Senator Higgins attended European Parliamentary Week as part of an Irish parliamentary delegation and contribute to discussions relating to the workplan for the European Parliament known as the European semester process.
She called for civil society to have a voice and a role in the semester process and the highlighted the need to re-balance the semester process - ensuring that smart, sustainable and inclusive growth is appropriately weighed against short term fiscal targets. This is all the more important in the context of commitments under the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement.
It is important that issues such as Brexit or the push for increased military spending are not allowed to jeopardise longer-term sustainability.
Finally she emphasised the importance of quality indicators not just statistics as part of the evaluatory processes.
Today, Senator Alice-Mary Higgins launched her new 'Quality in Public Procurement' legislation.
Ireland spends billions each year on public contracts for goods, services and works. The aim of the Bill is to deliver better outcomes from that spending by strengthening the role of quality in the procurement process.
Last month, Senator Higgins was one of over 200 Parliamentarians from around the world who participated in the Nairobi Summit on ICPD25 - the most important meeting on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in 25 years. The Summit brought together advocates dedicated to achieving sexual and reproductive health and rights for everyone, everywhere.