Results 6,501-6,520 of 8,196 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Greyhound Racing Bill 2018: Report Stage (29 Nov 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 18:In page 22, line 24, to delete “may” and substitute “shall”.

Seanad: Greyhound Racing Bill 2018: Report Stage (29 Nov 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I second the amendment.

Seanad: Greyhound Racing Bill 2018: Report Stage (29 Nov 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I second the amendment.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Nov 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 82:In page 26, to delete line 38 and substitute the following: “(b) is suitable on grounds of character, temperament and capacity, and”. I wish to withdraw the amendment but reserve the right to reintroduce it on Report Stage.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Nov 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 83:In page 26, to delete line 39. I wish to withdraw the amendment but reserve the right to reintroduce it on Report Stage.

Seanad: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Nov 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will address some of the concerns raised by Senator Richmond. The definition of "international tribunal" is that used under the Fourth Geneva Convention. I know there was concern as to what the definition might be. We are very safe in that all this language is taken from the Fourth Geneva Convention and its precedent. Section 3(1)(d) relates to the capacity of the Minister. It is...

Seanad: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Nov 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I take issue with the point on unlawfulness. We have been very clear. There are differing legal opinions. We have not seen the legal opinion of the Attorney General but Mr. Michael Lynn, Professor James Crawford-----

Seanad: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Nov 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is important to state this Bill is very careful in law. As others have indicated, we are open to Report Stage amendments to take even further cognisance of EU court rulings in respect of the laws in this area. The opinion we have had from Professor Takis Tridimas is the one given to the International Court of Justice. We are internationalists and our peace-building role gives us...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2018: Second Stage (27 Nov 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome the Minister to the House. There are many welcome measures in the Bill to which others have referred. Since they have already been spoken about, I will highlight a few of my concerns in respect of the Bill, particularly on taxation. Others have spoken at length about the fact that the measures introduced and choices made on tax relief in the Finance Bill afford larger benefits to...

Seanad: Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Naturalisation of Minors Born in Ireland) Bill 2018: Second Stage (21 Nov 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Senator Black is first and I will take the next slot.

Seanad: Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Naturalisation of Minors Born in Ireland) Bill 2018: Second Stage (21 Nov 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Will there be a second round?

Seanad: Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Naturalisation of Minors Born in Ireland) Bill 2018: Second Stage (21 Nov 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: There is a second round.

Seanad: Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Naturalisation of Minors Born in Ireland) Bill 2018: Second Stage (21 Nov 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will move to the Bill shortly. I will address the 2004 referendum first since it has been discussed. This was the first campaign that I was involved in after my return from America, where I was a migrant for many years. In the US, many of my fellow migrants had formed relationships and had children, and some were working to regularise their status. Many migrants, whether documented,...

Seanad: Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Naturalisation of Minors Born in Ireland) Bill 2018: Second Stage (21 Nov 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: They did, absolutely. I worked for an anti-racism project when I came back which produced educational materials that were meant to be used in a small context and we were overrun with requests for them. One of the documents we produced with the Comhlamh anti-racism project was called "Myths and Facts" and was about asylum seekers. We talk about showing emotion. This referendum was loaded...

Seanad: Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Naturalisation of Minors Born in Ireland) Bill 2018: Second Stage (21 Nov 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I would be happy to rerun it but we do not need to wait for that.

Seanad: Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Naturalisation of Minors Born in Ireland) Bill 2018: Second Stage (21 Nov 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Another emotion which was used and activated during that referendum was hate. We saw an increase in hate crimes. An Amnesty International report at the time highlighted that African women were the largest target of hate crimes. We had numerous reports of attacks on pregnant African women in our country. That increased following the referendum and during it

Seanad: Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Naturalisation of Minors Born in Ireland) Bill 2018: Second Stage (21 Nov 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: That was the context. We move forward now. The tide has changed. The proposed legislation respects the 2004 referendum and its spirit. As everyone in the House has acknowledged, it includes the right to provide for a route to citizenship and that is still open to us. It also reflects some understanding of the children's rights referendum which we have had since then. The principle of...

Seanad: Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Naturalisation of Minors Born in Ireland) Bill 2018: Second Stage (21 Nov 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It depends on the status of their parents and on whether their parents are undocumented. There is a concern. There has been an identified risk of statelessness which needs to be addressed and which this legislation would help. I agree with my colleague on one issue. Discretion is good; I do not have a problem with discretion. There is a role for it in humanitarian leave to remain. It is...

Seanad: Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Naturalisation of Minors Born in Ireland) Bill 2018: Second Stage (21 Nov 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I have come to my final minute.

Seanad: Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Naturalisation of Minors Born in Ireland) Bill 2018: Second Stage (21 Nov 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will conclude. That inequality is damaging to children and it creates an insecure and unequal environment in school. Bearing in mind that decisions should be made within three years anyway, the Bill would allow that any child who is over three years of age and is starting to attend school could do so on an equal basis with other children. I urge the Minister to seek high standards. I...