Results 18,701-18,720 of 18,738 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Seanad: Immigration Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Michael McDowell: I do not see anything over the top in requiring a carrier to present all passengers to an immigration officer for examination. If I was to accede to the Senator's amendment, it would mean that only non-nationals would have to be presented. Therefore, if people scarpered across the airport fields or disappeared off the ferry and ran, I would not be able to prove who they were. I would then...

Seanad: Immigration Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Michael McDowell: An Irish citizen is prima facie entitled to enter Ireland. This does not inhibit the rights of Irish citizens to behave as they wish. All it does is cast on the carrier the obligation to take all reasonable steps to ensure everybody on board a aeroplane or ship presents himself or herself to an Irish immigration officer. Whether the Irish citizen has rights in those circumstances is immaterial.

Seanad: Immigration Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Michael McDowell: The Senator should consult the Act, the name of which he does not like – the Aliens Act and the aliens order. "Permission to land" is the term used in the Act, which can mean somebody standing on land. It is given a specific statutory meaning – it effectively means permission to enter the State.

Seanad: Immigration Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Michael McDowell: I must admit to some surprise that those amendments have been tabled. Section 2(1)(c) places a requirement on a carrier to ensure that a non-national has the proper documentation – a valid passport or other valid document which establishes his or her nationality and identity and, if required, a valid visa or transit visa. All that is required of a carrier is that he or she carries out the...

Seanad: Immigration Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Michael McDowell: I take the Senator's point but my response is to ask if this Bill should be emasculated to the point that anybody presenting without travel documents at any check-in anywhere in Europe or America or wherever and intending to claim asylum in Ireland should be ushered on board a plane? If that is to be the situation, not only should we abandon this Bill, we should also abandon all immigration...

Seanad: Immigration Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Michael McDowell: At least such people are now required to provide visas.

Seanad: Immigration Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Michael McDowell: Many people are doing so.

Seanad: Immigration Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Michael McDowell: It was the Senator who used that term. There are roughly 12,000 people claiming asylum status in Ireland.

Seanad: Immigration Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Michael McDowell: Like Russian dolls.

Seanad: Immigration Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Michael McDowell: The Senator should look at the definition in section 1.

Seanad: Immigration Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Michael McDowell: The term "vehicle" includes those things.

Seanad: Immigration Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Michael McDowell: I have listened to the debate with interest and it seems that most of the contributions are based on the proposition that there is some kind of radical chic to completely confuse economic migration with asylum seekers. This amendment deals with asylum seekers, it has nothing to do with Irish people going to America.

Seanad: Immigration Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Michael McDowell: We are dealing with an amendment which seeks to provide that a person presenting himself or herself as an asylum seeker should be allowed to board an aircraft.

Seanad: Immigration Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Michael McDowell: Senator Ryan has never had to operate an airline. No airline can operate a system whereby it checks people are properly documented when they arrive at their destination. No airline will do that because it would lose money hand over fist by having to pay to send them back again. This legislation will require the documentation of every person travelling to Ireland to be checked before boarding....

Seanad: Immigration Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Michael McDowell: I know. Either we have carrier liability law or we do not. The public would be surprised and shocked to hear the position being taken by Fine Gael and the Labour Party.

Seanad: Immigration Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Michael McDowell: The Senator will have plenty of time to reply. This is an open-ended debate so far. We must face reality. Ireland is the only member state of the European Union without carrier liability law. There would be no point in having this law if I were to accede to the amendment that a person not incur any liability where he or she declares an intention to claim asylum thereby rendering him or her...

Seanad: Immigration Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Michael McDowell: No, it is not. As things stand, one cannot board a flight to America without a visa. Aer Lingus would not carry a person who is not properly documented. The airline would not do it because it would have to bear the cost of bringing that person back.

Seanad: Immigration Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Michael McDowell: Yes. That happens at some airports.

Seanad: Immigration Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Michael McDowell: The point I am making is that one does not board a plane to America undocumented.

Seanad: Immigration Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Michael McDowell: Yes, there is. The purpose of the amendment is that a person would incur no liability if his or her documents were false and he or she was claiming asylum in Ireland. We cannot have laws like that. Anybody who thinks we should, should go out to the plinth and tell the Irish people that he or she supports the idea of an undocumented person being able to arrive at Dublin Airport simply because...