Results 1,921-1,940 of 8,768 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Examination of EU Fiscal Rules (Resumed): Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (10 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: In climate, countries are being asked to adjust downwards, potentially year on year, at a time when we know major transitions involved in climate require front-loaded expenditure. Some of that front-loaded expenditure, as we have mentioned, is not going to be reflected in four- or seven-year profit or growth figures. It is going to be preventative in that it will be reflected in the ten- to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Examination of EU Fiscal Rules (Resumed): Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (10 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am looking to the fact that the 60% and the 3% are arbitrary constructs and, while we need to set a construct perhaps somewhere, the climate science is quite clear and is a very hard science in that regard. It is a concern. The fiscal rules have had an impact. I mentioned the example of leasing. If we look forward, another example, which is a consequence of the previous application, is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Examination of EU Fiscal Rules (Resumed): Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (10 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is broadly acknowledged that there have been problems with the rules. To be clear, it is not a simple matter of public expenditure that caused the crisis. It was speculation. Part of it is areas of the economy being left in a space for speculation, which can prove to be expensive and inflationary. We have seen, for example, significant inflation in respect of housing costs that is not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Examination of EU Fiscal Rules (Resumed): Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (10 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: That is fine, Chair. I have waited until last. I will outline my points here if I can have answers on two issues in respect of the potential role of the independent fiscal institutions, IFIs. In respect of debt sustainability assessments and the assumptions that go into them, does IFAC see a role for itself in the input of those assumptions and, for example, does the council see that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Examination of EU Fiscal Rules (Resumed): Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (10 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Is that just financial risks, just to clarify the point, or is there a space for incorporating those other risks with regard to preventative risks and spending?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Examination of EU Fiscal Rules (Resumed): Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (10 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Is that within the carbon budgets at an EU and the national level? Do the carbon budgets sit within that or does this budgetary framework sit within the carbon envelope or carbon budget, effectively?

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Ms Mairead McGuinness, European Commissioner (9 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome the Commissioner to the House on Europe Day, as we are reflecting on the 50th anniversary of Ireland's membership. When we look to what is valued by citizens in Ireland and why there is that trust of Europe, it is that legacy that Europe had in helping create the collective momentum for change in areas such as gender equality, workers' rights, LGBT rights and environmental...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Engagement with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (9 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: There was mention of the administrative error and the issue of the way household customers were being charged to effectively subsidise large energy users. There are two issues in that. There is the Government policy, which Mr. Gannon mentioned, and then there is the administrative error, which was a particularly excessive application of that policy. He mentioned the measures that have been...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Engagement with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (9 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will be very quick with my final point.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Engagement with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (9 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will give two final points, which will add to that very quickly. On the smart meters, I am concerned by the call by the CRU for legislative measures. Does that mean the commission is looking to bypass consent measures in the sharing of data? One of the reasons people do not sign up is there is a lot of ambiguity about how the data will be shared and I am concerned the message today maybe...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Engagement with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (9 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I would like to mention one final issue that is related. There has been an 87% increase in complaints. What issues are those complaints largely relating to? Will Mr. Gannon comment on what measures have been taken to address the fact that Meta was not charged for 18 months?

Seanad: Finance Bill 2023: Committee Stage (4 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move recommendation No. 1: In page 7, between lines 19 and 20, to insert the following: “Report on evidence for special rates of VAT 6. The Minister shall, within three months of the passing of this Act, lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report on the evidence base for the extension of the 9 per cent rate of VAT on the supply of certain goods and services in the...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2023: Committee Stage (4 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The reason I do not oppose this section is I think there is a question of ensuring, going into this summer and thinking of seasonal locations and operators, that there is no negative impact in the immediate future. When we did a blunt financial analysis, both times it led to the VAT rate going up but what is needed is a sectoral analysis that is more nuanced and would include the sectoral...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2023: Committee Stage (4 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move recommendation No. 2: In page 7, between lines 19 and 20, to insert the following: “Review of impact of 9 per cent VAT rate for hospitality sector 6.The Minister shall, within three months of the passing of this Act, lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report on the impact of the 9 per cent VAT in the hospitality and tourism sectors since its introduction, with...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2023: Committee Stage (4 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move recommendation No. 4: In page 8, between lines 5 and 6, to insert the following: "Report on increase in rate of Vacant Homes Tax 7.The Minister shall, within three months of the passing of this Act, lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report on options to increase the rate of tax from 0.3 per cent of the value of a property to a rate of 5 per cent of the value of a...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (3 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Thank you very much, a Chathaoirligh. I echo Senator Ó Donnghaile's points on the western rail corridor. I note the Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action also called for a complete reassessment of the cost-benefit approach previously used and to look to the very real and significant benefits we have seen wherever rail is created. The fact is there is a pull and not just a...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (3 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Apologies. I suggest we need to have a debate and discussion on how Ireland can constructively engage around adequate humanitarian support to Médicins Sans Frontières and others during this emergency and, at UN and EU level, what peacebuilding and conflict resolution support we can provide. I acknowledge many members of the Sudanese community in Ireland, including many doctors,...

Seanad: Electoral Reform (Amendment) and Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2023: First Stage (3 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to amend the Electoral Reform Act 2022 to provide in the functions of An Coimisiún Toghcháin for the review of the electoral system and franchise for Seanad Éireann, and to provide in the functions of An Coimisiún Toghcháin for the review of voting age; to amend the Electoral Act 1997 to protect the...

Seanad: Electoral Reform (Amendment) and Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2023: First Stage (3 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Next Tuesday.

Seanad: Reykjavik Summit of the Council of Europe: Statements (3 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will be very brief. I want to speak in support of the planned declaration in Reykjavik, and I thank the delegates to the Council of Europe for their work. I know that Senator O'Loughlin and others have really contributed to bringing us to this point. I also want to highlight that civil society and civil society freedom and contributions are more important than ever, given that we have...