Results 1-20 of 8,184 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Prohibition of Advertising or Importuning Sex for Rent Bill 2025: Second Stage (9 Apr 2025)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome the Minister. I commend the Cross-Party Group of Senators Harmon, Cosgrove, Noonan and Stephenson on bringing forward this legislation. In particular, I commend Senator Harmon, who highlighted this issue in her previous role and brought attention to it right across the political spectrum. It is a positive sign that she has followed through on those threads and issues now that she...

Seanad: Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine Accidents) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (8 Apr 2025)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 1: In page 23, between lines 2 and 3, to insert the following: "Special provisions for search and rescue operations 30. (1) When conducting a marine safety investigation involving search and rescue operations, the Marine Accident Investigation Unit shall: (a) take into account the unique operational context of emergency response; (b) consider the time-critical and...

Seanad: Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine Accidents) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (8 Apr 2025)

Alice-Mary Higgins: My amendment proposes certain special provisions. I mentioned search and rescue, SAR, as one of the contexts that may arise in which special expertise is required, alongside environmental expertise. In effect, the amendment provides for special provisions search and rescue operations that may be undertaken by the vessels covered under this legislation. The special provisions I propose...

Seanad: Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine Accidents) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (8 Apr 2025)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The Bill does not really address the particular circumstances of emergency responders. My amendment would strengthen the legislation. Following incidents like the tragedy involving Caitríona Lucas, it would help to ensure lessons are learnt while respecting the essential work of both the emergency responders and the marine accident investigation unit. The amendment would strengthen...

Seanad: Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine Accidents) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (8 Apr 2025)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I understand the Minister of State is not accepting the amendment but I suggest we are just trying to ensure an understanding and expertise. We have suggested a few different ways of achieving these. During our consideration of the previous Stage, I suggested there be internal expertise within the independent unit or among the investigators it will be employing. I am not talking about the...

Seanad: Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine Accidents) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (8 Apr 2025)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 2: In page 31, line 32, to delete "may" and substitute "shall".

Seanad: Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine Accidents) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (8 Apr 2025)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Amendment No. 2 seeks to amend section 46(3) to ensure offshore vessels and IP rules shall include requirements the Minister considers necessary to implement the provisions of Chapter XV of the SOLAS Convention and the IP code. I am particularly concerned about the lack of an obligation on the Minister because this is inconsistent with the approach taken under other legislation. Let me...

Seanad: Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine Accidents) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (8 Apr 2025)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am afraid I am not satisfied with those answers. Sadly, I have to say that I think the Minister of State's response is misleading, and it is important that it would be very clear in the record. To say that this legislation will apply to offshore wind and that is its limit is misleading because we know it goes further than that. The language is explicitly clear in the Bill with regard to...

Seanad: Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine Accidents) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (8 Apr 2025)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 3: In page 31, line 35, to delete “may” and substitute “shall”.

Seanad: Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine Accidents) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (8 Apr 2025)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 4: In page 32, line 15, to delete “may” and substitute “shall”.

Seanad: Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine Accidents) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (8 Apr 2025)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 6: In page 33, line 3, after “rules” to insert the following: “with the exception of any rules that are necessary in order to implement the provisions of Chapter XV of the Safety Convention and the IP Code”.

Seanad: Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine Accidents) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (8 Apr 2025)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Amendments Nos. 6 to 8, inclusive, concern exemptions. It was interesting what the Minister of State said about how there will be other kinds of vessels that the SOLAS Convention does not apply to, because applying the SOLAS Convention within the regulations does not mean they have to be consistent with it. There is nothing to say the Minister of State cannot exceed the provisions in the...

Seanad: Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine Accidents) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (8 Apr 2025)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I have been clear on multiple occasions that I am not seeking to legislate for LNG tankers. I am aware LNG tankers are covered. In fact, they are covered by the stronger provisions in the Merchant Shipping Act 2010. It is still not clear why in 2010 the Government was able to be definitive and talk about "shall", yet, a few years later, it has become so concerned with a different kind of...

Seanad: Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine Accidents) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (8 Apr 2025)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I have to object. That is an inaccurate and selective quoting from the Bill.

Seanad: Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine Accidents) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (8 Apr 2025)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 7: In page 33, line 3, after “rules” to insert the following: “with the exception of requirements outlined under subsection (3)”.

Seanad: Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine Accidents) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (8 Apr 2025)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 8: In page 33, line 3, after “rules” to insert the following: “with the exception of offshore service vessels engaged in offshore industrial activity related to the hydrocarbon energy sector”.

Seanad: International Trade and International Relations: Statements (3 Apr 2025)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne. I was very glad to have the Tánaiste come to the House today. I am hoping he will be able to return, maybe to discuss this at more length, because we have had requests for debates over many periods of time. The nature of the week that is in it means the focus is going to be on tariffs, but there are a large number of issues which the...

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport (Arms Embargo) Bill 2024: Order for Committee Stage (2 Apr 2025)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move: "That Committee Stage be taken now."

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport (Arms Embargo) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (2 Apr 2025)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Section 2 relates to the restriction on the transit of military items and dual-use items to Israel in the context of the International Court of Justice ruling and the provisional measures it outlined, which were very clear about the responsibilities of all states to ensure they are not contributing to the risk of genocide and to take all necessary steps to prevent acts that may be committed...

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport (Arms Embargo) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (2 Apr 2025)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am very keen for the Bill to pass Committee Stage. The Government has been clear that it will not oppose its passing. We have such a thing as Report Stage whereby people can raise any issues they have. In fairness, the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, indicated there are issues on which he wishes to work and engage with Senators. We will be very happy to engage between Committee and Report...