Results 1,661-1,680 of 8,768 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

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...

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: Sorry, the discretion of the Cathaoirleach is key because-----

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am a minute over time. I will finish on this. Not only has Ireland failed, and not only has the Government blocked the occupied territories Bill, but they have actually been investing in illegal settlements. Now is the time to follow through. I would just note that the same problem of business as usual, while ignoring human rights-----

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: The same problem of ignoring human rights while there is business as usual is related to another occupied territory. I am referring to Western Sahara, where they have been told-----

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: Western Sahara has been occupied by Morocco but we are continuing with business as usual. I am imploring for action to be taken.

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the Minister of State for indicating he is interested in coming back on Report Stage with regard to these areas. As we have discussed with the Minister of State directly, as well as in the Chamber, I believe it is vital the Bill does not leave the Chamber without some area of the environment, biodiversity and the SDGs being recognised. In that context I will withdraw a number of...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: ---that we get something solid into the Bill and not just the thought. I thank the Minister of State for his engagement on that matter.

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 78: In page 28, to delete lines 32 to 35 and substitute the following: “of the Limerick City and County Development Plan, the Limerick-Shannon metropolitan area strategic plan, the National Development Plan and the National Planning Framework in relation to the provision of transport infrastructure and services in Limerick, and”.

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 79: In page 28, between lines 37 and 38, to insert the following: “(5) In carrying out functions under subsection (4), the transport sub-group shall act in a manner consistent with— (a) achievement of obligations under the Paris Agreement, (b) achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 11 on sustainable cities...