Results 1,121-1,140 of 8,196 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Engagement with the Central Bank of Ireland (14 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am sorry to interrupt. I am very interested in this area and would happily spend the next hour discussing each detail of the climate crisis but I disciplined myself to focus on the area of exclusions rather than on the area of other investments because I am conscious that other members of the committee will want to come in. Perhaps our guests could focus their replies on the question of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Engagement with the Central Bank of Ireland (14 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: And the charter, of course-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Engagement with the Central Bank of Ireland (14 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: And on the occupied territories?

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the Minister of State for some of his responses. On amendment No. 12, it was useful to hear that there may be some form of a get-around in terms of clarity around the executive functions previously held by the chief executive. I am still really concerned with regard to amendments Nos. 9 and 10. What I want is an absolutely clear response in terms of what the mechanism will be to...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I do not think people were expecting that so much would be out of reach of the person they elect. Disempowering the mayor in this way is disempowering the people of Limerick. When they vote, they will be directly voting for a mayor and that mayor will have his or her hands tied by this Schedule. In a whole raft of areas, they will not be able to take action. We will be saying, "Sorry,...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: To be clear, nothing in these amendments will take any powers away from elected councillors. These amendments relate specifically to those powers that are given to the chief executive, now to be called the director general, and are reserved away from the mayor. I do not think the Minister's analogy works. We do not tend to pass legislation here that states "the Secretary General shall do...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 9: In page 14, between lines 4 and 5, to insert the following: “(3) Functions conferred by or under any enactment specified in Part 2of Schedule 1 may be removed from that Part and thus conferred on the Mayor by resolution of the elected council, with such a resolution requiring a simple majority.”.

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 10: In page 14, between lines 4 and 5, to insert the following: “(3) Functions conferred by or under any enactment specified in Part 2 of Schedule 1 may be removed from that Part and thus conferred on the Mayor by resolution of the elected council, with such a resolution requiring a two-thirds majority.”.

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 12: In page 14, between lines 14 and 15, to insert the following: “(6) For the purposes of the operation of this Act, the director general shall prepare and submit to the Mayor and the elected members of Limerick City and County Council a list of executive functions previously held by the chief executive.”.

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 13: .In page 16, after line 38, to insert the following: “(2) Prior to making a determination under subsection (1), the Minister shall consult with the Mayor and the elected members of Limerick City and County Council.”.

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 14: In page 17, to delete lines 1 to 25 and substitute the following: “Attendance before council 17.(1) The Mayor shall be entitled and required to appear before Limerick City and County Council. (2) The Mayor shall be entitled to speak and participate in discussions and move motions at meetings of Limerick City and County Council and he or she shall be...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am happy to leave amendments Nos. 14 and 15 aside for now because I hear what the Minister of State is saying about the reserved functions and ensuring the powers are there. Amendment No. 16 would just be adding that requirement for accountability; it does not change anything else. It does not limit the powers of the mayor in attending meetings, functioning as a normal councillor, putting...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am going to withdraw the amendment and reserve the right to bring it back on Report Stage. I will examine that.

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 16: In page 17, between lines 13 and 14, to insert the following: “(3) The Mayor shall be accountable to the elected members of Limerick City and County Council in the performance of his or her functions, unless otherwise specified in this or another enactment.”.

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 17: In page 17, line 27, to delete “The director general, after consultation with the Mayor,” and substitute “The Mayor”. A fundamental issue and concern with this legislation is that the mayor is not necessarily being given the powers or discretion to hire their own staff, which is something that could create an obstacle. I cannot imagine...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 17: In page 17, line 27, to delete “The director general, after consultation with the Mayor,” and substitute “The Mayor”.

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 21: In page 21, between lines 25 and 26, to insert the following: “(5) Subject to section 145 of the Principal Act, the Mayor must be consulted regarding the appointment of the director general.”. These amendments relate to the wider issue around the appointment of the chief executive in local government. Specifically, section 145 of the Local...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I accept that the Minister of State does not like the mechanism I am suggesting in amendment No. 23, but it is important that there would be a mechanism. I am going to press amendment No. 21 and withdraw the other two.

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Yes.

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 22: In page 21, between lines 25 and 26, to insert the following: “Amendment of section 145 of Principal Act 27. Section 145 of the Principal Act is amended by the insertion of the following subsection after subsection (7)— “(8) This section shall not apply in relation to Limerick City and County Council.”.