Results 741-760 of 8,196 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Committee Stage (29 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 24: In page 21, line 12, before “invest” to insert “directly”. We do not need to go through this in great detail but these amendments relate to the same core issue, that question of the use of external asset managers. As I said, I am uncomfortable with the State's reliance on the use of such external asset managers. The policy needs...

Seanad: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Committee Stage (29 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 25: In page 21, lines 14 to 16, to delete all words from and including “in” in line 14 down to and including “managers),” in line 16.

Seanad: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Committee Stage (29 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 26: In page 21, line 18, after “description” to insert the following: “following the consent of the Minister and the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform”.

Seanad: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Committee Stage (29 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 27: In page 21, to delete lines 21 and 22.

Seanad: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Committee Stage (29 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 28: In page 21, between lines 37 and 38, to insert the following: “Report on external investment managers 29. (1) The Minister shall, within 12 months of the passing of this Act, lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas outlining how the use of external investment managers for the FI Fund, the ICN Fund and any other funds controlled by the Agency...

Seanad: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Committee Stage (29 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 29: In page 22, line 9, to delete “endeavour to”. Amendment No. 29 seeks to amend section 31(1)(a) relating to the investment of fossil fuels by removing the term "endeavour" and thereby creating a stronger obligation. This relates to the nature fund, a fund that is meant to be for climate, infrastructure and nature. There should be no caveats when it...

Seanad: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Committee Stage (29 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: There are loopholes in this section about getting around having a climate and nature fund that invests in fossil fuels. That is what is happening in this section. The section states that that we should try not to invest indirectly if it is a large part of whatever we are investing in. There is then section 31(3), which states that, notwithstanding sections 1 and 2 where we were going to...

Seanad: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Committee Stage (29 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: We are nearly finished. Maybe we can finish the Bill. I am happy to take a shorter response from the Minister of State.

Seanad: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Committee Stage (29 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 30: In page 22, to delete lines 20 to 29.

Seanad: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Committee Stage (29 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 31: In page 22, to delete lines 27 to 29.

Seanad: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Committee Stage (29 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 32: In page 23, between lines 35 and 36, to insert the following: “Investment in companies operating in occupied territories 32. (1) (a) The Agency shall ensure that the assets of a relevant Fund are not directly or indirectly invested in an undertaking operating within an occupied territory. (b) Where the Agency becomes aware that an undertaking in which the...

Seanad: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Committee Stage (29 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 33: In page 23, between lines 35 and 36, to insert the following: “Obligations under Cluster Munitions and Anti-Personnel Mines Act 2008 32. The Agency shall ensure that assets of a relevant fund are not directly or indirectly invested in a manner which would contravene Part 4 of the Cluster Munitions and Anti-Personnel Mines Act 2008.”.

Seanad: Employment Permits Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (28 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 3: In page 12, between lines 28 and 29, to insert the following: “Report on seasonal work 3. The Minister shall, within 12 months of the passing of this Act, lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas reviewing the conditions and wages of workers holding a permit for seasonal work.”.

Seanad: Employment Permits Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (28 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I note that in her amendments, the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, offers a definition of "seasonally recurrent employment". I know the amendments are to move that definition. It is an aspect of the Bill that we have concerns about. It is important that we do not see a pattern of abuse of seasonal work permits where workers are left in a situation of constant precarity and insecurity....

Seanad: Employment Permits Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (28 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Others have articulated the kinds of concerns we have and again, while I appreciate that the Minister of State indicated that there will be an analysis, there are certain other factors that are needed in that analysis. The question of wages needs to be part of it, so that we are not simply looking at analysis that addresses abuses but that we are also looking at the situation of the...

Seanad: Employment Permits Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (28 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 4: In page 12, between lines 28 and 29, to insert the following: “Report on dependent permit holders 3. The Minister shall, within 12 months of the passing of this Act, lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas outlining the labour market access available to spouses of employment permit holders, particularly looking to the gender impact.”.

Seanad: Employment Permits Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (28 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: This amendment provides that within 12 months of the passing of the Act, a report would be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas looking at the labour market access available to spouses of those with employment permits, and particularly the gender impact in the context of that employment. It is a constant refrain, but when we look to employment permits, it is important we remember that...

Seanad: Employment Permits Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (28 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I regret that the Minister of State sees it as outside her scope-----

Seanad: Employment Permits Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (28 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: -----but has indicated a clear understanding of why it is important. I spoke a little about the integration piece as regards financial independence and all those issues, but it is also from the straightforward perspective of family unification. We do not want a situation where one partner has to go abroad to work and has to leave his or her family behind. That is even more of a danger....

Seanad: Employment Permits Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (28 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 5: In page 12, between lines 28 and 29, to insert the following: “Report on workers’ rights 3. The Minister shall, within 12 months of the passing of this Act, lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas reviewing the terms, conditions and remuneration afforded to workers holding regular permits and seasonal permits broken down by sectoral...