Results 4,881-4,900 of 8,212 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Reopening Ireland (Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment): Statements (26 Nov 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: If there are copies of the Minister of State's speech they might be distributed.

Seanad: Reopening Ireland (Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment): Statements (26 Nov 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I have made no secret of my cautious approach to Covid-19. I regret, for example, that we did not opt for a four-week level 5 lockdown when it was first recommended. I think we could be facing figures of 100 cases rather than the 250 that we still have, and that would be a better place to be in as we move into Christmas. With that in mind, the...

Seanad: Reopening Ireland (Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment): Statements (26 Nov 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Likewise.

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Second Stage (25 Nov 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome the Minister back to the House. Yet again we are discussing emergency legislation. The Minister has indicated that he intends to come before us to allow for more substantial debate. It would be very useful to know when that will be. As we have seen again and again, so many of the issues of concern in housing policy have been flagged but have not been engaged with at the most...

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Second Stage (25 Nov 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Yes, indeed. It meant a very large number of very important amendments relating substantially to the issue were not discussed at all. I am sure the Minister will want to assure us that there will be no guillotine on the Committee Stage debate on this legislation and that all amendments will be dealt with. That will be very important. While this may be emergency legislation or may relate...

Seanad: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2020: Motion (25 Nov 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: We have heard about the improvements to welfare in the industry. It is really important to be clear: any of these improvements have not come about by goodwill or a sudden revelation, or even simply because a documentary exposed the horror of the current practices within the greyhound industry. The changes to greyhound welfare have happened because the industry was made to change. Senator...

Seanad: Inquiry into the Murder of Mr. Patrick Finucane: Motion (25 Nov 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome the Minister to the House and I welcome the depth of his commitment on this issue. I commend those who brought the motion. I am glad to have co-signed it with many others and to have such support across this House and from many parties in Northern Ireland, which is important. We have heard that collusion has been acknowledged and admitted. We have heard of the court rulings from...

Seanad: Combating Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence: Statements (24 Nov 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am very glad we can have this discussion. Many of us from all parties have been calling for action and a debate on this since this Seanad first convened. It has acquired particular urgency this week in the context of the image-based sexual violence we have been hearing about.It is also important to note that in the wider context of the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a shocking increase...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Nov 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Following on from the previous contribution, I note a factual inaccuracy. There is no reason development cannot take place on the site. The eight years to which the Senator referred is the opinion of one person. The real debate we need to have is whether Ireland will be taking advantage of the fact that we can access loans at rates of 0% or lower in order to build public housing. The...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Nov 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The State should be able to, and can, build. It has built in the past. We were asked to expedite fast-tracked planning permission which was then not used, as the Senator will be familiar with. Strategic housing developments were never built. We may have a debate about it.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Nov 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I refrained from interrupting during the previous debate. I second the proposals for adjournments or a 90-minute or one-hour period for the Seanad Bill. I second the proposals to oppose the taking of the proposed amendment to Standing Orders in respect of speaking times for Private Members' business. I believe that is a signal of intent from those who once sought to abolish this House and...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Nov 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The CPP did not do that.

Seanad: Seanad Bill 2020: Second Stage (18 Nov 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment to amendment No. 1: To delete “31st December, 2021” and substitute “31st May, 2021”.

Seanad: Seanad Bill 2020: Second Stage (18 Nov 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will speak to the amendment later. I am glad to co-sponsor this very comprehensive legislation at 104 pages. While I am one of the co-sponsors, this legislation is not simply a product of those who are putting it forward today. This is the agreed legislation that came from the Seanad reform implementation group and the points made by Senator Warfield are important because there has been...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (18 Nov 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I join the others in extending to Professor Quinn my warmest congratulations. I was delighted that he was appointed to his role. Of course, I am delighted as a Galwegian but, most important, we are now in our national roles and Professor Quinn is in his international role. It was interesting that Professor Quinn commented on foreign policy. In his new international role, I encourage him to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (11 Nov 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank Mr. Carroll. I want to focus on a couple of areas around that question of targets. As I understand, because Ireland is a laggard and has not met its previous targets, I do not believe that will give us a free pass. It might mean that we need to have a higher nationally determined contribution. Is Mr. Carroll suggesting that this would require us to be reducing by 55% to 60% from...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (11 Nov 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am not asking about the programme for Government. I am asking about the European Council meeting. I am conscious that we are mixing oranges and apples a bit. Irrespective of what is in the programme for Government about 7% and how that is calculated, what we are really discussing here is the EU framework which is based on reductions against 1990 levels. Could Mr. Carroll specifically...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (11 Nov 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: With great respect, I was asking specifically about the position Ireland will take at the EU Council on the amendments made by the European Parliament. We will have ample opportunity to engage again on the domestic issue. I asked about the EU targets.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (11 Nov 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank Deputy Bruton, because those questions around that architecture of governance and the semester process in the NECP are really crucial. On the cross-European areas, in terms of aviation and shipping, certainly whenever we try to address the issue of aviation we are told this is an EU competency. Within this new set of targets at the EU level, what will the monitoring or structures...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (11 Nov 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: We know, for example, that different cases have been taken within Europe against countries that tried to transition away from fossil fuels. I am aware there has been some conversation around the tension between corporate interests and legitimate expectations, as they would call it, from certain industries and member states' efforts to decarbonise in the energy sector. It is one of those...