Results 7,381-7,400 of 8,196 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Money Advice and Budgeting Service Restructuring: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Nov 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Ms Mangan has said that financial pressure is ultimately the key point in requiring the boards to dissolve themselves. Would she see-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Money Advice and Budgeting Service Restructuring: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Nov 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Does she envision a point at which private providers, for example, may be asked to deliver these services?

Seanad: Commencement Matters: European Security Strategy (21 Nov 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome the Minister of State. Will he assure us that Ireland will not sign up to permanent structured co-operation, PESCO, on security and defence at a European level? What are his views on the concerns raised regarding Ireland's neutrality, our triple-lock system and our crucial role in peace-building and arms control if we did sign up? I also ask him to address the position regarding...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: European Security Strategy (21 Nov 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will conclude.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: European Security Strategy (21 Nov 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I ask the Minister of State to respond.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: European Security Strategy (21 Nov 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The potential for PESCO is part of the treaty, but it is not a sanctioning of PESCO. That is a separate recommendation.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: European Security Strategy (21 Nov 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is a very sad day. In times of far more pressure during the 1940s members of the Minister of State's party and other parties met to discuss the role Ireland would play. I was looking back on those debates from the 1940s, in which one Member said, "This country belongs not to the Government or to any political party: it is the common heritage of Irish men and women of all classes." These...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Nov 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I want to highlight three areas of international co-operation on policy for Ireland. The first issue I want to highlight is the European pillar of social rights, as unveiled last Friday by EU leaders, including the Taoiseach, at the EU social summit in Stockholm, which was the first such summit for 20 years. I welcome this document, even if it is not perfect. If the EU is to thrive, it...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Nov 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Regarding PESCO, the opt-out was what was debated in terms of-----

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Nov 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It was not a mandate for-----

Seanad: JobPath: Motion (15 Nov 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I thank the proposer of the motion and the proposer of the amendment. There are certain things with which we can all agree. For example, the idea that it is important people are given supports to access appropriate routes out of unemployment, be that education, training or employment and that there is a need to give people a range of skills and...

Seanad: JobPath: Motion (15 Nov 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I have not said a fraction of what I want to say. We have a serious concern about how JobPath was set up and we have serious concerns about how it has been rolled out. As I have only one minute left I will focus on one of my key areas of concern but I will raise all of them again and at meetings of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Social Protection. I am seriously concerned about the...

Seanad: JobPath: Motion (15 Nov 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The missing piece in this is the local employment services which provide the kind of holistic wraparound services and supports which we saw in the youth guarantee. That is able to give the big picture of supports. I am very concerned that local employment services are not an option for people. I am concerned that none of the motions tonight talk about education as an option for unemployed...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Nov 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Will the Leader convey our concern that people who often live from payment to payment, week to week, have been told they cannot access their pensions without a public service card, despite an answer from the Minister this week in which she assured us that An Post did not require the public service card of people accessing pensions and other payments? The Data Protection Commissioner is...

Seanad: International Protection (Family Reunification) (Amendment) Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Nov 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I support the amendment and reserve the right to put forward a similar amendment on Report Stage to ensure the expedious implementation of the Bill in the event this amendment is not successful. I remind the Government of its key role in chairing the UN special meeting on refugees and migrants and ask it to be in sprit with that and not to effectively introduce constraints on refugees by...

Seanad: International Protection (Family Reunification) (Amendment) Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Nov 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It might not be used very much here-----

Seanad: Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Nov 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will be brief. Others have spoken eloquently on this issue. I emphasise that minimum unit pricing is an essential core aspect of the Bill. It is deeply evidenced and is not just a matter of opinion. We know it makes a difference to how alcohol is consumed and to how much alcohol is consumed.

Seanad: Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Nov 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I said I was going to speak on that issue but I will not. It is an essential part of the Bill and I hope it will go the full distance so we will not see it challenged on later Stages. Scotland showed leadership. Minimum unit pricing was not in place in other parts of the United Kingdom. Scotland showed leadership and made that commitment. We should be modelled on Scotland in showing...

Seanad: Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Nov 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I want to speak to amendment No. 24 which Senator Nash was not here to move.

Seanad: Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Nov 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am informing the House that I may propose a similar amendment on Report Stage which may deal with cancers and some of the issue raised by another Senator about issues such as strokes. Advertising is being dealt with in other jurisdictions. I lived in America for five years and saw warnings attached to certain gambling and financial products. There are many jurisdictions that have found...