Results 6,401-6,420 of 8,482 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Bogus Self Employment: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jun 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am very interested in their responses. I will be brief. As was stated, the importance of definitions of what constitutes an employee and a self-employed person has become clear. I wish to commend Senator Nash, who made a very good attempt to set those definitions. I ask the witnesses to comment on what seems to be the inadequacy of the case-by-case approach. Although it is...

Seanad: Adoption, Information and Tracing: Statements (19 Jun 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I concur as this is an opportunity to make better law. It is also an opportunity to genuinely engage on and shape the Ireland in which we want to live by addressing the many injustices that occurred in the past. I again acknowledge in the Minister's statements the principles to which she spoke. We are living in an Ireland that has acknowledged a child's rights by popular mandate. It is an...

Seanad: Adoption, Information and Tracing: Statements (19 Jun 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I apologise for interrupting, but the public good is a legitimate ground as set out in the law. I want to make that point in case it is useful.

Seanad: Community Participation (Disability) (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2019: Second Stage (19 Jun 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I am happy our group is collectively supporting Senator Dolan and putting this Bill forward. I commend Senator Dolan. There is much about this Bill that reflects his specific approach, and also reflects the original thematic focus and vision of the Seanad. The idea was that a frame would be applied to legislation from all Departments and...

Seanad: Community Participation (Disability) (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2019: Second Stage (19 Jun 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: If it is 13 for every 100 persons, consider what it must it be for 2,000 persons. In any large place of public assembly, we should see that reflected. I will move on to another key point: playgrounds. The Democratic Programme of the First Dáil has been mentioned very eloquently. Within that is the first duty of the State to children. Surely it is the case that children must be able...

Seanad: Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (12 Jun 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will speak to the section but I first want to acknowledge that there have been attempts to move forward on certain aspects of this Bill. The removal of the undertaking is important and should be acknowledged. I know that this was difficult to achieve and that the concession was hard won. There are also attempts to make the process more functional but there are principles and points of...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 May 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Go raibh maith agat. At least I have the opportunity to continue as a European parliamentarian in the Seanad, if not in the European Parliament. I thank the Cathaoirleach very much for his kind thoughts. I am very happy to be still in this House and to be able to use this Chamber. I agree with the sentiments expressed by Senator Ardagh, who raised concerns about spoiled votes. They would...

Seanad: Civil Registration Bill 2019: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 May 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Yes. This is a very difficult subject and I am conscious that many decisions are being made in a void. People have been trying to build their families in different ways and doing so in the absence of a legal framework. That makes it difficult when we then try to introduce a framework or regulatory structure. It is very important to look at the rights of the children who now exist to...

Seanad: Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 May 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Amendments Nos. 17 and 18 relate to what happens after an area ceases to be designated as a natural heritage area under subsection 3(b), basically after the de-designation process. I want to mark down that since we last debated this issue a climate emergency and biodiversity crisis have been declared. We have acknowledged the urgency of the issues we face with respect to the climate and the...

Seanad: Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 May 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome the proposals of the Minister of State in regard to retrofitting. We discussed fuel poverty and other issues around social protection and payments that might be needed, and that is something we may develop further. It is noteworthy that there is a parallel debate regarding the potential for carbon storage payments that may emerge under the Common Agricultural Policy. It would be...

Seanad: Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 May 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 18:In page 5, between lines 18 and 19, to insert the following:“(8) Where an area ceases to be designated as a natural heritage area under subsection (3)(b)(ii), without prejudice to turbary rights for household use, commercial harvesting shall not be permitted beyond 2030.”.

Seanad: Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 May 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 19:In page 5, line 24, to delete “includes” and substitute “does not include”. The amendment relates to the fact we have already discussed, which I will not discuss at length again, that blanket bogs were added to this Bill over the course of the debate on it. Blanket bogs have particular environmental benefits and also particular...

Seanad: Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 May 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Nonetheless, the Bill does provide for and set out a route for the de-designation of NHAs, which are blanket bogs. Special SACs are protected under European law. It is not an option for us to de-designate them, so we cannot make too much of a virtue of the fact that we are not doing so. The fact is that there are provisions in this Bill, for example, in section 8(b) relating to blanket...

Seanad: Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 May 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 20:In page 5, line 31, after “function” to insert “and having regard to matters referred to in section 16(6)”.

Seanad: Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 May 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: As I hope the Minister of State may engage with the amendment because it relates to the scientific criteria in section 16(6), I am not pressing it at this point, with the hope that we may have some scope to engage with section 16(6). I reserve the right to bring it back on Report Stage.

Seanad: Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 May 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 21:In page 5, to delete lines 34 to 38. Again, in respect to my colleague, Senator Grace O'Sullivan, and her desire to engage on this issue, I am going to withdraw it for now and reserve the right to reintroduce it on Report Stage.

Seanad: Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 May 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 22:In page 6, between lines 9 and 10, to insert the following:“Report on exercise of turbary rights 5.The Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht shall, within twelve months of the passing of this Act, lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas containing guidelines and recommended thresholds in relation to the exercise of turbary rights including...

Seanad: Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 May 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: If the Bill was confined to the issues of natural heritage and that was its primary and clear focus, I would of course have to accept the Minister of State's points and bona fides. However, it is very clear from the criteria the Minister assigns him or herself for making decisions in this Bill that national, regional, and local economic, social, and cultural needs are placed in the centre of...

Seanad: Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 May 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will make a final comment. The Minister of State referred to the needs of turf cutters, which are clearly at the centre of much of the consultation. They are the stakeholders who have been centre stage in this process. However, if we are talking about the needs of turf cutters then it is not too much to also ask about the responsibilities and accountability of turf cutters. That is what...

Seanad: Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 May 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 23:In page 6, between lines 9 and 10, to insert the following: “Report on intergenerational justice and equity issues 5. The Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht shall, within twelve months of the passing of this Act, lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas considering intergenerational justice and equity issues in respect of bog lands; to...