Results 7,301-7,320 of 18,761 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Order of Business (29 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: I presume a committee of this House is master of its own affairs and that it can issue what it wishes.

Order of Business (29 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: I am not here to state what the Oireachtas Commission can do with the report or whatever, or whether it must publish it bilingually.

Order of Business (29 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: That is not my function. That is the committee's issue, not mine. On the second matter, as Deputy Howlin will be well aware, the legislative process involves, first, under Cabinet handbook provisions, that a scheme must be prepared based on a policy consideration of the issues involved and when that scheme is prepared it is brought to Government for liberty to draft a Bill. When the Bill is...

Order of Business (29 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: ——it comes to Government in its draft form and then a decision is made to publish it.

Order of Business (29 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: The Deputy will appreciate that this is momentous stuff and that I have not heard anybody in this House state he or she has an instant answer to all of these issues. It is a matter on which we must proceed carefully, but I point out that this Government is the first in the history of the State to say it proposes to legislate in this area.

Order of Business (29 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: I stated in the House that it was my intention to have the area of private airports reviewed. I did not promise in this House that I would publish something in the next week or two.

Order of Business (29 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: If Deputy Burton asks the Minister for Finance about it, he will deal with it.

Order of Business (29 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: If the Deputy had been listening earlier, I stated that the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill would be introduced early next year.

Order of Business (29 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: As the Deputy has been told on a number of occasions, that Bill has been withdrawn. It is not promised legislation.

Order of Business (29 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: I do not think there is promised legislation of that kind.

Order of Business (29 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: I do not believe there is a promise to legislate.

Supplementary Estimates 2006: Leave to Introduce (29 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: I move: That leave be given by the Dáil to introduce the following Supplementary Estimates for the service of the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2006: Vote 1 — President's Establishment (Supplementary Estimate). Vote 18 — Office of the Ombudsman (Supplementary Estimate). Vote 19 — Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Supplementary Estimate). Vote 20 — An Garda Síochána...

Supplementary Estimates 2006: Referral to Select Committee. (29 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: I move: That, subject to leave being given to introduce the following Supplementary Estimates for the service of the year ending on 31st December, 2006, the Supplementary Estimates be referred to the following Select Committees pursuant to Standing Order 152(3) and paragraph (1)(a)(ii) of the Committees' Orders of Reference, which shall report back to the Dáil by no later than 12th...

Leaders' Questions (29 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: The Deputy will appreciate that the origins of the Iraq intervention by western armies occurred at a time when the Government consistently argued against military intervention and asked that more time be given to the weapons inspectors to discover whether there were weapons of mass destruction——

Leaders' Questions (29 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: ——and whether the issues could be dealt with differently. That was the consistent position of the Government at the time. Deputy Gormley seems to have forgotten that in the meantime a mandate from the United Nations Security Council was unanimously adopted and that it requires member states of the United Nations to facilitate and assist the UN forces in the normal way in carrying out...

Leaders' Questions (29 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: May I answer the question? Deputies may make comments afterwards. We have been assured at the highest level by the——

Leaders' Questions (29 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: ——United States, through the Secretary of State and at diplomatic level, that there has never been a rendition flight through Irish airspace or Irish airports.

Leaders' Questions (29 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: Experts who have examined the case have stated that in their view it would be highly improbable that the United States would ever have selected Shannon Airport as a place through which rendition flights would pass. I accept that view because, first, we have a solemn assurance they have never taken place and, second, I regard it as improbable that anyone would attempt to use Irish airspace or...

Leaders' Questions (29 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: Members of the Garda Síochána are fully entitled to search any aircraft if they have a reasonable belief that a crime is being committed on board, and it would be a crime to detain a person against his or her will on a flight, other than on foot of an extradition treaty which is not relevant to this case. As Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, I have repeatedly called on any...

Leaders' Questions (29 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: I remind the House that the President of the Human Rights Commission, Dr. Maurice Manning, said yesterday there was no smoking gun. Members should pay some attention to what he says rather than misquoting him and attempting to suggest that Ireland has been used for rendition flights. It has not.