Results 6,721-6,740 of 8,491 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I have acknowledged that.

Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is a point of grammar.

Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I wish to speak to my amendment No. 6. There is a very serious concern over the word "avert", which we have discussed at length and on which I understand there has been commentary from different sides. It was aired on Committee Stage in the House so we do not have to go into too much detail on it. "Avert" is an absolute word which is generally construed as meaning to "stop" or to "turn...

Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: A number of persons who are not in the House have been mentioned.

Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will be very brief. I know the Minister will be able to respond in greater detail regarding most of the issues. There are so many inaccuracies that I will not attempt to address all of them. One that is key is the fact that it was made clear that it was intended to be publicly funded. I saw a billboard attacking the Minister for that very proposal during the campaign. At the time, I...

Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The Senator is strongly off topic now.

Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It took him 11 minutes.

Seanad: Centenary of 1918 General Election and Irish Women’s Right to Vote: Motion (13 Dec 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It has been an honour to be part of the Vótáil 100 committee in the Oireachtas and to work with colleagues across the House in marking the centenary of women partially achieving suffrage. There were many events during the year, including visiting England with the portrait of Countess Markievicz and visiting Eva Gore-Booth's grave. There was a very powerful transition year debate...

Seanad: Children's Digital Protection Bill 2018: Second Stage (12 Dec 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I join others in welcoming the Bill. Having the advantage of speaking at the end, I welcome the strong consensus on all sides of the House in recognising self-regulation is not adequate in this area. It is encouraging that we are hearing various proposals from all the parties and groupings. I am hopeful that we will find ways to work together and combine the best legislative proposals....

Seanad: Children's Digital Protection Bill 2018: Second Stage (12 Dec 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: This is my key point. Let us work together on this legislation. Let us start by commencing the legislation already on the Statute Book to counter situations like gambling. There are situations involving companies advertising what are supposedly health products that are extremely dangerous to young people. We know that marketing lists are used all the time for profiling. A child may have...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Dec 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: We will debate the Finance Bill later today. As is often the case, particularly with Finance Bills, I was disappointed to have a number of my proposals for areas that should be looked at and debated ruled out of order either because they were considered to be a potential charge on the State, did not arise out of Committee Stage or were not relevant. I know this is a decision of the...

Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Very serious words are being used in this context. It is not appropriate.

Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will be extremely brief. Ultrasounds are an invasive procedure but there are many situations in which that invasive procedure is justified on medical grounds. This is why people have these procedures for medical reasons. This is covered by "examination" in terms of the Bill whereby an ultrasound is required as part of the examination.

Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I do not mind speaking over it while the situation is being resolved. In terms of the examination, ultrasound is already covered where it is medically required, but that is not what the amendment is doing. What the amendment is stating is there would be situations in which a woman may believe she has been offered an ultrasound by the doctor because it is medically necessary but in fact it...

Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: -----on which the procedure would be offered. It is also deeply impractical because at present we have a situation whereby we know there are significant shortages in parts of Cork and other areas. Women are waiting until very late for anomaly scans that may be necessary in terms of perinatal care and ensuring the protection of a baby after birth. Ultrasounds should be medically necessary....

Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: This section refers to services for women in accordance with the Act of 2018. This point has been addressed previously but I am asking for reassurance so I can avoid tabling amendments on Report Stage in this regard. The Minister mentioned that in the interpretation of women, because it is confined to services for women, he is using the Interpretation Act 2005 and its recognition regarding...

Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (10 Dec 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Section 10 already has a higher bar built in. Paragraph 10(1)(b) states these actions are taken only if "it is immediately necessary to carry out the termination of pregnancy in order to avert that risk".

Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (10 Dec 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: We are on amendment No. 15. The key phrase is "immediately necessary". I refer to where termination of the pregnancy is the necessary and only step that can be taken to avert the risk to the life or serious health of the mother in an emergency. Therefore, the bar is already very high. Unfortunately, if we were to accept the amendment, the immediate action to be taken to avert the risk to...