Results 1,361-1,380 of 8,196 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Finance Bill 2023: Committee Stage (4 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The reason I do not oppose this section is I think there is a question of ensuring, going into this summer and thinking of seasonal locations and operators, that there is no negative impact in the immediate future. When we did a blunt financial analysis, both times it led to the VAT rate going up but what is needed is a sectoral analysis that is more nuanced and would include the sectoral...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2023: Committee Stage (4 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move recommendation No. 2: In page 7, between lines 19 and 20, to insert the following: “Review of impact of 9 per cent VAT rate for hospitality sector 6.The Minister shall, within three months of the passing of this Act, lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report on the impact of the 9 per cent VAT in the hospitality and tourism sectors since its introduction, with...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2023: Committee Stage (4 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move recommendation No. 4: In page 8, between lines 5 and 6, to insert the following: "Report on increase in rate of Vacant Homes Tax 7.The Minister shall, within three months of the passing of this Act, lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report on options to increase the rate of tax from 0.3 per cent of the value of a property to a rate of 5 per cent of the value of a...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (3 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Thank you very much, a Chathaoirligh. I echo Senator Ó Donnghaile's points on the western rail corridor. I note the Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action also called for a complete reassessment of the cost-benefit approach previously used and to look to the very real and significant benefits we have seen wherever rail is created. The fact is there is a pull and not just a...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (3 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Apologies. I suggest we need to have a debate and discussion on how Ireland can constructively engage around adequate humanitarian support to Médicins Sans Frontières and others during this emergency and, at UN and EU level, what peacebuilding and conflict resolution support we can provide. I acknowledge many members of the Sudanese community in Ireland, including many doctors,...

Seanad: Electoral Reform (Amendment) and Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2023: First Stage (3 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to amend the Electoral Reform Act 2022 to provide in the functions of An Coimisiún Toghcháin for the review of the electoral system and franchise for Seanad Éireann, and to provide in the functions of An Coimisiún Toghcháin for the review of voting age; to amend the Electoral Act 1997 to protect the...

Seanad: Electoral Reform (Amendment) and Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2023: First Stage (3 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Next Tuesday.

Seanad: Reykjavik Summit of the Council of Europe: Statements (3 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will be very brief. I want to speak in support of the planned declaration in Reykjavik, and I thank the delegates to the Council of Europe for their work. I know that Senator O'Loughlin and others have really contributed to bringing us to this point. I also want to highlight that civil society and civil society freedom and contributions are more important than ever, given that we have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Examination of EU Fiscal Rules: TASC (3 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I should acknowledge that we had a very good briefing from the Parliamentary Budget Office, PBO. We may officials of PBO before us in public session, if that is possible. Dr. Sweeney mentioned, and it is generally agreed, that the 60% debt-to-GDP ratio and 3% deficit are effectively arbitrary, in that there is not a sound scientific or financial rationale for setting them at those rates....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Examination of EU Fiscal Rules: TASC (3 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: A golden rule has been suggested. There had been an argument for such a rule for the exclusion of climate expenditure and certain social cohesion and public expenditure. There have been a few different arguments for areas of essential public expenditure. This is recognising that the rules have failed. It is not that they have had not been applied, but that the austerity rules that were...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Examination of EU Fiscal Rules: TASC (3 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: One of the reasons the general escape clause had to be activated was the acknowledgement of the damage done by austerity measures and moving towards a short timeframe. It seems by adding these harder measures we are looking at a return to that short timeframe. The Parliamentary Budget Office gave a clear example that is relevant for everybody: the fiscal rules were one of the main reasons...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Examination of EU Fiscal Rules: TASC (3 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: To elaborate on that, Ireland is an interesting example because it is a country that may not be in breach of the fiscal rules now, but the-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Examination of EU Fiscal Rules: TASC (3 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: -----might mean we are constrained in how we spend.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Examination of EU Fiscal Rules: TASC (3 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Apologies. I will let others in.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Examination of EU Fiscal Rules: TASC (3 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: As I do not have time to go back to Ms Canelli, I ask that she would provide a written response to some of my questions or perhaps she could respond to them later.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Examination of EU Fiscal Rules: TASC (3 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: That is very good. I have a final point on public expenditure. I am conscious that Germany has been pushing for a hard line on this. Indeed, it is trying to increase the 0.5% to 1%, which, for example, would almost be the equivalent of a €6 billion reduction in spending in a year in a country like Ireland. The countries that have already experienced austerity because of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Examination of EU Fiscal Rules: TASC (3 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: -----consequence of our previous measures-----

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Apr 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: First, I second the proposed amendment to the Order of Business, that No. 21 be taken before No. 1. The other issue I want to highlight is announcements this week by Western Sahara Resource Watch, which published its tenth in a row detailed annual overview of the companies involved in the purchase of phosphates from occupied Western Sahara. The illegally exported and exploited phosphate...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Apr 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: A small point I would make-----

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Apr 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Thank you. It is a very small point in regard to the housing piece. I am delighted with anything that pushes vacant properties into use, but I am very concerned that we have been waiting a long time with the carrots when we have sticks that have not been used adequately. The 0.3% vacant house levy is deeply inadequate. Back in 2017, in the Seanad, we proposed a much higher levy.