Results 5,641-5,660 of 8,445 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Bogus Self-Employment: Discussion (Resumed) (5 Dec 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: There is such a degree of change in the decisions. There is quite a high degree in terms of successful appeals in this area. That is why I am surprised that it is exactly the same criteria. I do not wish to ask for the individual sector but we have looked at two areas and Ms Gordon mentioned one of them. I refer to aviation and the courier industry. They are two areas in which there...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Bogus Self-Employment: Discussion (Resumed) (5 Dec 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: This is my final question. It is on the role of the courts. Does Ms Gordon see a key role for the courts? One of the proposals that was put to the committee is that there may, potentially, be a better role for the courts. What does Ms Gordon think of that as an alternative route?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Bogus Self-Employment: Discussion (Resumed) (5 Dec 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: My last question is to Mr. Duggan. Reference was made to the fear among persons who may be bogus self-employed. What steps is the Department taking to address the issue of fear in the sector and the identified concern of the scope section?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Bogus Self-Employment: Discussion (Resumed) (5 Dec 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Fear is the specific issue.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (4 Dec 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I endorse the call for a debate on cycling. If the Minister comes in, he might also ensure that he is briefed on cycling to school and the equality issues in cycling because very few girls are cycling. There has been a 90% drop in girls cycling to school in Ireland, which is very unfortunate. I also join Senator Feighan in welcoming the vote by the US House of Representatives. It is...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (4 Dec 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: We have had an extraordinary number of achievements and legislative work. It is detailed and important work. The work of tracking legislation and bringing it through takes a year or two. People may have to see their secretarial assistant move on twice or three times in a term, not out of lack of loyalty or because they do not love the work but because they need to progress, they want to be...

Seanad: Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons Bill 2019: Second and Subsequent Stages (4 Dec 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the Minister of State. I join with others in strongly welcoming this legislation and the leadership Ireland has shown on this issue. I will first speak about the importance of this treaty. It is another key moment with regard to the multilateral vision of what international society or international co-operation should look like. It is a key exercise in what we saw in the founding...

Seanad: Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons Bill 2019: Second and Subsequent Stages (4 Dec 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: They have played a key role and we must challenge the movement of arms through Shannon Airport. The State needs to recognise that issue, particularly in a situation where we are not getting the assurances we need. In regard to what happens in Shannon Airport, does the Bill extend to those who may not be Irish citizens but who are passing through our airports? Will they be subject to the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Renewable Energy - Wind, Solar and Biogas: Discussion (4 Dec 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I have read all of the presentations with interest and apologise for not being here to hear them. Some of my points may have been discussed already. I will begin by discussing the renewable gas forum. I wish to make the general point that when we declared a climate emergency we also declared a biodiversity emergency and there is an intersection around our climate and ecological targets....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Renewable Energy - Wind, Solar and Biogas: Discussion (4 Dec 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will ask another question on biogas now.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Renewable Energy - Wind, Solar and Biogas: Discussion (4 Dec 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I have a specific query on dedicated networks and I will come back in when Mr. Fitzgerald is answering.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Renewable Energy - Wind, Solar and Biogas: Discussion (4 Dec 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The advice seems to suggest that the best use of this form of energy is local use on farms or in factories. Is there a role for dedicated local networks? I mean that rather than feed the energy into the grid we could have local networks that feed into specific industries with which there is a relationship. If data centres were located in Ireland they are estimated to lead to a 34% increase...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Renewable Energy - Wind, Solar and Biogas: Discussion (4 Dec 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: On SuperNode, one of the concerns is the effect of just transition on employment. The management of just transition in Scotland has led to great disappointment. People have lost their jobs in more carbon intensive industries and they hoped that transition would be an area of retraining and the creation of a different model. In Ireland the process of onshore may have been done slowly. In...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Renewable Energy - Wind, Solar and Biogas: Discussion (4 Dec 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The BiFab yards in Fife are capable of producing this exact product.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Renewable Energy - Wind, Solar and Biogas: Discussion (4 Dec 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: According to Mr. Fitzgerald, the Government is responsible for guiding and pressing for standards. Is it expected that there will be guidance in areas like procurement, life cycle costing, integrated quality criteria, social benefit and social considerations? That comes into these issues.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Renewable Energy - Wind, Solar and Biogas: Discussion (4 Dec 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Does Mr. Fitzgerald believe legislators have a role in providing guidance in this regard?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Renewable Energy - Wind, Solar and Biogas: Discussion (4 Dec 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I would like to ask the witnesses from the ISEA about public feed-in with regard to solar energy in public buildings.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Renewable Energy - Wind, Solar and Biogas: Discussion (4 Dec 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: We have spoken about the tariff. I think we are a little bit away. We need to reconcile many issues relating to the tariffs and the feed-in. To what extent should we be intensifying our efforts to ensure public buildings are feeding into the grid, even if there is no financial benefit, while increasing the supply within the grid in terms of renewable energy? When I read the initial...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Renewable Energy - Wind, Solar and Biogas: Discussion (4 Dec 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I would say that PPAs are an issue of particular concern. We have heard that planning is being bypassed to facilitate access to land and public roads. I am a little concerned about that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Renewable Energy - Wind, Solar and Biogas: Discussion (4 Dec 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: A lot of solid points have been made about improved planning and moving to 2 MW. As I understand it, PPA contracts are private. We are looking to bypass the planning process to facilitate something that is not necessarily of public benefit.