Results 7,921-7,940 of 8,768 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

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.

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: In reviewing the 9% VAT rate as the year goes on, will the Minister of State consider hotels' compliance and engagement with joint labour committees? If we want to see real economic benefits from these measures and the hospitality industry, we must ensure that those working in it, who often have homes locally and who are there when the tourist season is over, have sufficient incomes. That...

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: In regard to the discussion on labour rights and employment pay rates, while all Members know good and bad employers, there are facts and figures provided by the Low Pay Commission with which to work. There are also very clear targets relating to this area, such as those under the sustainable development goals and gender equality. The figures and information we have, such as the Low Pay...

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move recommendation No. 11:In page 88, line 2, to delete “9 months” and substitute “6 months”.

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move recommendation No. 13:In page 88, between lines 6 and 7, to insert the following:“86. The Minister for Finance shall—(a) within six months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas an equality statement to examine how the measures contained in the Finance Act 2017impact upon equality in Ireland, and (b) ensure that Budget 2019 is...

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move recommendation No. 14:In page 88, between lines 6 and 7, to insert the following:“86. 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 assessing the impact of Finance Act 2017on Ireland’s progressive implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, including the target under...

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move recommendation No. 15:In page 88, between lines 6 and 7, to insert the following:“86. 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 on—(a) how Part 30 of the Principal Act might be amended to allow for replacement of the current marginal rate tax relief in respect of private...

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: I believe that this recommendation is one of the most important in the Bill. It asks the Minister to consider creating a report for the Oireachtas looking at how an amendment within Part 30 of the principal Act might be made for the replacement of the current marginal rate tax relief for private pensions with a standard rate tax relief. The recommendation also proposes an alternative to...

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will not press it at this time but I will raise it again on Report Stage because I believe it needs to be debated.

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: I absolutely agree.

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: We can address it on Report Stage. I will be bringing the recommendation back on Report Stage.

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015: Statements (6 Dec 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome the Minister to the Seanad to present this annual transition statement from his Department. Others have touched on reports of just how far off track Ireland is in terms of meeting its climate change targets for 2020. I do not want to go into too much detail on that issue, but I do want to highlight it. It is a matter of very serious concern that we have fallen 28 places in the...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Dec 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I join those who have been speaking about Brexit and the Brexit negotiations. I do think that Ireland has been represented well in those negotiations, and I share the same concern that others have expressed about the deterioration yesterday afternoon and the hope that we can step back and resume progress again. I want to highlight three issues which I consider to be very important in...

Seanad: Department of Rural and Community Development: Statements (5 Dec 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I apologise on behalf of Senator Grace O'Sullivan, who will be joining the new committee. She is not able to be here because she is stuck in transit at the moment. I thank the Minister for his speech, in which he displayed his passionate and detailed approach to all facets of life in our communities and in rural Ireland. When we consider these issues, it is important to look at all facets...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Heritage Bill 2016: Discussion (Resumed) (5 Dec 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: There is a relevance between the Common Agricultural Policy and the Heritage Bill in terms of the choices that will have to be made by the farming community and the lobby groups. There are opportunities now with the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy to address some of the contradictions which exist and have been spoken about. There have been contradictions in respect of one set of...