Results 7,961-7,980 of 18,729 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Written Answers — Court Procedures: Court Procedures (7 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 219 and 220 together. I am informed by the Garda authorities that the information sought by the Deputy is not readily available and is currently being researched. I will contact the Deputy again when the information is to hand.

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (7 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: The application referred to by the Deputy was received in the Dublin Visa Office on 9th October, 2006. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the application in question was approved on 2nd November, 2006.

Written Answers — Prison Education Service: Prison Education Service (7 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 222 to 225, inclusive, together. The CONNECT project was launched in 2000 as a part of the Prison Service Training and Development Programme under the National Development Plan 2000 to 2006. There is no separate budget for this programme and it was not funded by the European Union; all funding during the period 2000 to 2006 was provided annually by the...

Crime Levels. (7 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: The trend in the headline crime statistics for the three quarters to date in 2006 has been positive. The provisional headline crime statistics for the third quarter — the most recent — show a decrease of 1.6% for the quarter compared with the same quarter in 2005. These statistics are the first crime statistics to be published independently by the Central Statistics Office following my...

Crime Levels. (7 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: I listened carefully to what the Deputy said. The first thing to bear in mind is that the number of crimes per thousand of the population has gone down significantly since 1995. With an increasingly urbanised population, the amount of criminality per 1,000 people has reduced significantly.

Crime Levels. (7 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: The second point is that the Deputy will be aware, if he wants to deal with manifestos in the last election, that neither his party nor the Labour Party promised any increase in Garda resources.

Crime Levels. (7 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: A Leas-Cheann Comhairle, I ask you to ask the Deputy to allow me answer the questions he put. The third point is that it is no surprise they offered no increase in Garda strength because when last in office together they allowed the number of gardaí to fall, much to their perpetual disgrace.

Crime Levels. (7 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: When they had responsibility for strengthening the Garda Síochána, they allowed the strength of the force to fall. Regarding firearms, the Deputy is aware that we recently concluded the amnesty with regard to firearms. Over 500 firearms were handed in during the course of that amnesty. During the debate in this House, it was agreed that the firearms amnesty should not be an anonymous——

Crime Levels. (7 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: I will answer the Deputy's question later; he should not worry. I am answering Deputy O'Keeffe now since he raised the question of firearms.

Crime Levels. (7 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: This is not a conversation. I am supposed to be answering questions. I am not engaging in conversation with the Deputy. Regarding the firearms amnesty, it was agreed during the passage of the legislation through this House that it would be wrong to organise an amnesty in which weapons could be handed up anonymously because murder weapons could be handed up in those circumstances which would...

Crime Levels. (7 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: ——where they accounted for them.

Crime Levels. (7 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: I did not make an assault on anybody.

Drug Seizures. (7 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: The Central Statistics Office's recent publication for the first time of the provisional headline crime statistics for the third quarter of 2006 is welcome in providing further expertise and independence in the compilation of such statistics and in acting as an important aid in informing policy formulation. While being mindful of the need for caution in the interpretation of such statistics,...

Drug Seizures. (7 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: I totally identify with the Deputy in regard to the incident in which a five-year-old child was shot. Nothing could be more depraved or more indicative of the total disregard a tiny minority of people in some of our cities have for human life. The people who earlier this year were shooting people on wasteland in Dublin or the people who are letting off weapons in pursuit of feuds in...

Garda Deployment. (7 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Garda authorities that the statistical information requested by Deputy Murphy on Garda call outs is not readily available and could only be obtained by the expenditure of a disproportionate amount of Garda time and resources on examining each individual incident recorded during 2004 and 2005 to identify whether it resulted in an arrest. The Deputy will appreciate that it...

Garda Deployment. (7 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: I understand the Deputy's point. She is saying that if a local population believes it is under-policed and that, by making complaints, it will compile on paper a case for further gardaí to be allocated to its area, it might be tempted to make such complaints. However, the Commissioner must obviously adopt an objective approach and not just a view based on the fact that a certain group of...

Garda Deployment. (7 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: There is also a need to address the question of having gardaí engage in front-line policing activity rather than clerical duties and administrative tasks. Both of these approaches are being pursued relentlessly by the Commissioner and I. A reply, to be given later in this afternoon's proceedings, will show the pick-up in the rate of civilianisation. The Commissioner and I will announce...

Proposed Legislation. (7 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: The Privacy Bill implements a commitment contained in the agreed programme for Government of 2002 that the Government would, "in the context of a statutory Press Council and improved privacy laws, move to implement reforms of libel laws designed to bring them into line with those of other states". The recent judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in the Wainwright case is of interest...

Proposed Legislation. (7 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: I accept the general proposition that, as an academic principle, there is a right of privacy defended by the Constitution. I can advance an unfortunate proposition, however. In different circumstances, Deputy O'Keeffe and I might not be Members of this House — we might be sitting behind our desks dealing with legal issues. We might be contacted by a client who wants to know whether she...

Proposed Legislation. (7 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: That is right. Deputy Howlin has interrupted in a disorderly manner to point out that many lawyers would tell such a client that while she could sue, they could not guarantee that she would win. Deputy O'Keeffe asked about the origin of the Pauline conversion on my part. The report of the group chaired by Mr. Brian Murray SC evaluated a view which I have expressed previously, which is that...