Results 9,841-9,860 of 18,761 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Deportation Orders. (8 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: Any person in danger of violence etc. in the host country is entitled to resist deportation on refoulement grounds. If somebody is brought from Dublin to Lagos, for example, by airplane, arrangements are made by an advanced party of gardaí for reception and processing in Lagos. Arrangements are made for overnight accommodation for such people if they so wish. After that, these people are in...

Deportation Orders. (8 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: My experience is that 16 year olds and 17 year olds who come in from a number of these states, and one state in particular, have crossed half the world to get here. Very frequently the account given shows a considerable degree of independence of mind on their part. Their histories show that these are functioning people with a good appreciation of their whereabouts etc. Once a person is of...

Independent Inquiries. (8 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: The independent statutory inquiry process established by me pursuant to section 12 of the Dublin Police Act 1924, as applied and amended, has been under way for some time following the appointment of Mr. Hugh Hartnett, SC, on 14 September 2005 to conduct it. Mr. Hartnett decided that the inquiry was to be held in private and he is not, under his terms of reference, required to report to me on...

Independent Inquiries. (8 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: I am aware of some press coverage of the kind the Deputy referred to, and some of it has not been completely fair. As I understand it, the particular incident coming before the District Court occurred at a time before there was public controversy relating to the Brian Rossiter case. That was not brought to the public's attention in the press reportage. The public dimension to the case came...

Health Services. (8 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: I am taking this matter on behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children. Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive has responsibility to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. The Department has been advised by the HSE that the allocation in 2006 for the north-east hospital network is €216 million....

Deportation Orders. (8 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: I refer the Deputy to the replies I gave to Questions Nos. 84 to 88, inclusive, of 10 May 2006, 190 of 4 May 2006 and 470 of 3 May 2006. There is no provision in Irish law for the automatic deportation or judicially ordered deportation of a non-national who has committed a criminal offence. In this respect our system is somewhat different from that which operates in the United Kingdom and...

Deportation Orders. (8 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: It is not the same issue, but a radically different one, because in Britain the judiciary apparently has power to order the deportation of persons it sends to prison. We do not have that system and whether we should have it is a policy judgment matter. To give the Deputy an example of the issue in question, whether somebody here for five years who is given a one month sentence for being drunk...

Deportation Orders. (8 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: If the Deputy wants information, there are 113 non-EU national prisoners serving sentences in Ireland, from 38 different countries.

Deportation Orders. (8 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: The point is the Deputy implies by his question that all those who serve a sentence and are released should be considered for deportation.

Deportation Orders. (8 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: There is no point in doing a Steve Silvermint in the House. The simple fact is that if, for example, the mother——

Deportation Orders. (8 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: I am answering the questions, but the Deputy is throwing ridiculous shapes. It is an absurdity, for example, to suggest that the non-national mother of Irish children attending school here who is up on a shop-lifting charge should be considered for deportation——

Deportation Orders. (8 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: The Deputy's question implies that every non-national released from prison should be considered for deportation. I regard that as xenophobic nonsense. The Deputy should be more careful about what he says.

Deportation Orders. (8 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: I was told to move on to the next question.

Departmental Communication. (8 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: There is no doubt that recent events have highlighted communications issues between the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and the offices of the Attorney General, the Director of Public Prosecution and the Chief State Solicitor. An examination of communications within the Office of the Attorney General took place some years ago and it resulted in some administrative changes in...

Departmental Communication. (8 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: Does the Deputy refer to my officials when he says "his officials"?

Departmental Communication. (8 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: The Deputy asked whether a Cabinet sub-committee deals with legislative and constitutional matters. There is no such sub-committee. I was also asked about the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. Constitutional issues can arise in respect of a great variety of matters. Somebody could challenge the constitutionality of some provision of the Land Acts, some provision of the criminal...

Departmental Communication. (8 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: ——or some provision of immigration law. In cases of that kind, the assistant secretary with relevant responsibility, or the principal officer under that assistant secretary, is charged with bringing to the attention of the Minister any knowledge that he or she might have on whether a response is required to any constitutional challenge of significance to the Department. It may seem...

Departmental Communication. (8 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: An inquiry into that matter is ongoing. I do not know the answer to the questions. When a mixed question of criminal law and constitutional law arose when I was Attorney General, it was normal for the State in almost every case, if not every case, to put one team, rather than two teams, out on the pitch. I presume the same procedures were followed before I became Attorney General and have...

Departmental Communication. (8 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: It is discussed by the two law officers — the Director of Public Prosecutions, or a senior member of his staff, and the Attorney General, or a senior member of his staff. That is the normal rule.

Departmental Communication. (8 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: The point is that the Attorney General did not know. After he had nominated counsel to deal with the case in the first instance, the Attorney General had no further involvement in the case. The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and an official, or some officials, in the Office of the Attorney General had ongoing involvement in the case. However, it was not brought to the attention...