Results 6,801-6,820 of 8,482 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

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...

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: On a point of order, I want to put on the record-----

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: Yes. I want to put on the record that it is inappropriate that a money message would have been flagged at this point. It is, of course, at the discretion of the Ceann Comhairle-----

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is because we were told-----

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: -----a money message is not relevant to this House and the intention was stated-----

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: I simply want it noted that it is at the discretion of the Ceann Comhairle as to whether a money message is even needed. It is a poor indication of bad process.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Nov 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It was wonderful to be part of a photograph of all current and former women Members of the Oireachtas. I pay tribute to all those former women Members and the immense contribution that many of them have made to both Houses. Sunday was World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. Last year 158 people lost their lives on Irish roads, which included 15 cyclists and 30 pedestrians. It...

Seanad: Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2017: Second Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The Bill has many positive elements and there are sections that I commend specifically. There may be opportunity on Committee Stage to go through some of those sections. I am happy to see the narrow bands in the banded contracts. There have been some good decisions on this and that should be retained. I had the opportunity in April to launch the TASC report “Living with...

Seanad: Greyhound Racing Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am happy to co-sign the amendments. On traceability and registration, the substitution of the word "shall" is important because we cannot have an industry in which such things "may" be introduced. Section 28(2) also contains the word "may" where I believe "shall" should be used. I reserve the right, therefore, to introduce an amendment on Report Stage to copperfasten that provision,...

Seanad: Greyhound Racing Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I appreciate the Minister of State's engagement. In regard to section 29, I suggest that there are other ways. In this House we often deal with legislation which intersects with or is layered on top of other legislation. There is still scope to use the word "shall" in section 29, for example, by amending the wording to "shall make appropriate regulation". That might be a way to do it. I...

Seanad: Greyhound Racing Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: As I referred to earlier, I hope we will have an opportunity to look at this again between now and Report Stage. I hear what the Minister of State is saying about the importance of things being compatible with and in appropriate relationship with other legislation. This issue appears throughout the Bill. In a spirit of constructive engagement, I suggest that where the word "shall" appears,...

Seanad: Greyhound Racing Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It has been outlined that there are serious animal welfare concerns in respect of the use of drugs in the industry, apart from the distorting of the industry and the other effects that my colleague has outlined. I indicate my support for amendment No. 8d in particular. In section 27(3), I am concerned that at the moment it sets out that:Where a sample from a greyhound is found to have...

Seanad: Fossil Fuel Divestment Bill 2016: Second Stage (14 Nov 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome the Minister and the visitors in the Gallery. I wish to give the sincerest welcome to this Bill and I congratulate Deputy Pringle and his assistant, Jodie Neary, who did so much to bring this Bill through. It was an example of an Independent politician taking a global perspective, rather than a local perspective. I commend all parties, including the Government, on their support...

Seanad: Fossil Fuel Divestment Bill 2016: Second Stage (14 Nov 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am sure we will have further opportunities to discuss it. I respect the point made by my colleague, Senator Ned O'Sullivan, that we should not say or do anything that would endanger the project.

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Ms Deirdre Hargey, Lord Mayor of Belfast (8 Nov 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome Ms Hargey and congratulate her on her powerful, historic address. My colleague from the Civil Engagement Group, of which I am a leader, spoke very clearly about the vote taken on the Good Friday Agreement being a choice made not simply for peace and political solutions but for community engagement and co-operation, rights, and a vision of society at the time. I will perhaps begin...