Results 3,021-3,040 of 18,728 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Written Answers — Garda Equipment: Garda Equipment (19 Apr 2005)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Garda authorities that there is access to e-mail for nominated members of the Garda Síochána where required and based upon operational needs. Access to the Internet is provided to authorised members of the force using the assigned information technology equipment within Garda stations. The Garda Síochána is preparing an information and communications technology...

Written Answers — Residency Permits: Residency Permits (19 Apr 2005)

Michael McDowell: The closing date for applications for permission to remain under the revised arrangements for the non-national parents of Irish-born children was 31 March 2005. Almost 18,000 applications have been received and by now all applicants should have received an acknowledgement. An applicant who has not received an acknowledgment should write to the Irish Born Child Unit, PO Box 10003, Dublin 2,...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (19 Apr 2005)

Michael McDowell: An application for a certificate of naturalisation was received in the citizenship section of my Department on 6 May 2003. This is being processed and it will be submitted to me for a decision in the next few weeks. I will be in touch with the Deputy and the applicant when I have made a decision in the matter.

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (19 Apr 2005)

Michael McDowell: The visa application in question was received in my Department on 19 April 2004 from a non- EEA national for the stated purpose of joining her spouse in the State. The applicant's husband has been in the State for several years and has now acquired citizenship. Having given full consideration to the matter the visa was refused because my Department was not satisfied on the basis of...

Written Answers — Deportation Orders: Deportation Orders (19 Apr 2005)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 397 and 403 together. The two persons referred to by the Deputies are Nigerian women who were deported from the State on a charter flight to Lagos on the night of 14-15 March 2005. One of the women was accompanied in the State by four of her children while the other was accompanied by two children. The asylum applications of both women and their children were...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (19 Apr 2005)

Michael McDowell: An application for a certificate of naturalisation by the person referred to by the Deputy was received in the citizenship section of my Department on 27 August, 2002. I considered this application on 22 November 2004 and decided not to grant a certificate of naturalisation in this instance. The basis for the refusal of this application has been set out in detail in the letter dated 3...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (19 Apr 2005)

Michael McDowell: The application in question was received in my Moscow office on 30 November 2004. The visa was sought for the purposes of allowing a non-EEA to travel to visit her fiancé in the State. The application was examined by a visa officer who concluded that, based on the documentation provided, it was not reasonable in all the circumstances to grant a visa and the application was refused. The...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (19 Apr 2005)

Michael McDowell: An application for a certificate of naturalisation in respect of the person referred to by the Deputy was received in the citizenship section of my Department in June, 2003. My officials wrote to the person concerned in November 2004 seeking some additional information in connection with the application and to date no reply has been received to that letter. Processing of the application will...

Written Answers — Deportation Orders: Deportation Orders (19 Apr 2005)

Michael McDowell: The persons concerned, both Angolan, arrived in the State on 2 March 2001 and claimed asylum. Their applications were refused by the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner and they were notified of this recommendation by letter of 11 March 2002. Their subsequent appeal was refused by the Refugee Appeals Tribunal and they were notified of this recommendation by letter of 24 July,...

Written Answers — Residency Permits: Residency Permits (19 Apr 2005)

Michael McDowell: The immigration division of my Department has recently granted the person referred to by the Deputy permission to remain in the State and she was advised to attend her local immigration office to have her passport endorsed accordingly. The policy of my Department on long-term residency in the State varies according to the circumstances of the individual case. The principles governing the...

Written Answers — Registration of Title: Registration of Title (19 Apr 2005)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Registrar of Titles that this is an application for transfer order and transfer of part (sale) which was lodged on 18 October 2004 and to which dealing number D2004SM009052Y refers. I am further informed that a query issued to the lodging solicitor on 14 April 2005 and that the application cannot proceed until this query has been satisfactorily resolved. However, on...

Written Answers — Refugee Status: Refugee Status (19 Apr 2005)

Michael McDowell: As the Deputy will be aware, under the Refugee Act 1996, two independent statutory offices were established to consider applications and appeals for refugee status and to make recommendations to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform on whether such status should be granted. These two offices are the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner, which considers applications for...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (19 Apr 2005)

Michael McDowell: As the Deputy may be aware, the equal opportunities child care programme provides, inter alia, capital and staffing funding to enhance existing and to create new child care places in services throughout the country. Funding for staffing costs under the EOCP is made available to child care services which provide child care for very disadvantaged parents. Overall, the programme aims to increase...

Written Answers — Garda Equipment: Garda Equipment (19 Apr 2005)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Garda authorities that the cost of providing audio-video facilities is dependent on a number of factors, including the provision of suitable, if necessary refurbished, accommodation in Garda stations. It was never the intention that all Garda stations be equipped with audio-video facilities for recording the questioning of detained persons. Rather, the intention was that...

Written Answers — Garda Budget: Garda Budget (19 Apr 2005)

Michael McDowell: The 2005 budget for the Garda Síochána is over €1.1 billion and the provisional operational budget allocated to the emergency response unit for 2005 amounts to approximately €2.5 million. Certain expenditure items, such as the provision of motor vehicles, information technology and other support services, are accounted for on a centralised national basis. In addition, the salary costs...

Written Answers — Crime Prevention: Crime Prevention (19 Apr 2005)

Michael McDowell: The neighbourhood watch scheme was established in 1985 as a crime prevention measure for urban areas and there are approximately 2,600 neighbourhood watch schemes in operation nationwide. In common with other community schemes, it enlists the voluntary help of the community in co-operation with the Garda and is most suitable for urban areas. No dedicated departmental financial allocations...

Written Answers — Juvenile Offenders: Juvenile Offenders (19 Apr 2005)

Michael McDowell: Statutory responsibility for the provision of spaces for young offenders under the age of 16 years lies with the Minister for Education and Science. I have statutory responsibility for the provision of spaces for persons of 16 years of age and over. The Irish Prison Service does not have a facility operating specifically for offenders under 18 years of age. St. Patrick's Institution caters...

Written Answers — Anti-Racism Measures: Anti-Racism Measures (19 Apr 2005)

Michael McDowell: I draw the attention of the Deputy to the recently launched national action plan against racism, which was prepared in my Department, which recommends the development of anti-racism and diversity plans at city and county level to assist with the implementation of the plan. Recommended measures identified in the plan include the development of anti-racism and diversity plans in ten pilot...

Written Answers — Garda Operations: Garda Operations (19 Apr 2005)

Michael McDowell: As the Deputy will be aware, police operations are primarily a matter for the Garda Síochána. I have been informed by the Garda authorities that there are already a number of multidisciplinary and interdepartmental structures in place which facilitate an integrated and co-ordinated approach to tackling and-or preventing serious and organised crime, such as the Criminal Assets Bureau, the...

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (19 Apr 2005)

Michael McDowell: As the private practitioners scheme has not been discontinued, the question of its reinstatement does not arise. I am in fact pleased to be able to inform the Deputy that, following an increase in funding for the board from €18.388 million in 2004 to €21.362 million in 2005, the scheme has been expanded to provide improved services to the board's clients. In addition, I have recently...