Results 1,081-1,100 of 8,196 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: The Government is undermining our credibility in that respect.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move an amendment to the Order of Business that No. 9 be taken before No. 1. Today we are seeking leave to introduce the Air Navigation and Transport (Arms Embargo) Bill 2024, which is emergency legislation that would ensure Ireland is not complicit in arming Israel and would help to curb the flow of weapons being used in Gaza. Since Israel began its relentless bombardment of Gaza, arms...

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport (Arms Embargo) Bill 2024: First Stage (28 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to provide for restrictions on the transit and export of weapons of war from and through the State to the state of Israel and to provide for appropriate inspections of planes seeking to transit weapons through the State, and to provide for related matters.

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport (Arms Embargo) Bill 2024: First Stage (28 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Next Tuesday.

Seanad: Situation in Palestine: Motion (21 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I second the motion.

Seanad: Situation in Palestine: Motion (21 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Amidst what we have been watching over the last period, namely, the brutal bombardment, the unconscionable blockade including that of lifesaving medical and humanitarian supplies and water, we are also seeing the systemic attempt to dismantle a society, a culture and a people. We have seen the destruction of civilian infrastructure, the targeting of hospitals, and as my colleague said, the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: In contrast, perhaps, to the great generosity shown by some during Covid, as we heard from the previous speaker, the European Union had a poor moment during the Covid pandemic when it acted as a major blocker of a TRIPS waiver. Such a waiver on intellectual property and rules would have allowed sharing and access to vaccines for the global south and the widespread saving of lives. It was...

Seanad: Situation in the Middle East: Statements (Resumed) (20 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Right now all eyes are on Rafah and all hearts are with Rafah. There are 1.5 million people consolidated into a small area with each night bringing new terror. It is not only the people of Rafah under assault. Those who watch around the world know that what is being tested is the vision we have heard about for international human rights and humanity. Also being tested is the core...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Review of Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform (15 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the Chair. I wish to highlight three areas in which I believe there is a particular role for the Minister's Department. The Minister highlighted himself the issue of public and Government procurement and I have engaged with him on this issue previously. On life cycle costing, the Minister talked about measures to ensure the prioritisation of services and works which have a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Review of Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform (15 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: To clarify, that is part of the model. Price is still a factor but it-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Review of Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform (15 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: That is what I am saying. There are three approaches available, as the Minister is aware; namely a life cycle approach, a price-quality ratio approach, where you consider both price and quality, and a price-only approach.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Review of Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform (15 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I do not believe that a price-only approach is the best value for the State.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Review of Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform (15 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Okay, the Chairperson can come back to me.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Review of Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform (15 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: My previous question was around the environmental and climate targets and the performance on those, and how that is reflected in performance reviews, including KPI for senior public servants. To focus specifically on Coillte, it does not have a mixed mandate right now; it has a solely commercial and indeed cash-generative mandate. It is excluded from the public sector climate action...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Review of Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform (15 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: My final point relates directly to the climate plan. The land use and forestry targets were not set. The ceiling was not set. If we go beyond the envelope available on forestry and there is a knock-on whereby we have to have megatonnage reductions in some of the other areas, how will his Department be accommodating that? Is it better to get forestry right or will it be about asking other...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Review of Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform (15 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The cost of non-compliance has been mentioned; there may be fines in the billions of euro per year, whereas the dividends to the State from Coillte are approximately €27.7 million. Therefore, it may not be financially prudent or the best value for the State if it gets a small amount back in dividends as a result of a focus on short-term cash and delivery for shareholders rather than...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Review of Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform (15 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Okay, I wish to say-----

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I know that a discussion is scheduled in the next week or two related to the issue I wish to raise. Statements on the Middle East will be held next week, but I ask not for statements, but actions. We must discuss actions in respect of the appalling situation we are seeing in Gaza. I want to begin first by highlighting that Ireland sometimes, sadly, has had the practice of speaking very...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will just conclude. I refer to the occupied territories Bill, which is now being spoken about regarding legal opinions. There have been legal opinions on it for years from James Crawford, Michael Lynn and Professor Takis Tridimas. They all clearly say that Ireland should be applying this. Not only has the Government failed to deliver on the occupied territories Bill or to follow through...