Results 1,961-1,980 of 8,482 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Building Reform Regulations: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am sorry, but I indicated that I wanted to ask a follow-up question.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Disaster Response (9 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am sure the Minister of State will join me and many others in expressing our deepest condolences to all those who have been affected by the devastating earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria. As of last night, the death toll had reached almost 16,000.The World Health Organization estimates that the death toll could go higher than 20,000 in the coming days, with hypothermia adding to the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Disaster Response (9 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The Minister of State mentioned the incredible bravery of the humanitarian workers who are in the area. We also witnessed scenes such as the seven-year old girl protecting her brother's head for 17 hours. Humanitarian workers are working at great danger to themselves and, therefore, it behoves us to think about those who would have us turn our back on those in need, our fellow humanity....

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Disaster Response (9 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: However, there are NGOs on the ground.

Seanad: Oil Emergency Contingency and Transfer of Renewable Transport Fuels Functions Bill 2023: Second Stage (9 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I have a few questions. There are a few areas of this Bill that I have concerns about and there is one overarching piece. It is not fully clear to me why so many powers are being transferred from the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to the Minister for Transport. On a fundamental level, I can see there are certain areas where that might be appropriate, but there are...

Seanad: Family Courts Bill 2023: Second Stage (2 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I join with others to express my broad support for the Bill. It is significant and a long-awaited milestone in the reform of the family justice system in Ireland. My colleague, Senator Ruane, who is also a member of the Committee on Justice, has tracked the Bill for a long time. She would like to have been here for the debate today, but cannot attend. She is, however, engaging an...

Seanad: Address by H.E. Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament (2 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: On behalf of the Civil Engagement Group I welcome President Metsola to the Oireachtas for the important discussions we are having to mark Ireland's 50 years of participation in the collective project that is the European Union. One of the reasons for the positive views of so many members of the Irish public towards that project has been the role that the European Union has historically...

Seanad: Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021: Committee Stage (1 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 1: In page 9, line 7, after “number” to insert “or their passport”. This relates to suitable forms of identification for the purpose of making a vehicle licence application. I am seeking to include passports. As drafted, the subsection provides that, where a person does not already have a driving licence, a learning permit or a foreign...

Seanad: Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021: Committee Stage (1 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I accept the Minister's point about passport numbers. It is a valid point, but I reserve the right to table an amendment on the matter on Report Stage. A passport is a form of identification that can be used in obtaining a driving licence. The Minister spoke about looking for a driving licence number, but it is not a requirement that someone have a public services card in order to obtain a...

Seanad: Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021: Committee Stage (1 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will speak to a couple of these and indicate that there are a couple of areas where I may reserve the right to bring amendments on Report Stage, should these amendments be successful. I imagine they will be. I also have a couple of questions for the Minister. He has already partly answered one of them in relation to the question of a fleet. I was wondering where that fit in terms of...

Seanad: Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021: Committee Stage (1 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I might come back on the hauliers issue at a different point. On data protection, specifying what the information is one part of it but specifying who is accessing the information and for what purposes is the other part. The GDPR is not simply about being clear what the information is but being clear what purposes it is used for and who is accessing it. We might have the same information...

Seanad: Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021: Committee Stage (1 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 13: In page 21, to delete lines 24 to 27. This amendment seeks to remove from the Bill the provision that would permit An Garda Síochána to enter "any place including the curtilage of a dwelling" without a warrant or to seize a vehicle a garda believes has been, is being or will be used dangerously.Curtilage includes gardens, paths, driveways, yards, garages...

Seanad: Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021: Committee Stage (1 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am not suggesting that vehicles need to be taken in full flight. If we start to go down a slippery slope, however, where will we stop? What will we not enter a dwelling or its curtilage to take? There are many things that would be much easier if gardaí had access to people's homes or homes' curtilage without a warrant but there is a reason there are caveats and protections in this...

Seanad: Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021: Committee Stage (1 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am still not fully reassured on the wording "is likely to be driven or used" but I will leave it for now. I propose to withdraw the amendment and introduce a more targeted one on Report Stage. Since I am not fully reassured, I ask the Minister to continue to think about this between now and Report Stage.

Seanad: Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021: Committee Stage (1 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I want to speak in support of Senator Boyhan's amendment. I will pick up on a couple of points the Minister made. His position needs re-evaluation. He mentioned that the penalty point system is designed to tackle dangerous driving. He said the parking offence is dangerous parking. The Minister described dangerous parking as parking that is a danger to vehicles. Dangerous parking is...

Seanad: Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021: Committee Stage (1 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I have an amendment in this grouping. With respect to the Minister, the definition that has been put forward in terms of PPTs is not necessarily clear that it is solely designed in terms of e-scooters. My concern relates to cargo bikes, such as those that may be used by families, as well as the definition of pedal bicycles here. Where do cargo bikes fit in? I have sought to include them...

Seanad: Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021: Committee Stage (1 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is not clear because there is no reference to the carriage of goods. The only reference to the carriage of goods is a prohibitive reference that is attached to the PPT. There is no positive reference to the carriage of goods in the definition relating to bicycles. It is unclear. It is sometimes the case that if one kind of vehicle is prohibited from carrying goods but it is not made...

Seanad: Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021: Committee Stage (1 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 26: In page 44, line 32, after “goods,” to insert “except for pedal cargo bicycles,”.

Seanad: Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021: Committee Stage (1 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: This is the wrong direction of travel. It is literally saying any tool can be used for any kind of data. It does not clarify. The definition for cameras has been extended to include "other data-gathering devices" The definition of "data-gathering device" proposed by amendment No. 36 is extraordinarily vague, wide and dangerous: "‘data-gathering device’ means any device,...

Seanad: Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021: Committee Stage (1 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: We could all come up with many forms of data-gathering devices. If toll tag readers or speed guns are needed, then specify them. To say technology evolves all the time and moves so fast that we might need to use it before we have time to legislate for it is a very dangerous message to send. The Minister has recognised the concerns about artificial intelligence, the use of algorithms and...