Results 7,441-7,460 of 8,212 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces Strategy Statement 2017 to 2020: Department of Defence (5 Oct 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I would like to note very positively the fact that the human rights and equality duty has been highlighted in the draft strategy. That is something that all Departments and public bodies should place at the centre of their work. I will touch on some of the same concerns raised by my colleagues here, but I would like some more specific detail in the responses to some of them. Neutrality is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces Strategy Statement 2017 to 2020: Department of Defence (5 Oct 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: An observer member.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces Strategy Statement 2017 to 2020: Department of Defence (5 Oct 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is very important to be clear that the policies of effective multilateralism and military neutrality are both in force. There is not a hierarchy placing one above the other. They are complementary policies that work very closely together. Ireland's policy on military neutrality allowed it to play a key and effective role in pressing for multilateral initiatives on disarmament and in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces Strategy Statement 2017 to 2020: Department of Defence (5 Oct 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I asked a question.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces Strategy Statement 2017 to 2020: Department of Defence (5 Oct 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am not advocating against weapons.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces Strategy Statement 2017 to 2020: Department of Defence (5 Oct 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Can we get the statistics for that aspect?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Engagement on the Future of Europe (Resumed): European Movement Ireland, Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Assocation and Macra na Feirme (4 Oct 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the Chairman for allowing me to contribute. When I was out of the room I followed the debate with interest. I have one suggestion on which I would love to hear the thoughts of the delegation. There is a danger in considering Junker's five scenarios as our frame because we would lose focus on what actually needs to happen in Europe. Much of his focus and the focus of his...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Engagement on the Future of Europe (Resumed): European Movement Ireland, Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Assocation and Macra na Feirme (4 Oct 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the delegates for their presentations in which a number of really interesting points were raised. Luckily, Deputy David Cullinane picked up on some of them. There are one or two areas in which we could probably have a disagreement, but this is not the place in which to do so. I may have had different views from those of the delegates on the habitats and birds directives which have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Engagement on the Future of Europe (Resumed): European Movement Ireland, Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Assocation and Macra na Feirme (4 Oct 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: There was a question on trade.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Social Welfare Schemes (4 Oct 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: This is a question for the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Deputy Regina Doherty. It concerns the situation of lone parents in Ireland. We know from the CSO's survey on income and living, SILC, statistics that the figures on deprivation and poverty experienced by lone parents are hugely out of step with those for the rest of the population. According to the 2014...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Social Welfare Schemes (4 Oct 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Okay.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Social Welfare Schemes (4 Oct 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am a little concerned that some of the analysis is similar to what we have seen before. It is about the language of passivity being equated with conditionality. The passivity in the past in all of those reports, which I have read, was with reference to passivity on the part of the State in offering supports to lone parents. It has switched into a narrative which suggests that lone...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Social Welfare Schemes (4 Oct 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I note for example the area of maintenance where women are being docked payments because of that. Is it instead going to become an issue and will the Minister be taking up our recommendation on maintenance?

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Social Welfare Schemes (4 Oct 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The other recommendation the Minister mentioned on 19 hours-----

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Social Welfare Schemes (4 Oct 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I might follow up in terms of specific recommendations with the Minister. Can the 19 hours per week be addressed as well?

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: While the Civil Engagement group has not produced an alternative budget such as others in this House have done, we have today issued a statement highlighting five principles which we believe should underpin the budget and should be considered very carefully by the Government. Budget 2018 should deliver joined-up thinking for sustainable development. Addressing Ireland's many urgent...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will be contributing to them. The fifth principle is that budget 2018 should meet international standards and commitments, not just our fiscal targets but our commitments to the convention on disability and to climate change. We need to resource those areas as well as delivering rhetoric. I look forward to the budget debate and to teasing these issues out and testing budget 2018 against...

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Oct 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I join others who have spoken of their regrets about the failure of politics in the US in terms of gun control, but the issue that I wish to focus on is one in which politics must not be allowed to fail. It pertains to the scenes that we saw in Catalonia over the weekend. The response from the Taoiseach has not been adequate. He stated that he would not recognise the result, and so be it,...

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Oct 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: We need to address both concerns. That requires active engagement. It is not sufficient that Europe has said that it trusts the leadership of Prime Minister Rajoy, who has praised the "serenity" of riot police, who injured 900 people and used rubber bullets. We need to ask about the role of EU mediation. The Catalan President, Carles Puigdemont, has called for EU mediation. Where does...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection Remit and Legislative Agenda: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (28 Sep 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome the Minister and offer my congratulations to Mr. McKeon on his appointment as Secretary General. I apologise for my croaky voice. I thank the Minister for her presentation and authentic engagement with the reports produced by the committee. I will not go over the ground again in terms of pensions but perhaps it is not an adequate solution to talk about the non-contributory...