Results 7,621-7,640 of 8,482 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Dec 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is an unfortunate and indelicate time to be pushing this through when we are negotiating Brexit.

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Dec 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: My amendment seeks that the Tánaiste and Minister, Deputy Coveney, the Minister of State, Deputy McEntee, or another Minister come to the House for a debate.

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Dec 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: By way of clarification, my amendment seeks that the Taoiseach or a representative of the Government would come to the House for the debate. I believe it is important that those in this House who have concerns have the opportunity to put those concerns on record before this decision is rushed through tomorrow. I trust that the Acting Leader will nonetheless follow through in ensuring that...

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Dec 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: We could accept an alternative representative today.

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Dec 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Yes.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2017: Second Stage (7 Dec 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome the Minister to the House. I first acknowledge there are some positive measures in the Bill which has been put forward. I will, of course, be supporting those measures. There are some progressive elements, particularly in respect of maternity benefit. With regard to the payment increases, we must note that those on reduced rates will not be receiving €5 extra including,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Labour Activation Measures: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank Dr. O'Sullivan for her presentation. I want to pick up on a couple of the themes that have come up. As we will produce a report, we want to gather data to inform the recommendations we bring forward. I want to focus on two areas. The first, which was touched by Deputy O'Dea, is the question of compulsion. This has been a key debating point and Dr. O'Sullivan talked about it very...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Labour Activation Measures: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I wish to elaborate on that. It is perhaps the case that people are not able to be part of the vanguard of the jobs of the future. We know that in some cases people are getting degrees now for jobs that have not been invented yet because the workplace is changing. This is something we afford to all our young people when they choose their courses through the CAO but we do not do it for others.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2017: Committee Stage (6 Dec 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move recommendation No. 3:3. In page 20, between lines 15 and 16, to insert the following:“(3) The Minister for Finance shall, within thirteen months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report on—(a) the total amount of tax advantage accrued to qualifying companies in respect of the Key Employee Engagement Programme, and (b) the...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2017: Committee Stage (6 Dec 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: To clarify two points on which questions were put, Senator Horkan referred to the amount of tax advantage granted under the section. The reason I phrased the recommendation that way was because that is wording from the Bill. Paragraph 8 on page 19 specifically states that a qualifying company shall, when required to do so, by notice in writing by the Revenue Commissioners, furnish...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2017: Committee Stage (6 Dec 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Is that the figure for tax forgone? It is estimated as €10 million.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2017: Committee Stage (6 Dec 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I appreciate the clarification.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2017: Committee Stage (6 Dec 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the Minister of State. It is interesting because I had a different reply when I inquired about the €10 million previously. I appreciate that the Minister of State has clarified that €10 million is the estimated total cost, including tax forgone. I would appreciate if the Minister of State could indicate that this is very different from, for example, the estimate put...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2017: Committee Stage (6 Dec 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will be very brief. I was going to call a vote on this but as time is pushing on I will not do so. I will call a voice vote instead as I know that we need to get through this. I am going to flag this now as something I may raise on Report Stage and it is something I have raised here before, but with all of this talk of small companies I feel I need to bring up the point that, when it...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2017: Committee Stage (6 Dec 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move recommendation No. 5:In page 34, between lines 23 and 24, to insert the following:"(4) The Minister for Finance shall, within six months of the passing of this Act , prepare and lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report—(a) on the impact of Irish Real Estate Funds and the Real Estate Investment Trusts on the Irish property and housing sector, including rental prices and...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2017: Committee Stage (6 Dec 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I understand there is a Government recommendation to be moved so I am happy not to dwell on this issue.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2017: Committee Stage (6 Dec 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: To clarify, while the Minister of State says he cannot accept the recommendation and its provision in respect of a report, will the issues arising from Revenue's investigations and his conversations be brought into the public domain where we can debate them? I understand his concern. This is what I meant. He has an issue of willingness to engage on the issues and has expressed that concern...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2017: Committee Stage (6 Dec 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: There is a concern that these are such major actors in our economy and we are not able to discuss them. We are not simply talking about the very small number of REITs; we are talking about IREFs as well. Perhaps we can revisit the matter, but it is important, not only in the context of the tax strategy paper, that we can have public debates on the actions of these entities and the relevant...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2017: Committee Stage (6 Dec 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Given the Minister of State's comments, I will press the recommendation.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (6 Dec 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I support the recommendation. We did not have an opportunity to debate it due to time constraints, but I was very supportive of the recommendation on banks and their losses. I reserve the right to raise on Report Stage the issue of banks and their losses which was discussed previously by Sinn Féin.