Results 161-180 of 2,277 for at speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Digital Services Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I accept that the intention is there in terms of the operations. It is going back to the same issues we flagged earlier, such as proxy markers and how sensitive information might be used. I am thinking here of biometric data. The State has not always had a great record in processing this. The State has fallen short in the handling of special and sensitive personal data in the past....

Seanad: Digital Services Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am glad the Minister of State has spoken with such strong intention with regard to proper resourcing and appreciate that each decision must stand on its own evidence. Much as in every legal case, however, although it all stands on its own evidence, there is a level of looking to and learning from relevant information that informs the decision. It is not about being bound by previous...

Seanad: Death of Former Taoiseach: Expressions of Sympathy (7 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: On behalf of the Civil Engagement Group, I want to join in the expressions of sympathy to the family and friends of the former Taoiseach, John Bruton, following his passing yesterday, in particular, his wife, Finola, his children, his grandchildren, his sister and, indeed, our own colleague, Deputy Richard Bruton, who I serve with on the climate committee. As a TD, as a Minister holding many...

Seanad: Digital Services Bill 2023: Second Stage (31 Jan 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I wish the students a happy St. Brigid's weekend, particularly as it is a Kildare school. This Bill will designate Coimisiún na Meán as Ireland's lead competent authority in respect of this matter. There are four systemic risks in this context. I will comment briefly in this regard. I will also probably be submitting some amendments on Committee and Report Stages to see how we...

Seanad: Family Carers: Motion [Private Members] (31 Jan 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome the Minister of State and the motion. The motion is a clear sign of what we need following on from the debates we had last week, when we looked at the upcoming referendums and at the question of how we, as a State, address the issue of care. It is a very good sign that Government Members are putting forward this motion and setting out a level of ambition. Two important principles...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Third Level Fees (30 Jan 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I will begin by commending the more than 200 graduate entry medical students who wrote to the Minister in October to highlight the extremely urgent issues and problems with the current fee model for graduate medical studies in this State. In their letter they highlighted that: "GEM students are not eligible for SUSI (or any other similar student...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: General Oversight of EirGrid: Discussion (30 Jan 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is a fundamentally important question because Ireland's energy and environmental policies are meant to be in line with common but differentiated responsibilities. This is a core part of the Paris Agreement. The understanding most have of common but differentiated responsibilities is that wealthier countries and those that have benefited from high energy use in the past should be doing...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Second Stage (24 Jan 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I also welcome that this legislation is before us. I applaud the decision of the people of Limerick in 2019 to vote to have a directly elected mayor. It is auspicious. It is surprising that Limerick is the first place in Ireland to introduce the new system, given the independent, progressive, politically innovative spirit of the city that was...

Seanad: An Bille um an Naoú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (An Teaghlach), 2023: Céim an Choiste agus na Céimeanna a bheidh Fágtha - Thirty-ninth Amendment of the Constitution (The Family) Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Jan 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: We have heard quite lengthy journeys through different aspects of the law across the course of the debate. One part of the summary of what we have heard is that families are complicated, and that it is possible to legislate. It is possible to legislate before the referendum and it will be possible to legislate after the referendum. We could improve a lot of our legislation with regard to...

Seanad: An Bille um an Daicheadú Leasú ar an mBunreacht (Cúram), 2023: Céim an Choiste (Atógáil) agus na Céimeanna a bheidh Fágtha - Fortieth Amendment of the Constitution (Care) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (23 Jan 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: ...been coming for a long time. I started campaigning for this change in the Constitution long before I entered the Oireachtas. It has been campaigned for and pushed for a very long time. During that journey, the understanding of what we want to have in the Constitution has been evolving. There was a conversation about straight deletion. I always favoured having a recognition of care....

Seanad: An Bille um an Daicheadú Leasú ar an mBunreacht (Cúram), 2023: Céim an Choiste (Atógáil) agus na Céimeanna a bheidh Fágtha - Fortieth Amendment of the Constitution (Care) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (23 Jan 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the Minister. It is good that hopefully before the referendum we should have the result of the roadmap and dates for the optional protocol. That would be something very substantial that would send a really positive signal. I look forward to the outcome in the next number of weeks. Perhaps this might accelerate it. The Minister mentioned a number of areas in which the State needs...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Large Energy Users Rebalancing Subvention: Discussion (23 Jan 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: That is absolutely fine. I apologise for coming in remotely. A lot of the focus has been on the subvention, specifically the detail of the financial aspects of it but perhaps it needs to be looked at in a wider policy context. Could the Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, specifically address these issues? If we look to the wider set of policy decisions that have really incentivised the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Large Energy Users Rebalancing Subvention: Discussion (23 Jan 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I have a question for the witnesses from the CRU. I made a submission to its previous consultation in which it chose not to take a strong regulatory approach in regard to data centres. That review of data centres and their energy usage took place just a couple of years ago. Was that not the point at which there should been a question about the subvention? I point out to the Minister of...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Jan 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Yes, exactly, with other representatives at the time. I was thinking about how to capture a sense of what an extraordinary honour it has been to serve in the Seanad alongside Senator Norris. I thought of the legacy and the extraordinary heritage work he has done, along with the work he has done in dragging and pushing Ireland to be a more just, equal and modern place that reflects more of...

Seanad: An Bille um an Daicheadú Leasú ar an mBunreacht (Cúram), 2023: An Dara Céim - Fortieth Amendment of the Constitution (Care) Bill 2023: Second Stage (22 Jan 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I come to this Bill now because what I have said relates to one of the aspects of the article we are discussing. It should be borne in mind that the clauses in it applied only to the family, so if there were any positive social policy implications at all, they applied only to women who were married. There was nothing for one-parent families in any of the social policy measures we have had...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 Dec 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I join Senators in thanking Thomas Hickey for all he has done to make this institution run as it does. I wish him every happiness and enjoyment in his retirement. I know that Senator Black will thank everybody else who must be thanked and who make this institution possible. I am happy and honoured to continue to serve here and to be back. Last night, I was lying awake between about 3 a.m....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Nov 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the witnesses for all of their work in the assembly and for presenting today. To give a short answer to their question to us, we need to look at the detail of all of the recommendations because they are very solid. Two recommendations in the governance section have struck me, with regard to making sure there are regulations that business and industry must work in a green way, and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Nov 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: To answer David's question, he might be talking about one of the marine protected areas. There are very few in Ireland. However, one of the tasks Ireland has, and it is an international obligation, is that we have to meet many more marine protected area targets. As well as the biodiversity action plan, it is hoped there will also soon be legislation around marine protected areas and a...

Seanad: Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (24 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: With respect, they are quite different things. It is one thing to say that a person is driving in a manner which is dangerous or likely to be dangerous because that is an action which is taking place. We are talking about a vehicle. Legislation is a reasonable place to have that point because if people are driving in a manner which may prove to be dangerous, such as driving all over the...