Results 12,341-12,360 of 18,734 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (14 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: A wide range of agencies and bodies fall within the ambit of my Department. These agencies and bodies perform a wide variety of functions, some of which are independent of my Department. For example, the Human Rights Commission is an independent human rights institution. However, as Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, I have certain legal responsibilities concerning the financing...

Written Answers — Garda Investigations: Garda Investigations (14 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 280 and 281 together. I am aware of the allegations made by and on behalf of the person in question but the mere assertion of wrongdoing does not progress the matter in any constructive manner. In this regard, it should be noted that the Garda Síochána complaints board investigated a complaint made by the person in question on the matter. The complaints...

Written Answers — Garda Investigations: Garda Investigations (14 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 282 to 285, inclusive, together. I have already placed on the public record my knowledge of the status of certain named persons and I do not propose to go further in this regard.

Written Answers — Garda Investigations: Garda Investigations (14 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 286 and 287 together. I refer the Deputy to my comprehensive statement to Dáil Éireann on 13 December 2005.

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (14 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: In his Budget Statement on 7 December 2005, the Minister for Finance announced increases to paid maternity leave to 22 weeks in March 2006 and to 26 weeks in March 2007 and unpaid maternity leave to 12 weeks with effect from March 2006 and to 16 weeks with effect from March 2007. In the interests of maintaining the parity of entitlements between adopting and natural mothers, similar...

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (14 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: The person concerned, a Romanian national, entered the State on 12 June 1999 and claimed asylum. His application was refused following consideration of his case by asylum division and, on appeal, by the Refugee Appeals Authority. He was informed by letter of 4 September 2000 that the Minister proposed to make a deportation order in respect of him and afforded him three options under section...

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (14 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: I refer the Deputy to the statements made in the House on my behalf by Deputy John Browne, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food, in the Dáil Adjournment debate on Thursday, 8 December 2005, and to the reply I gave to Question No. 385 on Tuesday, 13 December 2005. The position is as outlined therein. In the context of deciding whether to make a deportation order under...

Written Answers — Liquor Licensing Laws: Liquor Licensing Laws (14 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: Section 17 of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2000 provided that a label containing the name and address of premises to which an on-licence or off-licence was attached be clearly indicated on a label affixed to any container in which intoxicating liquor was sold for consumption off the premises. It was never commenced and was repealed by section 3 of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2003. Section 22...

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (14 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 390 on Tuesday, 13 December 2005. My position is unaltered.

Written Answers — Registration of Title: Registration of Title (14 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: I have requested the Land Registry to contact the Deputy directly concerning the current position of the application in question. I understand that, in circumstances where the completion of an application in a particular case is urgent, the Land Registry will make every reasonable effort to facilitate such requests on receipt of a written explanation as to the reason underlying the urgency.

Written Answers — Road Traffic Offences: Road Traffic Offences (14 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: I regret that the information requested by the Deputy is not readily available and is currently being researched. I will be in contact with the Deputy regarding this matter when the information becomes available.

Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (14 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: While I do not have the figures for County Kildare, 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 Carlow-Kildare division for each of the past five years was as set out hereunder. Year Strength 2000 307 2001 321 2002 323 2003 323 2004 323 Garda...

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (14 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Garda authorities that the following tables show the headline offences of assault and burglary by group for each Garda district in the Carlow-Kildare division and on a national scale for the years 2000 to 2004 and up to 30 November 2005. The figures provided for 2004-2005 are provisional, operational and liable to change. Total Offences Recorded for years 2000 to 2004...

Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: The heads of the Bill which are under preparation will deal with this area and the question of people who die in State custody is de facto virtually always the subject of an inquest. It is not as if there is a practice among coroners that urgently needs change. We have agreed to a very expeditious debate this evening. If I were to accept such a broad amendment it would to an extent be a fraud...

Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: Deputy Costello referred to nursing homes and hospitals. However, I must emphasise that whatever obligations are introduced in that area, they will not be blanket ones. We cannot have a situation where every nursing home and hospital death ends up in an inquest. Many people die of natural causes in nursing homes and hospitals. A mandatory inquest every time this happens is not needed. I know...

Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: I did not say the amendments were flawed.

Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: I move amendment No. 2: In page 3, between lines 8 and 9, to insert the following: "(b) by the substitution of the following section for section 36: '36.—A summons requiring the attendance of a person at an inquest as a juror or witness shall be served on the person by a member of the Garda Síochána in one of the following ways: (a) by delivering it to the person; (b) by delivering it at...

Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: As I indicated in my Second Stage speech, I am disposed towards increasing the scope of the coroner's inquest to cover surrounding circumstances of death. Deputy Ó Snodaigh will appreciate, however, that to do this and to do justice to a widened coronial function of this kind and enable jurors to consider these issues properly, we need support services and a reform of the coroner service to...

Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: I want to ensure comprehensive reform is a balanced package in which the new coroner service, with its widened remit, has the resources and organisation to deal with the kind of questions which will arise. We must remember that, having given an excessively narrow function to the Coroner's Court to discharge, we have also under-nourished it and left coroners in something of an administrative...

Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: It is my intention to bring the heads of the Bill to Cabinet before Christmas. If they are approved by the Cabinet — and I do not want to presume that — I intend to publish them early in the new year on my Department's website for consultation. It is also my intention that the drafting process should commence during the consultation period so that the Bill can be published early for...