Results 6,701-6,720 of 8,196 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Data Sharing and Governance Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Jul 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Believe it or not, I may wish to come back on the Schedule because it defines the bodies that cannot be defined as a public body. Earlier on Committee Stage we had some debate on the definition of "public body".

Seanad: Data Sharing and Governance Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Jul 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Depending on how we move forward on the definition of "public body", we may need to look at the schedule. I am just signalling that.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Jul 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is important to recognise that diversity is not an abstract concept or something invented by my colleague, Senator Ruane, which we must approach for the first time and imagine how we could possibly achieve or determine it. Diversity is an established concept and value which has been shown to have exceptional merit and be an important element, particularly in decision-making. The lack of...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Jul 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Yes, it was today but it may have been mentioned yesterday too and, perhaps, will be again tomorrow. Given our concern around what the Council of Europe and GRECO have stated about the Bill, it is worth noting that the Council of Europe has pushed for and called for greater diversity in our Judiciary. There was a report last year which found that only 28% of the 43 countries in the Council...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Jul 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The point is that the merit argument was used in respect of the gender quota and was used for years. We need to support the idea of diversity. I am sure it can be strengthened in how it is formulated. I am sure my colleague would be willing to work with people around that. It is important that we are serious about diversity. In respect of the other two amendments, I am torn on the...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Jul 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Does the Minister think he might be in a position to give a commitment that the report will be published before this Bill moves from Committee Stage to Report Stage? I know this would not satisfy most people, but we need to have a timeline. We certainly cannot move to Report Stage without having read it. I know we are nowhere near Report Stage.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Jul 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Okay. I am saying it would be useful to make sure we are not planning to move to Report Stage next Tuesday without the report having been published.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Jul 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I wish to clarify that I voted earlier to postpone this debate.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Jul 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I also want to give due recognition to the Minister's statement that the matter will go before the Cabinet on Thursday, because on Tuesday it was-----

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Jul 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: He said he would bring it to the Cabinet.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Jul 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Which is Thursday.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Jul 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Okay. I am asking for clarification on the timeline. That is something that can be put through.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Jul 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am simply asking for clarity on the timeline.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Crosscare Emigrant Support Service: Discussion (28 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the witnesses for their presentation and for the work that Crosscare has done in recent decades. It has been very important for multiple generations of emigrants and, indeed, immigrants to Ireland. I echo what Deputy Bríd Smith stated. Over 200,000 young people left Ireland. In this same committee we have heard presentations about pensions - another key focus - which...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Crosscare Emigrant Support Service: Discussion (28 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: That makes great sense as does the idea of almost proactively looking to when visas expire to make that offer. I have two very specific follow-up points. First, I was very concerned about what Ms McAvoy said about naturalised citizens and particularly that they might be having a humiliating or degrading experience. Is there concern, if not about racial profiling, then about persons who...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Crosscare Emigrant Support Service: Discussion (28 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Was it in 2009 or 2010, in particular when one is speaking about a common travel area, that the right to residence became somewhat conditional, that is, was being linked to secure employment etc.? How does that have an impact? I know it affects persons who have been resident in other common travel areas of the EU for a period and who have previously moved over. In terms of the contexts we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Crosscare Emigrant Support Service: Discussion (28 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Do immigrants from other EU states interact much with Crosscare's services?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Crosscare Emigrant Support Service: Discussion (28 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: There is a different set of rules.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Crosscare Emigrant Support Service: Discussion (28 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: There are different entitlements.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Crosscare Emigrant Support Service: Discussion (28 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: May I ask one question?