Results 121-140 of 346 for speaker:Jim Higgins

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill 2002: Committee Stage. (1 Jul 2003)

Jim Higgins: I am disappointed with the Minister of State's reply. I genuinely believe that in his heart of hearts he appreciates the validity of the arguments being put forward by me, Senator Mansergh and Senator O'Meara. The Minister of State said this House is proportionately well represented as if it was a concession. It is not a concession; we are well represented on the commission by right. Senator...

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill 2002: Committee Stage. (1 Jul 2003)

Jim Higgins: I move amendment No. 14: In page 9, subsection (3), lines 1 to 4, to delete paragraph (a).

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill 2002: Committee Stage. (1 Jul 2003)

Jim Higgins: I move amendment No. 22: In page 9, between lines 21 and 22, to insert the following new paragraph: "(d) The Clerk of Seanad Éireann.".

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill 2002: Committee Stage. (1 Jul 2003)

Jim Higgins: I thank all the Senators for their support, passion and conviction in arguing for what is a sensible measure and a recognition of the role of this House. I do not want to delay the House any further on the matter but Senator Mansergh made a passionate plea to the Minister to reflect on the matter overnight. The House will take Report Stage of the Bill tomorrow. I will withdraw the amendment...

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill 2002: Committee Stage. (1 Jul 2003)

Jim Higgins: I move amendment No. 23: In page 9, subsection (1)(d), line 23, to delete "and".

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill 2002: Committee Stage. (1 Jul 2003)

Jim Higgins: I thank Senators for supporting the amendment. I was amazed the Minister of State did not receive a note from the dug-out until a couple of minutes ago. He then tried to make the argument that it was sufficient that the Clerk of the Dáil sprouted his administrative wings as Clerk of this House. That is not an argument. A strong case has been made in favour of the amendment on all sides of...

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill 2002: Committee Stage. (1 Jul 2003)

Jim Higgins: There appears to be something wrong with subsection (3), which reads: In each year a statement of estimates of the Commission shall be– (a) presented to Dáil Éireann, on a motion that Dáil Éireann take note of the statement, by a member of the Commission who is a member of Dáil Éireann, or any other member of Dáil Éireann nominated by the Commission for that purpose, and ...

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill 2002: Committee Stage. (1 Jul 2003)

Jim Higgins: Something – what I am not sure – is missing. The sentence does not make sense and the more one reads it, the less sense it makes. It runs out of road.

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill 2002: Committee Stage. (1 Jul 2003)

Jim Higgins: I think I know what is meant but the phraseology is unwieldy and cumbersome.

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill 2002: Committee Stage. (1 Jul 2003)

Jim Higgins: I am making an observation, rather than—

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill 2002: Committee Stage. (1 Jul 2003)

Jim Higgins: Yes.

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill 2002: Committee Stage. (1 Jul 2003)

Jim Higgins: The Minister of State may wish to consider the matter before Report Stage.

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill 2002: Committee Stage. (1 Jul 2003)

Jim Higgins: As we have already discussed the substance of the amendments, I do not wish to detain the House. I will not move them in order to give the Minister of State an opportunity to reflect on the merits of the case argued by Senators from all sides of the House.

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill 2002: Committee Stage. (1 Jul 2003)

Jim Higgins: Yes. Amendments Nos. 28 and 29 not moved. Section 15 agreed to. Sections 16 to 21, inclusive, agreed to. First and Second Schedules agreed to. Title agreed to. Bill reported with amendment. Report Stage ordered for Wednesday, 2 July 2003.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters. - Special Educational Needs. (1 Jul 2003)

Jim Higgins: I thank the Cathaoirleach for allowing me to raise this important matter on the Adjournment. Ronan Jordan was born on 1 June 1998 and lives at 9 Fenian Road, Ballina, County Mayo. Individual assessment of Ronan was conducted in a Montessori school setting over four separate sessions, the most recent of which took place on 7 April 2003. With the permission of the House, I wish to read from the...

Seanad: Order of Business. (26 Jun 2003)

Jim Higgins: The Equal Status Act has now been on the Statute Book for over five years. The purpose behind it was to ensure equality of treatment for all sections of the community, particularly minorities, and end discrimination. It seems the pendulum has now swung in the other direction. I am talking, in particular, about the right of access of members of the Traveller community to public houses. Just...

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill 2002: Second Stage. (26 Jun 2003)

Jim Higgins: This is the Upper House.

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill 2002: Second Stage. (26 Jun 2003)

Jim Higgins: I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Parlon, to the House for this debate. The Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill is one of the most welcome items of legislation to come before the House for many a day. Decoupling is very much the in-word. I welcome the decoupling of the role of the Minister for Finance in regard to the running of the Houses of the...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters. - Murder of Councillor. (25 Jun 2003)

Jim Higgins: I thank the Cathaoirleach for choosing this important matter for discussion on the Adjournment. In the early hours of 25 May 1991, Sinn Féin councillor, Eddie Fullerton, was gunned down at the bedroom door of his house in Buncrana, County Donegal. Reports at the time stated that three men had been involved in the murder, that they had been collected by boat and had escaped across the River...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters. - Murder of Councillor. (25 Jun 2003)

Jim Higgins: Will the Minister of the State give an assurance the matter will be investigated if the new independent witnesses come forward and Mr. Greg O'Neill, the solicitor acting on behalf of the Fullerton family, presents the file containing the evidence to his Department? Does he accept the Garda is not the appropriate authority to investigate this matter, given that 12 years has elapsed and there...