in the next two to three years. I do not want us to have spent...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Decarbonising Transport: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the witnesses for their extremely interesting presentations. It strikes me that it is about a huge shift. So much of the transport focus has often been on reducing journey times when in fact this is about reducing journeys and thinking in terms of emission miles. Whether the target be 6% or 20%, the committee needs to set targets down to the level of emission miles and not just in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Decarbonising Transport: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am conscious that there is not that much time left so perhaps I could get a written answer to the question about port and rail freight.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Banking Sector: Engagement with Bank of Ireland (23 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I have been struck by a couple of points. In Ms McDonagh's responses she talked about the money the Irish public contributed in the bank bailout being repaid. It is really important to be clear that while the money may have been repaid, the cost of the impact of austerity, the impact on people's lives - young lives - and five or ten years of missed opportunities and lost services has not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Banking Sector: Engagement with Bank of Ireland (23 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The CEO has prompted me to add a few more questions in case I do not get to come back in again. She referred to the past three months and today. We are in a unique situation where those who would normally access physical services may not be accessing them. The percentage will, therefore, shift. In terms of Covid, I am concerned that this year is distorting perceptions as regards the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Banking Sector: Engagement with Bank of Ireland (23 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It would be great to get a written answer.

Seanad: National Development Plan: Statements (22 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome the Minister to the House. Like others, I have given my personal submission on the NDP and, indeed, we have collectively contributed through the different committees, such as the climate action, disability and public expenditure committees. It is a very important review and a very important opportunity to think in a deep way about how we shape the places and the services within...

Seanad: Family Leave Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome both Ministers to the House. Both of them have had very constructive engagement with the House. I realise it is probably in the spirit of constructive engagement that they are accommodating the joining together of two issues in this Bill but I echo what Senator Bacik said. It is a concern and something we want to guard against in legislation. We have a strong tradition of having...

Seanad: Family Leave Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am very happy to support the amendment from Senator Ruane. I support the Bill in its spirit. We highlighted very much last summer the fact that many families had used maternity and paternity leave in a very short period because of Covid-19 and responsibilities arising from its effect. The same occurred with many who might have previously spread parental leave over five or ten years,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Decarbonising Transport: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the witnesses for their presentations, which were very interesting. I will pick up the point on which Ms Graham ended, namely, that relating to the social benefit. In terms of the social and environmental benefit, it is the question of push and pull again. Given the extent of the scale-up we need in terms of new transport and sustainable transport, does Ms Graham agree that we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Nothing About Us Without Us - Achieving Equal Rights and Equity for Women with Disabilities: Discussion (9 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the witnesses. I would echo what the Chair said. There are so many questions and so many issues arising that it would be good if we could even get written input on some of them because we are going theme by theme. I would welcome that kind of nuanced expertise and experience around the issues of means testing and how it could be removed, and how the costs of disability should be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Central Bank of Ireland: Discussion (9 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am happy to ask my questions and for Deputy Mairéad Farrell to ask her questions, and for us to receive combined answers if we are tight for time. Perhaps we have time to go sequentially. I have two sets of questions. One relates to the supervisory work. Ms Rowland mentioned that is a separate team. Is that supervision of Davy structures overall or would that supervision, for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Central Bank of Ireland: Discussion (9 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Did the intrusive supervision also relate to Irish state bonds?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Central Bank of Ireland: Discussion (9 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Would it be possible to get supplementary answers in writing to the questions the witnesses did not get an opportunity to answer, including around the intrusive supervisory work and whether that is continuing?

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: National Maternity Hospital (8 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Anne Rabbitte, to the House on International Women's Day. Later today, the Seanad will honour nurse Elizabeth O'Farrell who served much of her life in the national maternity hospital. It is perhaps fitting that I now ask the Minister of State and the Minister for Health to review plans for the national maternity hospital,...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: National Maternity Hospital (8 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The Mulvey agreement is outdated and precedes a number of significant changes. Protracted negotiations should not be needed because the only stakeholders who matter, whom the State should have to accommodate or please, are the women of Ireland. It should not have to negotiate with others. A stronger approach is needed. Ninety-nine years is not a long time in the context of the generations...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I propose an amendment to the Order of Business, that No. 7 be taken before No. 1. On International Women's Day, we are looking at the portrait of nurse Elizabeth O'Farrell. It is very important to note not just the contribution she made in the shaping of Ireland but also that she continued to serve for the rest of her life in the National Maternity Hospital. An issue I highlighted in the...

Seanad: Quality in Public Procurement (Contract Preparation and Award Criteria) Bill 2021: First Stage (8 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to give further effect to Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 and for that purpose to provide for contract award criteria in public contracts, to promote the use of social considerations and the best price-quality ratio and to establish a procedure for departing from best...

Seanad: Quality in Public Procurement (Contract Preparation and Award Criteria) Bill 2021: First Stage (8 Mar 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Next Friday.