Results 8,081-8,100 of 8,768 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Prohibition of Onshore Hydraulic Fracturing) Bill 2016: Committee and Remaining Stages (28 Jun 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I again commend Deputy Tony McLoughlin and all Members in the House on passing the Bill. It is very important that it is passed today, and I recognise those who were unable to support the amendment in that regard, because regulatory co-operation under the Comprehensive and Economic Trade Agreement, CETA, is due to start in July and would potentially have jeopardised this Bill. The...

Seanad: Home Care Services: Motion (28 Jun 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I will be supporting the motion. This is an important issue and one that has been crucial to me in my campaigning life. I had the honour of working with Older and Bolder, with other organisations across Ireland and with thousands of older people in the Make Home Work campaign. It is so clear whenever we talk to older people that, in the vast...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jun 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I seek clarification with regard to the motion in respect of the special joint committee. Am I correct in understanding that there will be five minutes for a debate on that?

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jun 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I asked for-----

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jun 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: That is perfect. I was actually here but I just wanted to clarify that to determine whether I needed to use my time on the Order of Business to speak to that issue. I thank the Leader for that.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jun 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I appreciate it. As was mentioned, we will be speaking on the motion. We have tabled an amendment in respect of the order that has come through from the Committee on Procedure and Privileges. We are very concerned about the motion, especially with regard to its effective barring of substitution on a new committee, but we will have an opportunity to speak to that when the motion is being...

Seanad: Special Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Motion (20 Jun 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 1:In paragraph (ii), to delete "the provisions of Standing Order 81 shall not apply to the Committee" and substitute "the provisions of Standing Order 81(1) shall apply to the Committee save that only one member and no other member may act as a substitute for an absent member: Provided that the name of such substitute be notified in writing by the relevant member of the...

Seanad: Special Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Motion (20 Jun 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I acknowledge that.

Seanad: Special Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Motion (20 Jun 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am pressing it. I want to acknowledge-----

Seanad: Special Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Motion (20 Jun 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Nobody else has spoken. They should be allowed to speak.

Seanad: Special Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Motion (20 Jun 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Do Sinn Féin Senators want to speak? Sinn Féin Senators had indicated they wanted to speak.

Seanad: Special Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Motion (20 Jun 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Yes, and I would like to acknowledge that we sought to negotiate a compromise. I appreciate the Leader's recognition that this is not a good practice.I hope we will robustly oppose any further use of this non-substitution clause in future. In that spirit, I am pressing the amendment.

Seanad: Adoption (Amendment) Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (13 Jun 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: On a point of information, and this is a factual point, none of the amendments "require", they are all voluntary in their scope.

Seanad: Adoption (Amendment) Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (13 Jun 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is regrettable that the Minister is unable to take these amendments on board. Post-adoption contact plans are a reality. In addition, anything that is dealt with in a culture of secrecy, non-acknowledgement and non-transparency with regard to children in Ireland is a bad idea. All the experts and groups across the board, including Barnardos, the foster carers of Ireland, who are the...

Seanad: Adoption (Amendment) Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (13 Jun 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 3:In page 8, after line 40, to insert the following:“(7) The Authority shall ensure that those considering adoption are provided with—(a) information on options and best practices regarding post-adoption voluntary contact plans, and (b) information on relevant post-adoption services and supports.”.

Seanad: Adoption (Amendment) Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (13 Jun 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 4:In page 11, between lines 11 and 12, to insert the following:“(h) the existence of, or proposals for, any contact plan, and”.

Seanad: Adoption (Amendment) Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (13 Jun 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 13:In page 12, between lines 34 and 35, to insert the following:"Information on post-adoption supports 10. The Principal Act is amended by the insertion of the following after section 19:"Information on post-adoption supports 19A.(1) The Child and Family Agency shall publish guidelines in relation to best practices around post-adoption voluntary contact plans. (2) The...

Seanad: Adoption (Amendment) Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (13 Jun 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 14:In page 12, between lines 34 and 35, to insert the following:"Information on post-adoption supports 10. The Principal Act is amended by the insertion of the following after section 19:"Information on post-adoption supports 19A. The Child and Family Agency shall publish information on relevant post-adoption supports and services.".".

Seanad: Adoption (Amendment) Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (13 Jun 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Was this amendment not grouped?

Seanad: Adoption (Amendment) Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (13 Jun 2017)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will not speak to it at length. It relates to a concern I raised previously, based on my view that the Child and Family Agency should publish information on relevant post-adoption supports and services. Again, it was widely framed. I am conscious that we do not know what relevant post-adoption supports and services might be available at this point. The amendment is to the principal Act...