Results 1,261-1,280 of 8,768 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 2: In page 12, line 30, to delete “commercial” and substitute “commercially, socially and environmentally sustainable”.

Seanad: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Amendment No. 2 concerns an issue that has arisen in another context. My suggestion is to delete “commercial” and substitute “commercially, socially and environmentally sustainable”. I will give the context. Currently, the agency invests the assets on a commercial basis and seeks the optimal financial return. However, there can be a narrowness sometimes with...

Seanad: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Sadly, as I said, the current structures have not been adequate to ensure responsible investment. We have seen State investment in undertakings operating in illegally occupied territories. The choice then had to be made to divest from those investments. The initial choice to invest was made under the ESG structure we currently have. It was clearly inadequate. If we are investing in a...

Seanad: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 4: In page 15, line 40, after “State” to insert “as part of the global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions”.

Seanad: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the Minister for his engagement on the issue. This amendment furthers the questions on the climate area. It is quite small but it tries to ensure we do not have an inadvertent narrowing of scope due to the way the Bill happens to be worded. It seeks to provide that designated environmental projects will be for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the State as part of the...

Seanad: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: On the point on the tools, the amendments do not add more but outline what all the areas that the Minister referred to, including river health, should be checked against. The Paris Agreement is not another agreement that the fund might have to comply with; rather, delivering on it is an important check concerning how we invest the fund. Similarly, the sustainable development goals are not...

Seanad: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the Minister for his engagement.

Seanad: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 5: In page 16, between lines 15 and 16, to insert the following: “(g) the achievement and implementation of policies which— (i) facilitate a just transition, (ii) further the principles of climate justice, (iii) further the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, (iv) further the achievement of the targets set out in the...

Seanad: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 7: In page 21, between lines 37 and 38, to insert the following: “Report on external investment managers 29. (1) The Minister shall, within 12 months of the passing of this Act, lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas outlining how the use of external investment managers for the FI Fund, the ICN Fund and any other funds controlled by the Agency...

Seanad: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 8: In page 22, line 17, to delete “15 per cent” and substitute “1 per cent”.

Seanad: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Amendment No. 8 seeks to amend section 31(2) by removing the provision that the agency can invest moneys from the fund where "such indirect investment is unlikely to have in excess of 15 per cent of its assets, or such lower percentage as the Minister may prescribe by order" as part of a fossil fuel undertaking and replacing it with a provision whereby 1% is the maximum amount allowable. ...

Seanad: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: To be clear on amendment No. 8, the amendment moves the percentage, that upper ceiling, as the Minister described it, of the assets of something we invest in that can be in fossil fuels. That upper ceiling is now 15%. I suggest that it be lowered to 1%. I believe that still allows space for inadvertent error or something further down in a company's portfolio that people were not aware of....

Seanad: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 9: In page 22, to delete lines 20 to 33.

Seanad: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 10: In page 23, between lines 35 and 36, to insert the following: “Prohibition on investment in undertakings operating without a legal basis 32. (1) (a) Assets of a relevant Fund shall not be invested in undertakings carrying out business in a territory where there is not a legal basis to do so. (b) Where the Agency becomes aware that an undertaking in...

Seanad: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Amendment No. 10 seeks to insert a new section into the Bill which would provide that the assets of a relevant fund shall not be invested in undertakings carrying out business in a territory where there is not a legal basis to do so. Where the agency becomes aware that an undertaking in which the assets of the relevant fund are directly or indirectly invested is, or becomes, an undertaking...

Seanad: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am aware of the discussion that was had in relation to the divestment Bill and the reference to other tools but, to be clear, my core point has not been addressed. "Occupied territory" can be defined "with reference to", as the committee report on Deputy Brady's divestment Bill suggested, rather than "according to". That would address the question of the UN list of relevant undertakings....

Seanad: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 11: In page 23, between lines 35 and 36, to insert the following: “Obligations under Cluster Munitions and Anti-Personnel Mines Act 2008 32. (1)The Agency shall ensure that assets of a relevant fund are not directly or indirectly invested in a manner which would contravene Part 4 of the Cluster Munitions and Anti-Personnel Mines Act 2008.(2)Where the Agency...

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport (Arms Embargo) Bill 2024: Second Stage (29 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I welcome the Minister, Deputy Ryan, to the House. I am glad that he is here in person to engage with this topic. I thank all those who have given their support to the Bill, including the many civil society organisations throughout Ireland. I thank my colleagues in the Civil Engagement group. In particular, I highlight Sárán...

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport (Arms Embargo) Bill 2024: Second Stage (29 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: That is not accurate.

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport (Arms Embargo) Bill 2024: Second Stage (29 May 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am disappointed in the Minister's response. I thought he was going to say that while the legislation will not progress, the Government will start doing inspections tomorrow and will start massively reducing the number of exemptions granted.