Results 5,101-5,120 of 8,445 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Report and Final Stages (2 Dec 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 3: In page 4, lines 1 to 3, to delete all words from and including "(which" in line 1 down to and including "meeting)" in line 3 and substitute "(which shall include public meetings, online and also in person except where the holding of a meeting in person may be detrimental to public health)".

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Report and Final Stages (2 Dec 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 4: In page 4, lines 1 to 3, to delete all words from and including "(which" in line 1 down to and including "meeting)" in line 3 and substitute "(which shall include public meetings online and, except in an emergency period, also in person)".

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Report and Final Stages (2 Dec 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 5: In page 4, line 3, after “submissions” to insert “online and”.

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Report and Final Stages (2 Dec 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 6: In page 4, line 5, after "and" to insert "shall ensure that where a member of the public chooses to make a submission in writing online they are not subject to a limitation in terms of length of submission, and ".

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Report and Final Stages (2 Dec 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Amendment No. 6 is specifying where a member of the public is making a submission in writing. I have withdrawn amendment No. 5. I have accepted the valid point of the Minister in relation to that. Sometimes when we have online submissions, we have constrained spaces in which people are asked to contribute. I want to ensure that people are not limited. We talk about this at a strategic...

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Report and Final Stages (2 Dec 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: On my amendment, if more engagement is better, I think the Minister needs to consider changing "or" to "and", or instead, he could add in "or both". This is not about the intent of anybody. I know that people are passionate about these issues and want to meet, but the law of unintended effects could be present here. I am concerned that there is an inadvertent mistake in the language in the...

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Report and Final Stages (2 Dec 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 7: In page 4, between lines 7 and 8, to insert the following: “(iii) shall take active steps to support equality of access to participation in public consultation, in relation to a proposed development plan, with particular regard to obligations under the Public Duty on Equality and Human Rights, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with a...

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Report and Final Stages (2 Dec 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Amendments Nos. 7 to 9, inclusive, relate to the fact that it is not just a matter that there should be consultation with a member of the public or that there should be the opportunity for submissions in writing to be made, but it is instead to insert a clause, of which there are three different versions, that proactively encourages members of the public to engage. We have heard descriptions...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Deportation Orders (1 Dec 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Will the Minister of State make a statement on the recent and ongoing issuing of deportation orders and letters to asylum seekers requesting that they leave the country voluntarily or be threatened with deportation? Will he make that statement in the context of the global Covid-19 pandemic? Our obligations in terms of international protection have never been as important as they are now...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Deportation Orders (1 Dec 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I strongly suggest that the Department return to the position of only issuing positive decisions during this period. Those who might be required to appeal cannot engage with the community or seek support if people cannot visit households.I am aware that people have been deeply distressed to have friends who have received deportation orders and who have not been able to engage with or see how...

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Committee Stage (30 Nov 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 4: In page 4, lines 1 and 2, to delete “(which may include the holding of a public meeting)” and substitute “(which shall include public meetings online and in person)”.

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Committee Stage (30 Nov 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 5: In page 4, lines 1 and 2, to delete “(which may include the holding of a public meeting)” and substitute the following: “(which shall include public meetings, online and also in person except where the holding of a meeting in person may be detrimental to public health)”.

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Committee Stage (30 Nov 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 6: In page 4, lines 1 and 2, to delete “(which may include the holding of a public meeting)” and substitute “(which shall include public meetings online and, except in an emergency period, also in person)”.

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...