Results 4,221-4,240 of 18,728 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Garda Síochána Bill 2004 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed). (23 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: Today is Thursday.

Garda Síochána Bill 2004 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed). (23 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: I did not.

Garda Síochána Bill 2004 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed). (23 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: Certain things should be the subject of parliamentary scrutiny and others need not be. The Bill differentiates between the two and provides, in some cases, that there will be parliamentary scrutiny and, in others, that there will not. That is a practical and reasonable way to approach this issue. It is not something about which the House must be informed every time there is a minute change in...

Garda Síochána Bill 2004 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed). (23 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: When one wishes to fill up time, it is good to travel around Dublin.

Garda Síochána Bill 2004 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed). (23 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: Deputy Ó Snodaigh must have Ulysses in mind.

Paramilitary Activities. (23 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: The fifth report of the Independent Monitoring Commission on the continuing activities of paramilitary groups, submitted pursuant to Articles 4 and 7 of the international agreement establishing the IMC, was published last month. This report, as with previous reports, sets out, inter alia, an assessment of the current activities of paramilitary groups and details incidents of violence and...

Paramilitary Activities. (23 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: ——and more than 1,000 new gardaí per year will be recruited over the next three years to bring the strength of the force to 14,000, as promised in the programme for Government.

Paramilitary Activities. (23 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: There are reasons to believe the Provos are engaged in a process of consultation on how the entire movement, that is, the IRA and Sinn Féin, will address the new situation created by the political circumstances obtaining in Northern Ireland, the fact that they were discovered to be the masterminds and perpetrators of the Northern Bank robbery and the money laundering in the South and the...

Paramilitary Activities. (23 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: It is difficult to be precise on numbers because, if we knew the exact figures, many of our problems would be solved. It is fair to say that there are between 1,000 and 1,500 active volunteers in the IRA. None of the dissident groups would have many more than 150 people attached to them. In terms of timeframes for this, obviously, the sooner these decisions are made the better. However, they...

Crime Levels. (23 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Garda authorities that from 1 January 2004 to 13 June 2004, six murders were recorded as being committed using a firearm. In the period from 1 January to 22 June 2005, nine murders were recorded as being committed using a firearm. While I have repeatedly urged caution in the interpretation of statistics, particularly statistics covering comparatively short periods of...

Crime Levels. (23 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: I do not agree with that. Ireland is one of the safest countries in the world. If one examines the figures I gave, the number of people who died last year as a result of homicides — involving either manslaughter and murder — was 45. That is one of the lowest figures in ten years, despite the fact that the population increased dramatically in that time. We must be clear on that.

Crime Levels. (23 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: I share the Deputy's point of view on firearms to some extent but the figures to which he referred are not quite right. In 1998, for example, four murders involving firearms took place. That increased to 12 in 1999, stayed at 12 in 2000, decreased to nine in 2001, increased to ten in 2002, increased to 20 in 2003 and decreased to nine last year. This year the figure has already reached nine....

Crime Levels. (23 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: I agree with the Deputy that the phenomenon of paid——

Crime Levels. (23 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: ——gunmen is extremely worrying. That is what Operation Anvil is all about. The Deputy asked if we should have bursts of activity such as that surrounding Operation Anvil or if we should we adopt a constant approach. I discussed this matter with the Garda Commissioner. His view is that special operations have merit. It is similar to playing a football match. One must say to the team at...

Crime Levels. (23 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: When we get the Criminal Justice Bill and the firearms provisions through, I will deal with the amnesty issue. The sooner we get the Criminal Justice Bill through the better.

Crime Levels. (23 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: I would like to do that.

Crime Levels. (23 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: I will write to the Deputies setting out everything that is planned in respect of that Bill.

Garda Deployment. (23 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: As the Deputy is aware, over the years numerous organisations have requested and have been given the assistance of gardaí on a non-public duty basis. This non-public duty is performed by members of An Garda Síochána under arrangements made by the Garda authorities with organisers of events such as football matches, race meetings and rock concerts who seek their services to perform duties...

Garda Deployment. (23 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: I agree with Deputy Gregory that if event organisers, particularly those who organise high profit events, were obliged to pay their fair share of the extra security and policing costs the event creates, there would be more resources and it would be easier for local district officers to assign gardaí to deal with the problems to which the Deputy refers. For instance, we all see people on...

Garda Deployment. (23 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: Exactly.