Results 8,501-8,520 of 8,768 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Overview of Pensions: Discussion (15 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I would be very cautious on that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Overview of Pensions: Discussion (15 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: A huge amount of unpaid care is provided and is still being provided by all the women in Ireland.

Seanad: Knowledge Development Box (Certification of Inventions) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (14 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I do not see anything in the amendment that dictates which parts of the country things would take place in. The amendment says this is a substantial tax expenditure. It allows for a shortening of tax from 12.5% to 6.25%. It is a significant expense that may well be worthwhile but we need to evaluate its benefits. The amendment seeks to simply say we should have ongoing cost-benefit...

Seanad: Knowledge Development Box (Certification of Inventions) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (14 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: This is really unfortunate because we are going with the Minister on this. This an attempt to extend the application and to ensure that the knowledge box is not just available to international companies but to Irish companies too. In principle, we are already recognising that it is important that there be benefit in Ireland so I find it of concern that we will not have any information...

Seanad: Knowledge Development Box (Certification of Inventions) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (14 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Is the Minister's concern around the retention of regional or local information or is it a question of the place of production as against the location of research and development? Is she saying that this Bill relates to research and development and not to the place of production? It is important we have a sense of where research and development is taking place regionally. It may be that...

Seanad: Knowledge Development Box (Certification of Inventions) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (14 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I support the amendment, which is important in terms of good archival practice. The issue was highlighted recently by Catriona Crowe, the former head of the National Archives, and others. In terms of good archival practice, we must ensure that the records are kept for a future controller or in case there is a concern in relation to a controller and another has to replace him or her or if...

Seanad: Knowledge Development Box (Certification of Inventions) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (14 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I have a number of amendments in this section. I anticipate the Minister's concerns over my amendment No. 6 and I will be happy to work around it. It suggests that the report the Minister receives from the controller should be made publicly available. It comes to the same crucial question. If we are to have this knowledge box and it is an expenditure, as it is, the case for it needs to be...

Seanad: Knowledge Development Box (Certification of Inventions) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (14 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Amendment No. 9 relates to the Minister having the information I believe she needs to have. I was concerned to see that the Bill provides that the controller simply shares information on the number of reviews. It is a set of numbers that could almost be put on a Post-it. It is simply the number of applications received; the number withdrawn; the number in respect of which a certificate was...

Seanad: Knowledge Development Box (Certification of Inventions) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (14 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: There is money. Why would there not be a tax related to money?

Seanad: Knowledge Development Box (Certification of Inventions) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (14 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is a tax measure, so it clearly has an expense.

Seanad: Knowledge Development Box (Certification of Inventions) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (14 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: May I-----

Seanad: Knowledge Development Box (Certification of Inventions) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (14 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: A point of clarification-----

Seanad: Knowledge Development Box (Certification of Inventions) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (14 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: In response to Senator Reilly, it is important to say we do not need to have a divisive conversation but we need to be honest. It is straightforward; it is an expenditure. The fact that if a company is paying 6.25% because of its research and development, if it was going to pay €500,000 to the State it will now pay €250,000. It is just a straight expenditure and it may well...

Seanad: Knowledge Development Box (Certification of Inventions) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (14 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Okay, I am sorry. I apologise for that. I wish to state that an issue arises in respect of amendment No. 10 and I will withdraw it and reserve the right to reintroduce it on Report Stage. The public reporting is one issue but the other issue is the information the Minister will receive. The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Employment has a plethora of measures and wide-ranging...

Seanad: Registration of Wills Bill 2016: Second Stage (14 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I rise to commend Senator Leyden on bringing forward the Bill. I recognise that a very important principle has been established and set out therein, which I will support on Second Stage. There is strong value in encouraging the registration of wills, in terms of ensuring there is a paper trail, which is of such importance to families. I concur with Senator O'Reilly that it might be very...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I want to highlight two issues quickly but before doing so I note that I was disappointed our amendment to the Social Welfare Bill, which we will be discussing later, was ruled out of order. It is a missed opportunity. I urge the Leader to engage with the Minister to ensure that he proposes some solid and meaningful alternative way to take action in relation to Independent News and Media on...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is simply one sentence.

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will be very brief. It is a matter of some urgency. I am simply asking that in reflection of the motion on Aleppo that was passed unanimously in this House, the Leader remind the Government of that motion and urge it to take immediate action to press for a ceasefire. I know we have talked about a debate. We have seen those on the ground who called for a three-day ceasefire now calling...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am present in the House now, so I would like that to be noted.

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Dec 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I left the House for two minutes.