Results 1,661-1,680 of 8,196 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Communications Regulation and Digital Hub Development Agency (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I acknowledge that. I simply regret that fact.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Building Reform Regulations: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: To follow up on procurement, one very concrete proposal is my own legislation which has just finished in the Seanad. The Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth, has been quite supportive of it. It provides for a price quality approach in respect of procurement, creating an obligation to have consideration for quality as well as price in determining public contracts. That creates a space....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Building Reform Regulations: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: As well as the detail, because my time is limited, I am looking for the timeline for that because-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Building Reform Regulations: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: -----it is already in place in other countries, including Denmark and France. I am concerned by the idea that we might need to wait before we start moving. Why are we not moving on this, as four or five other countries already are?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Building Reform Regulations: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I apologise for interrupting but, to be clear, Ireland has stated that we want to build more than 200,000 new homes in the next five years, with 158,550 new homes by 2026. Are we suggesting that we will not try to apply these measures to the 158,000 buildings that we have committed to build before that and that we will wait until we are made to in 2026, when somewhere like Denmark has...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Building Reform Regulations: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am glad to hear it is to happen shortly because my concern is we will wait until we are made. I will ask Mr. Armstrong to comment on the issue of light. I was a little concerned he mentioned the building regulations would not have to be reviewed until 2025. Surely we should start to review the building regulations in respect of these areas earlier given the impetus of our own carbon...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Building Reform Regulations: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Pardon me but the issue of light is important and has not been addressed yet.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Building Reform Regulations: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am asking about the impact of light with regard to energy usage. That is a new area which was not originally reflected in those documents.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Building Reform Regulations: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am talking about daylight.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Building Reform Regulations: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I do not need to ask any more questions but I have a suggestion with regard to planning, which is relevant. We are to have the Minister before the committee and we want him to address all of the issues across the Department. Perhaps the planning division could provide us with some material in writing on those issues colleagues have mentioned, such as daylight and demolition. We could then...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Building Reform Regulations: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: On one last thing, the questions to the planning division should address the lax approach taken to fire safety and emissions because it is a concern.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Building Reform Regulations: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Yes. It will be a short question. I am one of those who are concerned about recent reports. When a colleague asked about building controls, the chain on building controls was mentioned, but it appears that a link in the chain is breaking or letting the other links down. I am referring to An Bord Pleanála's decisions, particularly as regards fire safety. Local authorities' fire...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Building Reform Regulations: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am sorry, but I indicated that I wanted to ask a follow-up question.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Disaster Response (9 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am sure the Minister of State will join me and many others in expressing our deepest condolences to all those who have been affected by the devastating earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria. As of last night, the death toll had reached almost 16,000.The World Health Organization estimates that the death toll could go higher than 20,000 in the coming days, with hypothermia adding to the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Disaster Response (9 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The Minister of State mentioned the incredible bravery of the humanitarian workers who are in the area. We also witnessed scenes such as the seven-year old girl protecting her brother's head for 17 hours. Humanitarian workers are working at great danger to themselves and, therefore, it behoves us to think about those who would have us turn our back on those in need, our fellow humanity....

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Disaster Response (9 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: However, there are NGOs on the ground.

Seanad: Oil Emergency Contingency and Transfer of Renewable Transport Fuels Functions Bill 2023: Second Stage (9 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I have a few questions. There are a few areas of this Bill that I have concerns about and there is one overarching piece. It is not fully clear to me why so many powers are being transferred from the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to the Minister for Transport. On a fundamental level, I can see there are certain areas where that might be appropriate, but there are...

Seanad: Family Courts Bill 2023: Second Stage (2 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I join with others to express my broad support for the Bill. It is significant and a long-awaited milestone in the reform of the family justice system in Ireland. My colleague, Senator Ruane, who is also a member of the Committee on Justice, has tracked the Bill for a long time. She would like to have been here for the debate today, but cannot attend. She is, however, engaging an...