Results 1-20 of 209 for likes to work speaker:Emer Higgins

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Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Industrial Relations (11 Jul 2024)

Emer Higgins: I am aware of the Respect at Work campaign, which is seeking new protections for workers wishing to organise in their workplaces. These proposals will be considered in the context of Ireland’s publication of an action plan to promote collective bargaining, as required by the EU directive on adequate minimum wages. Article 4 of the directive, promotion of collective bargaining on...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Trade Unions (11 Jul 2024)

Emer Higgins: I am aware of the Respect at Work campaign which is seeking new protections for workers seeking to organise in their workplaces. These proposals will be considered in the context of Ireland’s publication of an Action Plan to promote collective bargaining as required by the EU Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages. Article 4 of the Directive, Promotion of Collective Bargaining...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Wastewater Treatment (9 Jul 2024)

Emer Higgins: I am taking this Topical Issue on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, who would like to thank the Deputy for raising this important issue and providing an opportunity to address the matter. As he knows, a small number of estates rely on developer-provided water services infrastructure, commonly referred to as DPI, for their water services. They mainly consist of wastewater...

International Protection, Asylum and Migration: Motion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2024)

Emer Higgins: I thank the Minister, Deputy McEntee, for enabling this really important debate. I know how hard she and her officials have worked on this issue and how many hours she spent speaking with stakeholders both at an EU level and here in Ireland. I know that this pact has Ireland's best interests in mind. That is because Ireland helped to negotiate it. We are all aware of the change and...

Planning and Development Bill 2023: Report Stage (Resumed) (12 Jun 2024)

Emer Higgins: I would like to speak to amendment No. 232. I thank the Minister of State for tabling this amendment to the Bill. As we are all aware, this Bill is nearly 730 pages long. It is the third largest piece of legislation in the history of the State and is the culmination of a 15-month review of the planning system. Anyone who spent hours and weeks on end in committee rooms during the months of...

Business Support Package: Statements (Resumed) (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: I thank all Deputies for this useful discussion on the recent set of measures agreed to reduce costs for small and medium businesses. I would like to begin by reiterating the point made earlier by the Minister that small and medium businesses are vital to the success of the Irish economy. As someone with a business background, I understand the importance of supporting small businesses and...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Rights (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: Absolutely not. We are supporting both workers and businesses. We have a legal requirement to have regard to the potential impact of making an order to vary the number of sick days. For that reason, the Minister, Peter Burke, the Minister of State, Dara Calleary, and I have asked the ESRI to provide data so we can make an evidence-based, informed decision because that is what responsible...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: On the 25th August 2023, the then Minister for Business, Employment and Retail, signed the Employment Regulation Order (ERO) for the Security Sector which came into force on 4th September 2023. At that time approximately 16,000 workers benefitted from the ERO, which included a wage increase to €12.90 per hour. In addition to the pay increases, the Joint Labour Committee (JLC) for...

Seanad: Employment Permits Bill 2022: Committee Stage (22 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: I thank the Acting Chairperson. I would like to welcome Deputy Michael Ring and his guests, Seán and Martina. I am delighted to have the opportunity to present the Employment Permits Bill for consideration by the Seanad today. I thank my predecessors, the Minister of State, Deputy Neale Richmond, and Deputy Damien English, for their work on this important legislation. The purpose...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (25 Apr 2024)

Emer Higgins: Companies operating in the circular economy looking for advice and guidance should in the first instance speak with their Local Enterprise Office (LEO). LEOs are the ‘first-stop-shop’ for providing advice and guidance, financial assistance, and other supports to those wishing to start or grow their own business. LEOs also provide a ‘signposting’ service for all...

Seanad: Employment (Collective Redundancies and Miscellaneous Provisions) and Companies (Amendment) Bill 2023: Second Stage (24 Apr 2024)

Emer Higgins: I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach and everyone in this Chamber for their kind words of congratulations but also of welcome to Seanad Éireann. Most importantly, I thank them for their collaboration with this Bill because it is very important. Senator Seery Kearney brings many skills and expertise in this exact field to the Chamber and I very much appreciate her input and contribution as...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Health Services Staff (24 Apr 2024)

Emer Higgins: ...issue. I fully appreciate what she has said about the recruitment and retention of staff. Staff in this area are vital because they provide the necessary resources and support that people like Kaitlin and her family need, and that is why the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is committed to sustainable service delivery for the benefit of those who rely...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Role of Disabled Persons Organisations and Self Advocacy in Providing Equal Opportunities under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Implementation: Discussion (8 Apr 2024)

Emer Higgins: I thank all of our guests for being with us today and for sharing their experiences. To Gary I would say that today is an anti ego-ablism day. It is a day for engaging with the people who sit on the disability matters committee and we sit on this committee because we know that disability matters, that civic and human rights for all matter and that inclusion matters. Today is about us...

International Women's Day: Statements (5 Mar 2024)

Emer Higgins: Apologies for being breathless. I just ran from a committee vote. That underscores how important it is that we get more women into this Chamber, so that the women who are here do not have to sit on too many committees in order to achieve gender balance. This Friday, 8 March, as we all well know, is a really significant day and this year, it is a significant day for two reasons. First,...

Child and Youth Mental Health: Statements (29 Feb 2024)

Emer Higgins: ...of immediate attention and the urgent need for reform and for better resourcing across our youth mental health services. We all know someone directly or indirectly affected by this in our local town or village. I see it all the time in my constituency in places like Clondalkin, Lucan, Rathcoole, Newcastle, Saggart, Brittas and Citywest, where parents are struggling to gain access to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: System for Assisted Dying and Alternative Policies: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Emer Higgins: I thank all of our guests for being here with us today. I thank the Chair, the Acting Chair, all of the committee members and all the witnesses who have attended over the last number of months. This is our last meeting of this special committee. In the past few months, we have heard from healthcare professionals, palliative care professionals, theologians, legal experts, NGOs and from those...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (1 Feb 2024)

Emer Higgins: I thank the Minister of State for that update. It is welcome news that they will be delivered as quickly as possible but I would still like to know what "as quickly as possible" means. What kind of a timeframe are we looking at? I would like to take this opportunity to ensure that the Minister of State, the Minister for Education and her Department are aware of the primary schools that...

Post-European Council Meeting: Statements (24 Jan 2024)

Emer Higgins: Supporting the people of Palestine is something I am really passionate about. Last week I organised a meeting for the Fine Gael parliamentarians with Sadaka, the Ireland Palestine Alliance, to discuss what is the absolute horror that is happening in Gaza. I brought this and Ireland's participation in the South African International Court of Justice, ICJ, case up on the floor of the...

Conflict in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory: Motion (23 Jan 2024)

Emer Higgins: I start by thanking the Tánaiste, his team and his officials for putting this motion together and giving us the opportunity to have a cross-party debate. Sadly, we are in a much darker place than we were when last we were here condemning what is happening in Gaza. No matter what side of the House we sit on, we are watching horror unfold before our eyes. This is true not just of all...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Planning for Inclusive Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jan 2024)

Emer Higgins: I thank the CCMA and the HSE for being here with us today. It is very important to have our local authorities and our health services here because they are the key enablers of people with disabilities to become part of a fully inclusive society. That is what we are here to talk about today and I thank them and all of their teams for all they do. My own local authority team suffered quite a...