Results 1,061-1,080 of 8,196 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (10 Apr 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is just that it is a sevenfold increase. Again, I am asking whether there have been extra measures, not what the general process is, given the alarming increase.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (10 Apr 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The feedback message we got very strongly in the previous session was that it had exclusions with regard to fossil fuels and cluster munitions because it was politically required to do so legally. However, when we asked at that time - of course, there seems to have been a change of policy in the last couple of weeks - the representatives made it very clear that they wait for guidance,...

Seanad: An Bille um an Aonú Leasú is Daichead ar an mBunreacht (An Comhaontú maidir le Cúirt Aontaithe um Paitinní), 2024: An Dara Céim - Forty-first Amendment of the Constitution (Agreement on a Unified Patent Court) Bill 2024: Second Stage (21 Mar 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I pushed strongly for "Yes" and "Yes" on the last referendums and was deeply disappointed with the results. It is probably one of the biggest votes for inequality since the citizenship referendum. I do not believe that was the intention of all those who voted "No" but that is the effect. The care proposal was disappointing but I look to everything on balance. I weigh up my positions. I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill 2023: Discussion (20 Mar 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I just have-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill 2023: Discussion (20 Mar 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: First of all, for any company that is engaged in investments in illegally occupied territories, that is an issue for that company. If being divested pushes that company to get its house in order then that is appropriate. If they are very large companies, they are not going to go bust and stop employing people and do completely different work in completely different places based on a measure...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill 2023: Discussion (20 Mar 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: -----we do not engage. There are many things we could all do illegally to make money. However, the point is that people should not be doing things illegally and making money on things that are not just illegal on paper, but illegal on core human rights and international law. They are illegal and costing lives. Therefore, that is a reasonable bar to set ourselves in terms of how business...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill 2023: Discussion (20 Mar 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Sorry, could Mr. Gilvarry elaborate on that? What is the problem with the free movement of capital? Does he believe it is legally acceptable to invest in occupied territories? I am not asking for his personal opinion, of course. Is it legally acceptable to invest in illegally occupied territories?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill 2023: Discussion (20 Mar 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Sorry, if the Senator does not mind, we have limited time. No one is suggesting it is simple. It is important and complicated. That is why the Department should be able to do it and we should have the skills. I asked Mr. Gilvarry specifically in the context of the Department’s legal opinion and advice and what it has been looking at whether he believes it is legally acceptable to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill 2023: Discussion (20 Mar 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The senior legal advisers, Professor Michael Lynn and Professor Takis Tridimas, have advised that we are on shaky ground legally in trading with occupied territories at all, so I would be confident about any case that was taken about divesting from a small amount of such investments. I am sorry. I will pass over to Mr. Ashmore.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill 2023: Discussion (20 Mar 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: But they do include the ability to go into illegally occupied territories. To be clear, that category is not in the exclusion zone at the moment.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill 2023: Discussion (20 Mar 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Ms Meghen might respond on the screening question briefly.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill 2023: Discussion (20 Mar 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Then I will pass. Maybe Ms Meghen can answer-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill 2023: Discussion (20 Mar 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I was there.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill 2023: Discussion (20 Mar 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am happy to pass over. I will just say that I imagine the public would be quite surprised that illegally occupied territories have not been placed on the exclusion list before now.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill 2023: Discussion (20 Mar 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: My colleague will be substituting for me in the second half of the session.

Seanad: Seachtain na Gaeilge: Ráitis (6 Mar 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Fáiltím roimh an deis atá againn an Ghaeilge agus an Ghaeltacht a phlé anseo inniu. Tá sé fíorthábhachtach go bhfuil Seachtain na Gaeilge againn. Tá a fhios againn go bhfuil an Ghaeilge mar chuid lárnach dár gcultúr náisiúnta agus feiceann muid inár gceantair féin an stór a bhaineann lenár dteanga. Is...

Seanad: International Women's Day: Statements (6 Mar 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: We are speaking about International Women's Day on Friday when the central focus has to be the fact that we will be making really important decisions. Senator Flynn outlined the multiple areas where policies and services are still falling short and the many really good actions that we set out. I was proud to be a member of the Joint Committee on Gender Equality. Instead of producing a...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Energy Policy (5 Mar 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The importation of coal from the Cerrejón mine in La Guajira, Colombia, has been the subject of long-standing serious concern especially when, having previously ceased imports, the ESB resumed purchasing coal from the controversial mine in 2022. Cerrejón is the largest open-pit coal mine in Latin America. There is a litany of documented human rights, and environmental harms and...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Energy Policy (5 Mar 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: We stopped importing coal from Russia because of human rights concerns and international law and we fund the importation of coal from other places that are committing human rights violations. That is gross hypocrisy. As for the idea we are following developments and engaging with all sides, let us be clear we are driving human rights violations and we are funding a company that commits...