Results 1,841-1,860 of 8,768 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

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...

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: Again, I would say that where it has been used, we will not have an objection to that-----

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: Of course.

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 7: In page 47, line 27, after “bicycle” to insert “, or cargo bicycle,”. This suite of amendments simply seeks to include explicit reference in the Bill to pedal cargo bikes. There was some back and forth with the Minister on this issue during the Committee Stage debate. The placement of these four amendments varies slightly from that of...

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: We have the concern in terms of how it is interpreted. At this point, we will need to go with the Minister's interpretation. However, I note that perhaps it is important that very clear signals are sent to accompany the roll-out of cargo bikes and that they are covered, if not by the provisions we have suggested, then by the Minister's message that he believes and is confident that they are...

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 8: In page 47, line 29, after “bicycle” to insert “, or cargo bicycle,”.

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 9: In page 48, line 2, after “tricycle” to insert “, or cargo tricycle,”.

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 10: In page 48, line 4, after “tricycle” to insert “, or cargo tricycle,”.

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 11: In page 58, lines 34 and 35, to delete “and other data-gathering devices”.

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: This is a large grouping and it is good to have clarity on which amendments are being taken together so I can cover them all. Amendments Nos. 11, 16 and 29 attempt to delete references which the Minister inserted on Committee Stage to “other data-gathering devices”. We made very clear arguments against the inclusion of this wording on Committee Stage. The wording is far too...

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: I acknowledge that there has been some movement from the Minister compared to Committee Stage. It is some assurance with regard to the processes we outlined and the ambiguity about whether there would be any clear regulations around the data obtained using cameras or other data gathering devices. As I understand it, the Minister is committing, through a later amendment, to making...

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: We might come to them later. They relate the same issue and, therefore, that is why I have commented on them. They relate to the question of what the regulations might be. With respect to the Minister, I am also conscious that there will be different Ministers in the future who will produce regulations. There is always a pressure towards greater and greater surveillance within our public...

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 16: In page 59, lines 4 and 5, to delete “and other data-gathering devices”.

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 29: In page 59, line 26, to delete “and other data-gathering devices”.

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: I acknowledge and welcome the Minister's acceptance of the point we made about the need for a guarantee of regulation, rather than just a possibility of regulation, of data protection in the application of these factors. In that sense, I support and welcome amendments Nos. 30 and 37. Amendment No. 37 is almost an identical version of our amendment, amendment No. 38, but with the placings...

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 34: In page 60, between lines 25 and 26, to insert the following: "(8A) Cameras operated by or on behalf of a road authority under this section shall not be equipped with facial recognition technology, and no data obtained using such cameras shall be processed by the road authority using facial recognition technology, or be passed to third parties for processing with...

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

Alice-Mary Higgins: Amendments Nos. 34 and 40 seek to insert a clear restriction. One question we have is around having clarity on what is included in the description of data-gathering devices. Amendments Nos. 34 and 40 would make clear what is certainly excluded. There would be clear "restrictions on use of facial recognition technology" in conjunction with cameras or data-gathering devices under this Bill....