Results 141-160 of 8,196 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Review of Climate Action Plan 2024: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (24 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am thinking about retrofitting, for example. Retrofitting was the example of-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Review of Climate Action Plan 2024: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (24 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Including potentially public employment.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move that No. 8 be taken before No. 1. Today I am introducing legislation relating to the adequacy of the minimum wage. I believe my colleague will be here shortly to second this amendment. I am introducing legislation in respect of the EU adequate minimum wage directive, which has been passed. A very strong and powerful campaign launched yesterday - the respect at work campaign - that...

Seanad: National Minimum Wage (Adequate Wages for Living) Bill 2024: First Stage (24 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move: That leave be given to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to amend the National Minimum Wage Act 2000 to provide for implementation of Directive (EU) 2022/2041 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 October 2022 on adequate minimum wages in the European Union.

Seanad: National Minimum Wage (Adequate Wages for Living) Bill 2024: First Stage (24 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Next Tuesday.

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Mr. Kazumi Matsui, Mayor of Hiroshima (23 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am happy to join others in welcoming Mr. Matsui to the House and thank him for his work. One of my assistants who works with me in the Oireachtas had the opportunity to meet him previously when he engaged with Irish delegates at the second meeting of the state parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in New York. I am aware of the extraordinary leadership he has shown...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Mr. Kazumi Matsui, Mayor of Hiroshima (23 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I laud Japan because its ministry of defence has a response to climate change and is one of the few militaries that properly tracks its emissions and includes them in national targets. That must be the future for all of us if we are to have a liveable planet in which we treat one another with decency.

Seanad: Amendment to Seanad Standing Orders: Motion (23 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is an important and detailed motion that sets out the full process. This would allow for this to become possible in the next Seanad. It is a useful constructive piece of Seanad reform at a time when there has been deep disappointment, not only among the Members of the Seanad reform implementation group, whom the House has heard from. Senators McDowell, Warfield and I, and others, have...

Seanad: Amendment to Seanad Standing Orders: Motion (23 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will come to my conclusion. That sent a positive signal. The reaction from people on the ground was that they saw democracy in play and decisions being made for the best. It strengthens the faith the public have in democracy when they see genuine democracy and the same principles of a secret ballot, of the best decisions, and a PR system as set out in the detailed proposal here. That is...

Seanad: Amendment to Seanad Standing Orders: Motion (23 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: When they see it in the Chamber it gives them some faith that they may eventually see it outside the Chamber and in how the Chamber is itself fully elected.

Seanad: Amendment to Seanad Standing Orders: Motion (23 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am sorry, but I just say that we will be supporting the motion.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I support these proposals by Senators Gavan and Warfield. In the context of the EU directive on work-life balance, the minimum for parental leave is two months or nine weeks. Nine weeks is the narrowest interpretation of two months. Of course, that is supposed to be the absolute minimum standard but Ireland should be doing better than the minimum required standard under the directive. We...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I knew any amendments to this section would not be eligible because they affect money. I am sorry I was not here for the Second Stage debate. I wish the Minister well in her next endeavours. I have serious concerns about this section that I hope the Minister can address. As I understand it, the section will increase the amount that will be cut from not only jobseeker's benefit but...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I hope the Minister will address the fact. I am very concerned, especially given the previous record of concerns about how personal progression plans are applied, that we may have situations whereby we see cuts that affect people's ability to feed their family and keep their houses warm. I say that simply because the stakes can become very high. There is a very significant power imbalance...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 9: In page 10, after line 35, to insert the following: “Report on extending Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment 19. The Minister shall, within six months of the passing of this Act, lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas on options to extend access to the Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment until a youngest child reaches 18 years of...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The answer the Minister has given, with respect, is simply to say exactly what I have said. She has told us what the policy is but the point is the equality issues. She mentioned that only 5% of claimants are receiving a qualified adult payment but how many are receiving qualified child payments? It would be useful to have that percentage in order to be clear on the number of persons who...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 10: In page 10, after line 35, to insert the following: “Report on Pay-Related Benefit 19. The Minister shall, within six months of the passing of this Act, lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas on options to extend access to qualified child and adult payments for recipients of the Jobseeker's Pay-Related Benefit Scheme.”.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will be very brief. I support the amendments. The work on minimum essential standards of living involves some of the best and most solid and significant research that has been supported by the Department of Social Protection. Given that 2,000 goods are examined in the process, it is probably one of the best examples of addressing the cost of living, rather than some of the broader brush...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Why we probably need a new pension commission is that there was a fundamental gap. The terms of reference of the Pensions Commission excluded the tax relief on private pensions, so we had a situation where we were told that the cost of a universal State pension as recommended by the women's council and others would be €3 billion. That would be extortionate, but we know that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Engagement with Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications on COP29 (22 Oct 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the Chair. I want to come in on a few of the issues. I understand it is very important that Ireland will have this responsibility in having a key role in some of the finance aspects that are to be discussed and with regard to adaptation in particular. I have a couple of questions about the NCQG. As I understand it, this is one of the big issues that will be discussed - the idea...