Results 11,041-11,060 of 18,733 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (28 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: The Garda central vetting unit, GCVU, was established in 2002 and currently processes vetting requests in respect of, inter alia, prospective full-time employees of the Health Service Executive and certain agencies funded by the Health Service Executive as well as in respect of selected employments in other sectors. In 2004, an inter-agency working group on Garda vetting reported with a clear...

Written Answers — Registration of Title: Registration of Title (28 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: I have requested the Land Registry to contact the Deputy directly concerning the current position of the application in question.

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (28 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: The persons who are the subject of this question were granted C visit visas to enter the State to visit their parents for a period of three months. C visas are granted for visits of less than 90 days. As a consequence, it is not the general policy to extend permission to remain to persons who are admitted initially for a period of 90 days or less on a C visa save in very exceptional and...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (28 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: The Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 2001 provides for a set of provisions to enable persons who are married to Irish citizens to apply for a certificate of naturalisation. Such applications, which take 24 months to process, are granted at the absolute discretion of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform and to qualify to make such an application the applicant must be of full...

Written Answers — Property Sales: Property Sales (28 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: In July 2004, I commissioned the auctioneering and estate agency review group to examine the licensing and regulatory requirements for property practitioners. I initiated the review against a background of a considerable level of public concern about specific selling practices in the property industry, apparent deficiencies in regulatory and supervisory arrangements in respect of service...

Written Answers — Garda Equipment: Garda Equipment (28 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Garda authorities that the Garda PULSE system is able to process such summonses adequately.

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (28 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: Revised arrangements for the processing of applications for permission to remain in the State from non-national parents of Irish born children born before 1 January 2005 were announced by me on 15 January 2005. One of the specific conditions of the scheme was that persons granted residency on its basis had no entitlement to be joined in the State by other family members. The statutory...

Written Answers — Garda Strength: Garda Strength (28 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: I have been informed by the Garda authorities, who are responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, that the personnel strength, all ranks, of the Garda Síochána as at 31 December 1997 and 20 March 2006 was 10,702 and 12,445, respectively. This represents an increase of 1,743, or 16.3%, in the personnel strength of the Garda Síochána during that period. The...

Written Answers — Garda Strength: Garda Strength (28 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available in the detail sought and can only be obtained by the disproportionate expenditure of Garda time and resources.

Written Answers — Irish Prison Service: Irish Prison Service (28 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: There are no proposals to reopen the Curragh Prison. No staff are assigned there for maintenance or other purposes and no money has been spent on maintenance in the current year. The future of the facility will be the subject of discussions between the Irish Prison Service and the Department of Defence.

Written Answers — Garda Stations: Garda Stations (28 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: I am on record as acknowledging that certain Garda accommodation is not up to standard. However, considerable investment is being made, in terms of money, time and effort, to improve the working conditions for all gardaí in stations across the country. The prioritisation of works is dependent on a large number of factors which means priorities are constantly reviewed and updated as...

Written Answers — Commemorative Events: Commemorative Events (28 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: At present it is my intention to attend the 90th anniversary military parade and the State reception following same at Dublin Castle on Sunday, 16 April 2006.

Written Answers — Parental Leave: Parental Leave (28 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: A review of the maternity protection legislation was carried out in 2000 by a working group, chaired by my Department, which comprised the social partners and relevant Departments and agencies. A review of the Parental Leave Act 1998 was conducted by a working group chaired by my Department. This working group was also comprised the social partners, relevant Departments and the Equality...

Written Answers — Youth Projects: Youth Projects (28 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: The project referred to by the Deputy closed on 31 May 2005, following the withdrawal of service by the employing agency, which informed the Garda Síochána by letter dated 25 April 2005 of their intention to withdraw from the project. Local gardaí ensured that all property purchased by the project with public funding was accounted for and stored for future use. Following the closure of the...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (28 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: I believe the applicant referred to by the Deputy is resident in Moscow. My Department has established a dedicated visa office in Moscow and when the application is received it will be examined in line with the usual criteria for such an application.

Written Answers — Garda Equipment: Garda Equipment (28 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: I do not propose to expand on what I have previously said on the matter of costs. The Deputy will be aware that the Department of Finance has just completed the first stage of an EU restricted tender procedure and will shortly issue full tender documents to the shortlisted bidders. It would be inappropriate for me to comment on costs at this juncture as I do not want to set expectations for...

Written Answers — Garda Equipment: Garda Equipment (28 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 388 and 389 together. The procurement of a managed digital radio service is well advanced by the CMOD division of the Department of Finance, which is undertaking the procurement on behalf of the Garda Síochána and other blue light and State agencies. It is proposed to roll out the new Garda digital radio system this year. As is appropriate in any major...

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (28 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Garda authorities that the following table provides the total number of headline offences, by group, recorded and detected in the Garda division of Roscommon-Galway East for the years 2000 to 2005, inclusive, and up to 28 February 2006. I am pleased to note that the statistics show a decrease of 5.5% in recorded crime when comparing 2004 with 2005, and a decrease of 19.4%...

Written Answers — Garda Operations: Garda Operations (28 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: For policing purposes the country is divided into six regions, each of which is commanded by a regional assistant commissioner. The duties of the regional assistant commissioners are mainly operational and they are responsible for ensuring the operational efficiency of their respective region and, in particular, the quality of operational management exercised by their respective divisional...

Written Answers — Garda Strength: Garda Strength (28 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: I have been informed by the Garda authorities, who are responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, that the personnel strength, all ranks, of the Garda Síochána as at 31 December 1997 and 20 March 2006 was 10,702 and 12,445, respectively. This represents an increase of 1,743, or 16.3%, in the personnel strength of the Garda Síochána during that period. I...