Results 8,621-8,640 of 8,768 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 9:In page 9, after line 40, to insert the following:“(i) considerations, related to sustainable development, universal design and accessibility to services as set out in section 52 of the Disability Act 2005.”. I will withdraw the amendment but I reserve the right to reintroduce it on Report Stage.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I have a number of specific questions which I hope will clarify issues for me.I appreciate that I am not an expert in this particular aspect of it, not having come directly from a local authority background. The consultation process should be publicly accessible. To what extent would the report from these consultations be available to the public or to what extent would the public have...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: On page 12.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I apologise. We have moved past the issue I was concerned about. The debate moved fast.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: My concern is about the provision in section 6(10) that "The Board may, at its absolute discretion, consult with any person who may, in the opinion of the Board, have information which is relevant for the purposes of consultations". I apologise. I know that it has happened that councillors have raised legitimate concerns about developments but the chief executives have met with others. I...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will be brief. As some of my colleagues who co-signed the amendment are not present to support it, I want to indicate our support for it. It is a constructive amendment. My concern - it is important that this be understood - related to the one-way dynamic of briefing. As it has been described, however, if the briefing is going to take place at a full council meeting, there will be an...

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Nov 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I wish to raise a point of order on the groupings. It would have been useful had they been provided to us earlier. I cannot rule out further points of order on the groupings as we reach them. We have literally only seen them in the past two minutes. While I appreciate the pressure on the Bills Office, a longer period of consideration would have been useful for all parties. The debate is...

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Nov 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Before dealing with the amendment on road safety that we are debating at the moment, I want to respond to some of the issues the Minister has highlighted. I concur with those who look for more consultation on the matter. There are proposals here, but the proposals she spoke to today are not reflected in the legislation. I urge the Minister to ensure that if there are amendments, if there...

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Nov 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: That was never said.

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Nov 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: That is not what the legislation says.

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Nov 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: This does nothing for that.

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Nov 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Grubbing is explicitly provided for in the legislation.

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Nov 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is important that we be very clear. There has been a lot of conversation today about reassurances that have been made. Unfortunately, they have been inaccurately described as points of clarification because what we have had is not clarification but a change of position. If so, I absolutely welcome it. We are not having a general debate or a debate on future regulations but discussing...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Nov 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I commend Senator Catherine Ardagh for raising the issue of domestic violence and agree with her comments. I also commend the Safe Ireland summit, a very strong gathering of people who refocused the view of domestic violence as being a women's problem to being a societal problem. The summit demonstrated that domestic violence is a problem for society as a whole and that it will take an...

Seanad: Transport, Tourism and Sport: Statements (16 Nov 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the Acting Chairman and promise to be brisk. I welcome the Minister to the House. I welcome his commitment to increased funding for public transport. While value for money is an important part of the discussion on public transport, I urge the Minister to not allow value for money to cloud the fact that public transport is primarily an essential public service. It is important that...

Seanad: Transport, Tourism and Sport: Statements (16 Nov 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: We need infrastructure. We must move towards a world where 50% of women and men and, like in many other countries, where young children and old people feel it is safe to use the roads. All of this requires infrastructure. Finally, the Minister has mentioned that we are an island nation. I ask him to address my particular concern about ferries to the Aran Islands. There is a likelihood...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Second Stage (16 Nov 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: We are keen to hear from the Minister, so I will not take long. Others have expressed concerns regarding the Aarhus Convention and the crucial contract that is a county development plan, so I will focus on rent certainty. Section 30 relates to the restriction on terminations of tenancies by landlords.Does the Minister think that is adequate, in terms of the many purchases made under the...

Seanad: Protection of Employment (Uncertain Hours) Bill 2016: Second Stage (16 Nov 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I commend the Senators who have introduced the Bill. It is an excellent and really constructive proposal. I welcome the representatives of Mandate and acknowledge the strong and important work they have done, work that has very much been led by workers. I have had the opportunity to meet representatives of the National Women's Council and work with some of the strong women working in the...

Seanad: Competition (Amendment) Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (10 Nov 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will be quick, as the proposer of the Bill has already spoken. I support the Bill and commend Senator Bacik in her long work in following through on these issues. It is a very positive step forward. The Civil Engagement group is very happy to support this. I commend the Minister and her Department for engaging very constructively in this area. I echo the points welcoming the...

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Committee Stage (9 Nov 2016)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I support the amendment. The amendment proposed by Senator O'Sullivan is indeed a proposal to deal with road safety. It is fundamental and important. The Roads Act is the correct and appropriate place to deal with the question of road safety. It is altogether discomfiting to see that the wrongly-named Heritage Bill and the Wildlife Act should be the focus of proposals relating to road...