Results 1,941-1,960 of 8,768 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Examination of EU Fiscal Rules: TASC (3 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I should acknowledge that we had a very good briefing from the Parliamentary Budget Office, PBO. We may officials of PBO before us in public session, if that is possible. Dr. Sweeney mentioned, and it is generally agreed, that the 60% debt-to-GDP ratio and 3% deficit are effectively arbitrary, in that there is not a sound scientific or financial rationale for setting them at those rates....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Examination of EU Fiscal Rules: TASC (3 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: A golden rule has been suggested. There had been an argument for such a rule for the exclusion of climate expenditure and certain social cohesion and public expenditure. There have been a few different arguments for areas of essential public expenditure. This is recognising that the rules have failed. It is not that they have had not been applied, but that the austerity rules that were...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Examination of EU Fiscal Rules: TASC (3 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: One of the reasons the general escape clause had to be activated was the acknowledgement of the damage done by austerity measures and moving towards a short timeframe. It seems by adding these harder measures we are looking at a return to that short timeframe. The Parliamentary Budget Office gave a clear example that is relevant for everybody: the fiscal rules were one of the main reasons...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Examination of EU Fiscal Rules: TASC (3 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: To elaborate on that, Ireland is an interesting example because it is a country that may not be in breach of the fiscal rules now, but the-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Examination of EU Fiscal Rules: TASC (3 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: -----might mean we are constrained in how we spend.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Examination of EU Fiscal Rules: TASC (3 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Apologies. I will let others in.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Examination of EU Fiscal Rules: TASC (3 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: As I do not have time to go back to Ms Canelli, I ask that she would provide a written response to some of my questions or perhaps she could respond to them later.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Examination of EU Fiscal Rules: TASC (3 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: That is very good. I have a final point on public expenditure. I am conscious that Germany has been pushing for a hard line on this. Indeed, it is trying to increase the 0.5% to 1%, which, for example, would almost be the equivalent of a €6 billion reduction in spending in a year in a country like Ireland. The countries that have already experienced austerity because of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Examination of EU Fiscal Rules: TASC (3 May 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: -----consequence of our previous measures-----

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Apr 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: First, I second the proposed amendment to the Order of Business, that No. 21 be taken before No. 1. The other issue I want to highlight is announcements this week by Western Sahara Resource Watch, which published its tenth in a row detailed annual overview of the companies involved in the purchase of phosphates from occupied Western Sahara. The illegally exported and exploited phosphate...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Apr 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: A small point I would make-----

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Apr 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Thank you. It is a very small point in regard to the housing piece. I am delighted with anything that pushes vacant properties into use, but I am very concerned that we have been waiting a long time with the carrots when we have sticks that have not been used adequately. The 0.3% vacant house levy is deeply inadequate. Back in 2017, in the Seanad, we proposed a much higher levy.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Apr 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The collection in regard to derelict housing is not happening. If we are debating it, and I have heard others raising the issue of housing policy, we need to look to the sticks as well as the carrots.

Seanad: Electoral Reform (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Motion to Discharge Order for Second Stage (26 Apr 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I second that.

Seanad: EU Regulations: Motion (26 Apr 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the Department for the helpful briefing document that was forwarded to us. I had raised some questions on these matters. I am noting, as the Minister of State has indicated himself, that the proposal being discussed today is part of a twin set of proposals published in December last year, both of which relate to the new rules around the sharing of advance passenger information. One...

Seanad: Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (26 Apr 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 1: In page 3, to delete lines 20 to 22 and substitute the following: “ “(c) each subsequent successive period of 3 years, or earlier if the Minister deems appropriate, beginning on the commencement of section 2 of the Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Act 2023.”.”. Amendment No. 1 seeks to remove the amendment of section 2 of the...

Seanad: Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (26 Apr 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I have concerns around how section 4(b) intersects with section 7 in the context of ensuring transparency. I and others have amendments to do with transparency in later sections but I hereby give an advance signal that I may bring forward amendments to this section on Report Stage. The provision concerns a situation in which a person is a body that has no full-time employees and is...

Seanad: Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (26 Apr 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I would also look to expand on this area. There are valid points but there are also some concerns, which we can see highlighted. For example, it is important that we do not have measures used as an attempt to create a chilling effect in advocacy on NGOs or civil society. Ireland has been a strong champion for the role of civil society as part of democracy internationally. However, we have...

Seanad: Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (26 Apr 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I wish to indicate my full support. This is a very important amendment. It is an example of an area where we cannot afford to get it wrong. We cannot afford come back in five years' time, for example, to discover that the legislation as it was drafted has not been sufficient to protect against this kind of fossil fuel lobbyist. Every year matters and I believe this is an opportunity to...

Seanad: Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (26 Apr 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I do not believe that is required but I would be very happy to.