Results 761-780 of 3,365 for speaker:Emer Higgins

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2023)

Emer Higgins: I will start by welcoming the investment in the Department of Education, especially in the schools building programme, the Minister successfully fought for. I thank her for her leadership on practical inputs that have had a huge benefit for people's household budgets, such as the free school books initiative, free school transport and her collaboration with the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, to...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2023)

Emer Higgins: I thank the Minister.

Policing, Protests and Public Order: Statements (28 Nov 2023)

Emer Higgins: I extend my thoughts and my prayers to the five-year-old girl who remains seriously ill in hospital, to her brave childcare worker and to all those who found themselves in an absolutely unbelievable situation, caught up in awful scenes outside Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire on Thursday afternoon. To those who decided that the way to protect those small children and their carers was to riot,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Safeguarding Medical Professionals: Discussion (28 Nov 2023)

Emer Higgins: I interject to thank our guests. This is the first meeting we have had where I really feel witnesses have come forward with ideas and practical examples as to what we can do to implement safeguards should we legislate for this service. I really appreciate that. It is very valuable coming from particular people who are working in the sector.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Safeguarding Medical Professionals: Discussion (28 Nov 2023)

Emer Higgins: I have two questions on issues similar to those Professor Chochinov has just addressed, but perhaps he will elaborate. He is not necessarily talking about starting a separate profession but, rather, a new profession within a profession, if one likes. I would like to understand more the potential risks in that regard. Could it be divisive? Could it intensify what he described as conflicted...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Assisted Dying in New Zealand and Australia: Discussion (28 Nov 2023)

Emer Higgins: I thank our witnesses for being here with us today. It is very important for us to get the international perspective on this. This is what is being provided to us today. We have a very short space of time to come to our conclusions and our recommendations for Government on what is a very complex issue. We are very reliant on the expertise of people who work in the area, whether it be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Assisted Dying in New Zealand and Australia: Discussion (28 Nov 2023)

Emer Higgins: I will hand my time over to Mr. Seymour, so that we can go through them. I would also like to hear from Dr. Good, and from Dr. Donnelly, who is unique in being able to speak from an Irish and New Zealand perspective, having worked in both countries professionally.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Assisted Dying in New Zealand and Australia: Discussion (28 Nov 2023)

Emer Higgins: That is a very interesting perspective. My colleagues may correct me if I am wrong, but it is one that I do not think we have heard before at this committee. Perhaps the other witnesses would like to comment on the safeguards in place in New Zealand.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Assisted Dying in New Zealand and Australia: Discussion (28 Nov 2023)

Emer Higgins: I want to ask another quick question, if the Chair will indulge me.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Assisted Dying in New Zealand and Australia: Discussion (28 Nov 2023)

Emer Higgins: As we have healthcare practitioners and politicians in the meeting, I have a question for Mr. Seymour. In the referendum, 65% of the population voted in favour and 45% were not in favour at the time of the vote. That is quite a large percentage of the population. How has the Government brought that 45% of people been brought on the journey?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Assisted Dying in New Zealand and Australia: Discussion (28 Nov 2023)

Emer Higgins: Apologies. It is late at night here in Ireland.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Assisted Dying in New Zealand and Australia: Discussion (28 Nov 2023)

Emer Higgins: Apologies, it is 35%. I am interested in how the Government brought that 35% of people on the journey. It is quite a significant percentage. It is over one third of the population.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Assisted Dying in New Zealand and Australia: Discussion (28 Nov 2023)

Emer Higgins: It is a divisive issue.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local and European Elections 2024 and Subsequent General Election: Discussion (28 Nov 2023)

Emer Higgins: I thank all our guests for being here. I welcome them in their capacity as members of a newly formed organisation. We need the commission now more than ever. We know that democracy is fragile. We are living in a changing world of 24-7 news, fake news, artificial intelligence, targeted adverts, misinformation and social media. All of those factors can be weaponised to attack democracy....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local and European Elections 2024 and Subsequent General Election: Discussion (28 Nov 2023)

Emer Higgins: Why is there no timeframe, out of interest?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local and European Elections 2024 and Subsequent General Election: Discussion (28 Nov 2023)

Emer Higgins: If there were to be an unforeseen election called today or tomorrow, the Dáil would be dissolved and we would be doing it on the old boundaries rather than the new ones.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local and European Elections 2024 and Subsequent General Election: Discussion (28 Nov 2023)

Emer Higgins: I will add to the electronic side. Those of us from political backgrounds have campaign teams who are often fascinated, invested and involved in the tally process. It is great to see all political parties leave politics outside of the count centre, and work collaboratively on that. We of course then have tallies which are great sources of information for politicians. Ireland is probably...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local and European Elections 2024 and Subsequent General Election: Discussion (28 Nov 2023)

Emer Higgins: I thank the witnesses for all of the work they do.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Transport Authority (28 Nov 2023)

Emer Higgins: 169. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport for an update on any planned reviews by the NTA in the Adamstown/Lucan area to facilitate the growing population and growing demand following both the build out of the Adamstown and Clonburris strategic development zones and the integration of Ukrainian beneficiaries of temporary protection into the local community; and if he will make...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (28 Nov 2023)

Emer Higgins: 273. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to outline plans to tackle the chronic shortage of school places across Lucan, Clondalkin, Newcastle and Rathcoole, where school building projects are progressing too slowly to cope with the surge in demand resulting, in some cases, in children in category one for their local post primary school being placed up to 194th and 229th on waiting...