Results 1,881-1,900 of 8,196 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Planning and Development and Foreshore (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: ----- I look forward to discussing it at our next meeting. However, I want to make a point to the Minister of State.

Seanad: Planning and Development and Foreshore (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: There is a relevant point to make to the Minister of State as well, which is that, basically, if the Government is treating legislation as emergency legislation, it should be willing to accept a sunset clause.

Seanad: Planning and Development and Foreshore (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I wish to speak to the section and I will speak to the policy point that I was seeking to address, which effectively builds on the extremely relevant point that I was making.That point is that we are told this is legislation to respond to an emergency and that it is urgent. In fact, the only aspect of this Bill which can constitute urgency is the appointment of an interim chair. I proposed...

Seanad: Planning and Development and Foreshore (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: With this, I would say that we would have a more productive discussion-----

Seanad: Planning and Development and Foreshore (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: -----if we were solely discussing section 5.

Seanad: Planning and Development and Foreshore (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: With absolute respect, section 30 has been substantially chipped away. The Minister of State will recall the debate we had when sitting in the other House's Chamber a few years ago about the previously sacrosanct section 30, which stated that the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage would not interfere when the functions of heritage were blended into the Department....

Seanad: Planning and Development and Foreshore (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am a co-signer of amendment No. 4. I will speak on the group now. This is an attempt to ensure that the right balance is properly maintained in the board. It comes out of a concern, which we will come to later, about appointments to the board. There is currently a requirement to have two persons with environmental expertise. That is no longer guaranteed in the new way that the balance...

Seanad: Planning and Development and Foreshore (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The new section 6 does not provide a guarantee of a member who will have environmental expertise, which we had under the previous legislation. In that regard, it is a backwards step. The Minister of State is right there are very important laws in place, such as Fit for 55. There are more than 200 pieces of legislation coming through, including a lot of new legislation in respect of...

Seanad: Planning and Development and Foreshore (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 5: In page 6, to delete lines 9 to 16. Amendment No. 5 seeks the deletion of section 3(b), which amends section 104 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 to allow the Minister to appoint additional ordinary members without placing a limitation on how many he may appoint, removing any existing limits on the proportion of the board that can be appointed by the...

Seanad: Planning and Development and Foreshore (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I have not objected to the appointment of additional members. I have talked about the process by which additional members are appointed and I have objected to the imbalance in that the Minister appoints all of them, which is contrary to the spirit of section 30. I have asked for a very simple check and balance such that the Public Appointments Service be involved in identifying new members...

Seanad: Planning and Development and Foreshore (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The debate is on Committee and Remaining Stages. There is no separate Report Stage. There is no spirit of proper engagement on Committee Stage, with the Minister of State listening to what we say and undertaking to come back with proposals on Report Stage. That is not happening and it means there is not a proper scrutiny process. It does not matter if we have a 900-hour debate; the fact...

Seanad: Planning and Development and Foreshore (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The point is that the Minister is removing a requirement to check with the Oireachtas before increasing the board numbers. That is a poor decision and it decreases accountability to the Oireachtas. That is just factual. I have not suggested the panel system is perfect. I suggested it was designed in a very good way but the issue with it is that bodies that should not have been eligible...

Seanad: Planning and Development and Foreshore (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 6: In page 6, between lines 16 and 17, to insert the following: "(c) by the insertion of the following subsection after subsection (2): "(2A) Such orders made by the Minister under subsection (2) shall require approval by motion of both Houses of the Oireachtas.".".

Seanad: Planning and Development and Foreshore (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 9: In page 6, to delete lines 18 to 30. This amendment deletes section 3(d) of the Bill, which states that: ... where the Minister is of the opinion that one, or more than one, additional ordinary member should be appointed as a matter of urgency due to the number of applications, appeals, referrals or other matters ... the Minister may, ... appoint, from persons...

Seanad: Planning and Development and Foreshore (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will point out the word "vetting" because it is being used often. We should really think about the word and not use it. The term is undefined and vague and is being used problematically recently. The idea that because somebody has applied for a public service job, he or she is already suitable for absolutely any job gives the lie to the section we were just discussing a minute ago, which...

Seanad: Planning and Development and Foreshore (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 11: In page 6, lines 27 and 28, to delete “or employees of the Board”.

Seanad: Planning and Development and Foreshore (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 17: In page 7, lines 7 and 8, to delete “or employees of the Board”

Seanad: Planning and Development and Foreshore (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 18: In page 7, between lines 10 and 11, to insert the following: “(1A) Notwithstanding subsection (1), an individual who is or within the preceding 1 year was employed by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage shall not be eligible for appointment under subsection (1).”. Amendment No. 18 seeks to add a caveat to the proposed section...

Seanad: Planning and Development and Foreshore (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 19: In page 7, to delete lines 16 to 19. The purpose of this amendment is to delete section 105A(4), which states that a person appointed to be the chairperson under this section who ceases to hold office, either due to an expiration of his or her one-year temporary term or because the chair is permanently appointed, may be reappointed by the Government for a second...

Seanad: Planning and Development and Foreshore (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will not press it. There may be an argument for one extension and it may then just be a case of ensuring that this is limited. Perhaps that matter can be addressed in the Dáil.