Alice-Mary Higgins (born 10 April 1975) is an Irish

Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

politician who has served as a

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

for the

National University A national university is mainly a university created or managed by a government, but which may also at the same time operate autonomously without direct control by the state. Some national universities are associated with national cultural or po ...

since April 2016. She became the leader of the

Civil Engagement group The Civil Engagement group () is a technical group in Seanad Éireann (the upper house of the Oireachtas or parliament of Ireland) composed of senators with a background in civic engagement organisations. History The group was established in ...

in the

25th Seanad This is a list of the members of the 25th Seanad Éireann, the upper house of the Oireachtas (legislature) of Ireland. 49 Senators were elected in April 2016 when postal voting closed. The Taoiseach nominated an additional eleven members to the ...

. She was the campaigns and policy officer at the

National Women's Council of Ireland The National Women's Council of Ireland (NWCI) is a representative organisation for women and women's groups in Ireland. It was originally known as the Council for the Status of Women. Policies The mission of the NWCI is to achieve women's equa ...

, and a board member of the

European Women's Lobby The European Women's Lobby (EWL) is the largest umbrella organization of women's associations in the European Union, founded in 1990, working to promote women's rights and equality between women and men, and representing a total of more than 200 ...

Early life

She is the daughter of

Michael D. Higgins Michael Daniel Higgins ( ga, Mícheál Dónal Ó hUigínn; born 18 April 1941) is an Irish politician, poet, sociologist, and broadcaster, who has served as the ninth president of Ireland since November 2011. Entering national politics throug ...

, a former Labour Party politician and the ninth and current

President of Ireland The president of Ireland ( ga, Uachtarán na hÉireann) is the head of state of Republic of Ireland, Ireland and the supreme commander of the Defence Forces (Ireland), Irish Defence Forces. The president holds office for seven years, and can ...

. Higgins studied English and philosophy at

University College Dublin University College Dublin (commonly referred to as UCD) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath) is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a collegiate university, member institution of the National University of Ireland ...

, and took an

MPhil The Master of Philosophy (MPhil; Latin ' or ') is a postgraduate degree. In the United States, an MPhil typically includes a taught portion and a significant research portion, during which a thesis project is conducted under supervision. An MPhil m ...

in theatre and cultural studies at

Trinity College Dublin , name_Latin = Collegium Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae juxta Dublin , motto = ''Perpetuis futuris temporibus duraturam'' (Latin) , motto_lang = la , motto_English = It will last i ...

, and a

Fulbright The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of ...

MA in sociology at

The New School The New School is a private research university in New York City. It was founded in 1919 as The New School for Social Research with an original mission dedicated to academic freedom and intellectual inquiry and a home for progressive thinkers. ...

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Career

Higgins stood for election to Seanad Éireann on the

panel in April 2016 and was elected to the third and final seat on the 28th count. Higgins is the first woman elected to the NUI Panel in 35 years. She was an independent candidate for the

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

constituency at the

2019 European Parliament election The 2019 European Parliament election was held between 23 and 26 May 2019, the ninth parliamentary election since the first direct elections in 1979. A total of 751 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) represent more than 512 million peopl ...

but was not elected. Higgins currently serves as a member of the executive committee of the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights, campaigning for gender equality, reproductive rights and equal access to healthcare for women. In 2016, Higgins introduced a motion to the Seanad calling on the Irish Government not to sign up to provisional application of the Comprehensive and Economic Trade Agreement (CETA), citing the investor court system elements of the treaty's potential impacts on public services, the environment and policy decisions Higgins currently serves on the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action, the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach and the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters. In December 2020, journalist Miriam Lord named Higgins 'Senator of the Year' "for her tireless approach, collegial outlook, level of research, grasp of detail, participation in debates and undimmed enthusiasm for the job." In the 25th Seanad Higgins served on the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action and the Join Oireachtas Committee on Employment Affairs and Social Protection. In 2021, Higgins introduced a motion to support the

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on the

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, which was passed in the Seanad.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Higgins, Alice-Mary 1975 births Living people Alumni of Trinity College Dublin Alumni of University College Dublin Children of presidents of Ireland Alice-Mary Members of the 25th Seanad Politicians from County Galway Members of Seanad Éireann for the National University of Ireland Independent members of Seanad Éireann The New School alumni Members of the 26th Seanad 21st-century women members of Seanad Éireann