Results 5,241-5,260 of 8,196 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: National Oil Reserves Agency (Amendment) and Provision of Central Treasury Services Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Jul 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 6: In page 12, line 16, after “year.” to insert the following: “Where the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform declines consent for monies from a source other than the Houses of the Oireachtas to enter the Climate Action Fund, a rationale for such a decision should be published and laid before both Houses.”. I was glad to hear the...

Seanad: National Oil Reserves Agency (Amendment) and Provision of Central Treasury Services Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Jul 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Can the Minister assure me that he does not see the requirement for consent from the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform as likely to limit his ambition in seeking revenues for this fund in any way?

Seanad: National Oil Reserves Agency (Amendment) and Provision of Central Treasury Services Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Jul 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the Minister. In that context, I will withdraw the amendment.

Seanad: National Oil Reserves Agency (Amendment) and Provision of Central Treasury Services Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Jul 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 7: In page 12, line 38, after “economy” to insert “and society”. We have spoken about the competitive process. I accept that the Minister has said it will not always be a competitive process. That is appropriate because there are actions in some specific areas that simply need to be taken, for example, in the midlands. Shannon is an area...

Seanad: National Oil Reserves Agency (Amendment) and Provision of Central Treasury Services Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Jul 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is interesting that the Minister has mentioned the environmental projects. Care work might not be profitable, but it is important. Ecological care as well as social care are very good examples of things in which the State might wish to invest in a community in transition. Our national parks and monuments could be subjects of community resilience. Given the focus on community resilience...

Seanad: National Oil Reserves Agency (Amendment) and Provision of Central Treasury Services Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Jul 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am very glad that such a mechanism is there. I think it will be very important. Not everything always benefits from a competitive process. At times a collaborative process is a more useful approach. In other aspects of community development, competitive tendering has on occasion led to a loss of a sense of empowerment whereby funding needed to be given to projects from the ground up....

Seanad: National Oil Reserves Agency (Amendment) and Provision of Central Treasury Services Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Jul 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 9: In page 16, between lines 1 and 2, to insert the following: “Amendment of Principal Act - Report on levy 28. The Principal Act is amended by the insertion of the following after section 64: “Report on levy 64A. Within 24 Months of the passing of the National Oil Reserves Agency (Amendment) and Provision of Central Treasury Services Act 2020 the...

Seanad: National Oil Reserves Agency (Amendment) and Provision of Central Treasury Services Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Jul 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I very much welcome the Minister's commitment to bring these issues to the tax commission because that is important. There are many issues I would like to bring to the tax commission and I am aware that the tax commission review will be large and will deal with many issues. I am glad that the Minister intends to bring these issues to the tax commission and I hope that some of the points I...

Seanad: National Oil Reserves Agency (Amendment) and Provision of Central Treasury Services Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Jul 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 10: In page 16, between lines 1 and 2, to insert the following: “Amendment of Principal Act - Report on palm oil 28.The Principal Act is amended by the insertion of the following after section 67: “Report on palm oil 67A.Within 12 months of the passing of the National Oil Reserves Agency (Amendment) and Provision of Central Treasury Services Act 2020...

Seanad: National Oil Reserves Agency (Amendment) and Provision of Central Treasury Services Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Jul 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am very glad to hear the Minister is considering a strong interpretation of the directive. Of course the directive should not set the ceiling but should be the start of what we want in our ambition. I certainly agree that 2030 is far too late to wait and it will be a major issue next year. We really need to be looking for this exit and I hope we see it in the lifetime of the Government...

Seanad: National Oil Reserves Agency (Amendment) and Provision of Central Treasury Services Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Jul 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: As the Minister is looking to engage on this next year I will withdraw the amendment for now.

Seanad: Financial Provisions (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Second Stage (16 Jul 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I warmly congratulate the Minister of State, Deputy Fleming, on his appointment to his new role. I welcome the statements that have been made recognising the importance of solidarity and of stimulus. It seems that at least some learning has happened from some of the failures and shortfalls in the European response to other crises in that there is now a very wide international recognition...

Seanad: Financial Provisions (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jul 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will speak to the section. I also wish to highlight some of the issues that will arise if we continue with the practice of trying to bring legislation through all Stages at once. I hope that practice will not continue because it fails to allow for nuance in the debate. When, for example, all Stages of a Bill are taken together, the Government is unable to bring forward amendments in...

Seanad: Financial Provisions (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jul 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: -----relates directly to a section and to the functions outlined therein, which is------

Seanad: Financial Provisions (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jul 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The amendment relates to section 12.2 of the fund description and the specific powers allocated thereunder which, as such, can be considered to form part of the Bill. The mechanisms by which decisions will be made in terms of a change in the beneficial mix are set out on page 39 of the Bill.

Seanad: Financial Provisions (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jul 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am speaking to amendment No. 2, which relates to section 10. I am speaking to the section.

Seanad: Financial Provisions (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jul 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: No, I am speaking to amendments Nos. 1 and 2 which have been ruled out of order. I am speaking to the section they were intended to amend. This issue is not simply about an amount that goes in and I am certainly not simply talking about the amount that comes out. Rather, it relates to the processes for managing that. All of those processes are dealt with in the Bill. The Bill does not...

Seanad: Financial Provisions (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jul 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 3: In page 7, between lines 32 and 33, to insert the following: “Support for Public Services and Public Infrastructure 12. The Minister shall, within three months of the passing of this Act, lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas, a report outlining how Ireland will seek to use the Fund alongside the EU Covid-19 Recovery Fund to support investment in...

Seanad: Financial Provisions (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jul 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank Senator Gavan for his support and I thank the Minister of State for his recognition of the importance of the points made. If he is not taking them on board, I hope he might be able to make a commitment on reporting. It is one thing to say that concerns will be taken on board in the budget, but it is another to say what I propose. Our second concern - it is an overriding concern -...

Seanad: Financial Provisions (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jul 2020)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I have a specific question. I appreciate the point about the private affairs of each company, and that is not what we would look for detail on. In the report the Minster of State has already committed to doing, can I confirm that will include the main objectives that are listed for the fund? I mentioned the ones I like, but there are lots of other objectives that Members will like, such as...