Senator Alice-Mary Higgins wins two important amendments to the Wildlife Bill

After debating the Wildlife Bill for 12 hours in the Seanad, Senator Higgins was happy to report last-minute wins in two areas. Senator Higgins succeeded in persuading the Minister to accept her amendment which requires a report to be produced on the condition, restoration and rewetting potential of ALL blanket bog National Heritage Areas before any order to remove protection of these bogs can be made. Which means no golf course or other ill-conceived developments in these National Heritage Areas for the foreseeable future. The Minister also accepted Senator Higgins' amendment to require a report on how turbury (peat cutting) rights operate – to include recommendations on a definition of ‘household use’ – important not only in terms of climate action but also a just transition.

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Seanad amendment opens up long-overdue pathway to open adoption in Ireland

Many countries across the world have long seen open or semi-open adoption as an important option within any modern adoption system. However, Ireland has, to date, only ever allowed for closed adoption in which there are no formal or recognised ongoing connections between a new adoptive family, a birth parent and a child who is adopted.
Barnardos, the Care Leavers Network and many other advocacy groups and experts have long called for change in this area and it seems now that change may finally become possible.

Senator Alice-Mary Higgins urges European Parliamentarians to reject a proposal which would deny MEPs powers of oversight over the €13 billion European Defence Fund

The proposal, due to be voted on by the parliament this week, in the last plenary session before the elections, would limit decisions on the work programme of the European Defence Fund to the European Commission and committees through “implementation acts”, effectively bypassing debate, criticism or approval from MEPs.