Results 3,961-3,980 of 18,728 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Morris Tribunal: Motion. (21 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: ——when I remind the House that the first set of events with which the Morris tribunal dealt took place between 1992 and 1995.

Morris Tribunal: Motion. (21 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: If there was a failure——

Morris Tribunal: Motion. (21 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: The Deputy keeps shouting me down. If a systems failure permitted certain events to happen, that failure was present throughout that period. Political accountability, which I hold for the period in which I hold office——

Morris Tribunal: Motion. (21 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: ——also attaches to those who held office between 1992 and 1995. It is a simple matter.

Morris Tribunal: Motion. (21 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: It is not a fantastic proposition. Deputy Rabbitte took a different view of the proposition when his pals, including Kevin Murphy, launched a report about political accountability yesterday. The Deputy wholly endorsed the notion of political accountability that was indicated on that occasion.

Morris Tribunal: Motion. (21 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: Indeed.

Morris Tribunal: Motion. (21 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: The Labour Party, which promised an independent police authority but then abandoned that proposal during its five years in Government between 1982 and 1987 and never attempted to resurrect it during its further five years in Government between 1992 and 1997, is now criticising me for standing by that party's mature consideration that the idea was a bad one in the first place.

Morris Tribunal: Motion. (21 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: I am glad that Deputy Rabbitte has said that my reforms are feeble. They are a hell of a lot better, if I may use that colloquialism, than nothing, which is what the Labour Party has ever done.

Morris Tribunal: Motion. (21 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: I wish to inform the House that some amendments will be introduced on Report Stage in response to the reflective debates the House and the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights have had about the second Morris report. There will be a new statutory duty for members of the Garda to account for the manner in which they carry out their duties.

Morris Tribunal: Motion. (21 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: The Deputy may think it is a big deal.

Morris Tribunal: Motion. (21 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: Mr. Justice Morris also thought it was a big deal, because he remarked on its absence.

Morris Tribunal: Motion. (21 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: The Garda Commissioner will be in a position to dismiss members of the Garda Síochána of garda sergeant or inspector rank where the Commissioner has lost confidence in the capacity of that member to discharge his or her duty and where dismissal is considered necessary to maintain public confidence in the force. There will be a provision to strengthen the existing provisions in the Bill to...

Morris Tribunal: Motion. (21 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: As the Deputy is aware, anyone can go to a TD. It is provided that the provision of information, even confidential information, to a TD or a Member of the Oireachtas does not breach the Garda's duty of confidentiality. This is already included in the Bill in statutory form. I want to make it clear that this Bill is based on consultation and reflection on what went wrong. What went wrong...

Morris Tribunal: Motion. (21 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: My point is that these issues have been a long time coming and a long time ignored by politicians, and now that they are apparent, they are being dealt with by this politician, unlike other politicians who did nothing about it.

Morris Tribunal: Motion. (21 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: I am not suggesting that. I thought I made the point frankly and fairly. I am not making that point.

Morris Tribunal: Motion. (21 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: I am making a different point and if the Deputy cannot understand it, it is a reflection on his capacity to discharge his functions as a leader of a party. My point is different. It is not that every Minister for Justice must regard every fax and every letter as the reason to suddenly cause a massive inquiry into the Garda Síochána or that any Minister for Justice could sort through the...

Morris Tribunal: Motion. (21 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: I am not saying that, I am saying that the governance issues with which we are dealing and the atrophy of proper accountability within the force must have been present for at least the best part of two decades. I am the politician who is remedying it and there must be political accountability for all who held office, even in my party who were at the Cabinet table during some of these years,...

Morris Tribunal: Motion. (21 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: If the point made yesterday by Kevin Murphy about the Department of Health and Children has any truth in that context, which appeared to have a lot of support from the Opposition benches today, it is equally true about Garda management. If there had been problems for 20 years plus, I cannot be politically accountable because I am dealing with them, any more than they were the political...

Morris Tribunal: Motion. (21 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: The Deputy made his point of information, which I reject. The point I wanted to make was that those who sat around the Cabinet table when the basic preconditions for what has been exposed in the Morris tribunal came to pass must share accountability for that with those who have since been in office when the matters came to light. They must accept that they are at least as culpable as yours...

Morris Tribunal: Motion. (21 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: That is what the record shows.