Results 3,981-4,000 of 18,728 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Morris Tribunal: Motion. (21 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: ——wanted to have an inquiry and to have the truth emerge in regard to what happened in Donegal.

Morris Tribunal: Motion. (21 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: He wanted it. He was advised at the time that because of pending jury trials——

Morris Tribunal: Motion. (21 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: Yes, by me. He was advised that there was a difficulty and the law was changed to facilitate it in the wake of the Murphy report. The Deputy knows all about this. There is no point getting in a heap about it because that is what happened.

Morris Tribunal: Motion. (21 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: The House has a duty to ensure the Garda functions today, tomorrow, next week and next month to the highest standards and all of us share that duty. Now is the time to put in place a genuinely independent complaints system, a new framework for the governance of the Garda, an inspectorate to ensure there are high standards in the Garda, benchmarked to the best international practice and a...

Morris Tribunal: Motion. (21 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: The notion that we should postpone or adjourn the process of reform to put it into the hands of a Patten-style commission is misconceived.

Morris Tribunal: Motion. (21 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: The people are looking to the Government of the day to act in the matter and they are looking to the Opposition of the day to support good measures for the reform, reconstitution and strengthening of the Garda. Today, tomorrow and the next day our streets must be policed. I cannot take the Garda to a test bench in a laboratory and fiddle around with it leaving a vacuum for weeks, months or...

Morris Tribunal: Motion. (21 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: The business of Government is to govern and the business of the House is to legislate. The time has come for delivery without more talk.

Morris Tribunal: Motion. (21 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: My three years have been usefully spent on a consultative basis——

Morris Tribunal: Motion. (21 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: I have not been in Government for eight years

Morris Tribunal: Motion. (21 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: I remind Deputy Rabbitte for the fifth time that his party was in office for ten years after it made a binding electoral commitment to set up an independent police authority but it did nothing on foot of it.

Morris Tribunal: Motion. (21 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: I am in office three years. I have brought a Bill through a consultative process in the House and I am being asked by the Labour Party to walk away.

Morris Tribunal: Motion. (21 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: I will not do it. I do not subscribe to the venal political habit of saying the Garda is a wonderful force, nobody should criticise it and reminding everybody about the thin blue line. I do not engage in such activity. I have had to take a fair amount of heat and flak regarding my proposals to reform the Garda. I have had to face criticism at every hand's turn for what I am doing but I am...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (21 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: There is no record in the immigration division of my Department of an application for an extension of permission to remain having been received from the person concerned. The person in question should apply to the immigration division at 13-14 Burgh Quay, Dublin 2 outlining her difficulties, and the manner in which she proposes to maintain herself in the State if her permission to remain is...

Written Answers — Deportation Orders: Deportation Orders (21 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: The position is that the persons concerned, a woman and her three children, arrived in the State in November 2001 and claimed asylum. Their asylum applications was examined, in turn, by the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner and on appeal, by the Refugee Appeals Tribunal, both of whom concluded that the persons concerned did not meet the criteria for recognition as a refugee....

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (21 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: As the Deputy was informed in my reply to her previous parliamentary question on this subject, "the central tenet of the visa process in this State has been and continues to be that the onus is at all times on the applicant to satisfy my Department that it would be appropriate to issue them with a visa. In the case of the applications in question, the applicants failed to do so." With regard...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (21 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: An application for a certificate of naturalisation was received by the citizenship section of my Department from the person referred to by the Deputy on 25 February 2003. Section 15 of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956 as amended, provides that an applicant for naturalisation must have a period of one year's continuous residence in the State before the date of the application and...

Written Answers — Child Care Places: Child Care Places (21 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 461 and 462 together. The Child Care (Pre-School Services) Regulations 1996 and (Amendment) Regulations 1997, which give effect to the provisions of Part VII of the Child Care Act 1991 provide for notification to, and inspection by, the Health Service Executive of pre-school child care services. The regulations apply to pre-schools, playgroups, day nurseries,...

Written Answers — Prison Staff: Prison Staff (21 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: As you are aware, the rejection by ballot of the proposal for organisational change in the Irish Prison Service resulted in the closure of the Curragh place of detention as a cost reduction measure. This possibility had been clearly flagged to staff for some time prior to the vote on the negotiated deal. Following the closure of the Curragh place of detention, 65 staff, of mixed grades, were...

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (21 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: The person concerned arrived in the State in December 2001 and claimed asylum. He was requested by registered letter to attend the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner for interview on 15 May 2002 pursuant to his application for refugee status in the State. He failed to present on that occasion. A follow up letter issued to him by registered post rescheduling his interview for 15...

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (21 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: The person concerned arrived in the State on 25 April, 2003 and applied for asylum. His application was refused following consideration of his case by the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner and, on appeal, by the Refugee Appeals Tribunal. Subsequently, in accordance with section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999, as amended, he was informed by letter dated 16 May 2005 that the...