Results 1,821-1,840 of 8,196 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Finance Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move recommendation No. 8: In page 242, between lines 36 and 37, to insert the following: "Reports 103.Within three months of the passing of this Act, the Minister shall lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas on options for excluding companies with annual turnover of more than 20 million euro per annum from eligibility for the Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme.".

Seanad: Finance Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move recommendation No. 9: In page 242, between lines 36 and 37, to insert the following: "Reports 103.Within three months of the passing of this Act, the Minister shall lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas on the cost and potential benefit of including charities and community and voluntary organisations in eligibility for the Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme.".

Seanad: Finance Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move recommendation No. 10: In page 242, between lines 36 and 37, to insert the following: "Report on taxation and expenditure competence 103.The Minister shall, within 12 months of the passing of this Act, lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas outlining the potential for the transfer of certain taxation and expenditure competences from the Government to local authorities...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (13 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Recommendation No. 10 proposes that within 12 months of the passing of the Bill, the Minister shall lay a report before the Houses of the Oireachtas examining the potential for the transfer of certain taxation and expenditure competencies from the Government to local authorities and the potential implications of such a transfer in respect of the delivery of public services, the responsiveness...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (13 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I join the Cathaoirleach in welcoming the Aylward family. In relation to this recommendation, the direct comparator is Dublin and our capital city certainly makes a point of going around comparing itself to San Francisco when it is seeking investment from many of the same kinds of companies that have a home in that US city. Many of us will have had the experience, which does not just apply...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (13 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I look forward to the wider debate and I will not need to press the recommendation. I hope we have started the debate.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (13 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move recommendation No. 11: In page 243, between lines 9 and 10, to insert the following: “Report on the extension of period for which properties must be in use as a dwelling under Vacant Homes Tax 106. The Minister shall, within six months of the passing of this Act, lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report reviewing the definition of vacancy to include any property...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (13 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Recommendations Nos. 11 and 12 relate to the concern about the required threshold of only 30 days of annual occupancy in order for a property to be considered exempt from the proposed vacant property tax. This threshold is extremely low with regard to international norms. Dr. Gerard Turley, an economist at the University of Galway, noted that in other countries and cities throughout the...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (13 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I note the examples provided by the Minister of State would not fall under the 90- or 180-day thresholds. It is not about those who are commuting or are out of the house for two or three days per week because the standard to be set is that there would be electricity to the house and a person literally dwelling there. It does not state that a person must physically sit in the house all day...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 1: In page 4, between lines 6 and 7, to insert the following: “Report on returned carers’ PRSI credit 5. The Minister shall, within six months of the passing of this Act, lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas on options to ensure that those who have returned from overseas who care for a family member are not excluded from qualification for...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The habitual residency condition is eligible under the European laws but it is not necessarily required in the sense that we are able to have nuanced policies in this regard. The Minister listed the kind of criteria used to establish habitual residency, such as length of living somewhere else and length of living in Ireland. The criteria even include future intentions. Often, when people...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 2: In page 4, between lines 6 and 7, to insert the following: “Report on care credits 5. The Minister shall, within six months of the passing of this Act, lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas on options to introduce care credits which ensure that periods of time spent caring are recognised not only in terms of pensions, but also when assessing...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: My amendment does not relate to the carer's allowance or carer's benefit but to care credits. For example, that is caring for children or family so care as recognised within the pensions system. I understand what the Minister said but many people do not receive the carer's allowance or benefit but deliver care to children in their family. My amendment concerns the disconnect that happens...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I urge the Minister to build on the scheme in terms of other social welfare provisions.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 3: In page 6, between lines 7 and 8, to insert the following:: “Report on extension of eligibility for Fuel Allowance 11. The Minister shall, within six months of the passing of this Act, lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas on the potential extension of eligibility for the Fuel Allowance to those in receipt of the Working Family Payment,...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the Minister for her agreement to do such a report. It would be useful. We will come to lone parents on the one-parent family payment in a later amendment. I still have concerns about the cut-off age of 14 when lone-parent families who have children are no longer recognised as lone parents within the system and no longer qualify for the transitional jobseeker's payment or the...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am speaking to section 13 because it relates to the question of new social insurance benefits and rates. I had proposed amendments to this section but they have been ruled out of order. I will speak to them with regard to the general point. I have a very significant concern about the manner in which they have been ruled out of order. That is not a concern for the Minister but I have...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 5: In page 7, between lines 28 and 29, to insert the following: "Report on adequacy of State Pension 14.The Minister shall, within three months of the passing of this Act, lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas on the income adequacy, as determined by the Minimum Essential Standard of Living (MESL) methodology, of the Contributory and Non-Contributory...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome the work done on MESL and how it is reflected. It enables us not only to look at the general increase but to have targeted measures. That is what I was looking to illustrate. With regard to individualisation, even though I recognise what has been done on rent, if people have no income getting rent allowance in itself is an issue. Many people will stay in a home but it makes a...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 10: In page 8, after line 32, to insert the following: “Report on individual means assessment for Carer’s Allowance 16. The Minister shall, within six months of the passing of this Act, lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas on options for assessing applicants to Carer’s Allowance on individual means, rather than the means of their...