Results 681-700 of 8,766 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Finance Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Nov 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move recommendation No. 42: In page 163, between lines 23 and 24, to insert the following: "Report on Knowledge Development Box 103. The Minister shall, within six months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report on the links between the research and development activities supported by tax relief arising from the Knowledge Development...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Nov 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move recommendation No. 43: In page 163, between lines 23 and 24, to insert the following: “Report on tax relief policy 103. The Minister shall, within six months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report on measures to improve the gender and equality impact of policies in respect of tax relief, including comparative analysis...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Nov 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move recommendation No. 44: In page 163, between lines 23 and 24, to insert the following: “Report on weight-based taxation of motor vehicles 103. The Minister shall, within six months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report on measures to introduce differential motor vehicle taxation rates based on the vehicle’s...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Employment Rights (5 Nov 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. What plans and measures are in place, including legislative measures, to implement the EU directive on adequate minimum wages, which I understand was published in October 2022 and must be transposed into Irish law by 15 November 2024?I am concerned that we have not seen legislative measures and legislation coming through the Houses. I am not...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Employment Rights (5 Nov 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: While there have been all these meetings, we are now entering into an election. The transposition will be concluded by November. I am concerned that we would have a minimalist approach to the transposition. I hope the Minister of State can reassure me. She mentioned the action plan. What steps will be taken to ensure that legislative measures are considered within the action plan in...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Employment Rights (5 Nov 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the Minister of State. I lastly suggest that 80% would be a good target.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: COP29: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is not a subjective view, although the term “fast-tracking” perhaps is. Let us be clear that applications for liquefied natural gas infrastructure would previously have had to go through a local authority and then An Bord Pleanála, whereas they can now go directly to An Bord Pleanála. That is a shorter planning application process than was previously the case....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: COP29: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It speeds up the process of planning applications for this infrastructure.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: COP29: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: What the Chairman has described is what I have described. We obviously see that differently.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: COP29: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It has been a very positive innovation to always have an annual hearing before COP. I commend the Chair on that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: COP29: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: There is still a concern about liquefied natural gas infrastructure, so it seems there is a need for a very strong signal in the other direction, possibly at COP or elsewhere. This sends a signal that seems to be contradictory to someone who is looking at it as an anti-fossil fuel proliferation activist internationally and who may also campaigning locally against fracked gas in their area,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: COP29: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: This COP is primarily focused on finance as opposed to mitigation. Is there scope for progress on the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance at the COP? Will Ireland's credibility be somewhat undermined because we went in with very strong fossil fuel divestment legislation? It is interesting that the fact this may need to be strengthened was mentioned. There is a discussion now about the fact that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: COP29: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Ireland could sign up. We would only be signing up in principle at this point.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: COP29: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: That is really useful because we hear about the many issues developing countries have in accessing climate finance and, in a wider sense, accessing finance from private sources. Those are all issues, even in terms of the credit rating issues, and there are a lot of other things that come in, that can be addressed through the debate on Article 2.1, which is basically improving the way our...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: COP29: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Is Trócaire Ireland looking for a levy on corporations as part of the new forms of financing and that there is a tax on the fossil fuel industry?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: COP29: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: On where Ireland can come in, Ireland has committed to €225 million. Mr. Fitzpatrick has made it clear that our share of the €100 billion would be closer to €500 million per annum. Interestingly, when loans come through they are very much attached to very strict conditionality to debt repayment. I refer to the pledges and promises that have been made by developed...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: COP29: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will quickly mention two things and then I will wait for a third round. The danger of money going the wrong way has been mentioned, that is, the danger of money going to fossil fuels companies and others that have created the crisis. They have got these huge subsidies, as mentioned, of many trillions of euro and yet it seems that a lot of new climate finance is, potentially, being...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: COP29: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: With regard to the new collective quantified goal, Ireland will have a key role in negotiating and representing the EU position in the discussions. To be clear, among the key obstacles in the EU's position is the unwillingness to declare a goal, although it is called the new collective quantified goal. Subgoals were mentioned. Is it correct there will be subgoals on loss and damage? The...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Review of Climate Action Plan 2024: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (24 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the Minister for his opening statement. I will pick up on some of the points raised by Deputy Murphy. I was very surprised to hear this narrative that we will have lots of energy down the line and so we need to facilitate large energy users now. It seems to be very much a cart before the horse situation. Surely if we are in a situation where we were to have a large amount of...