Results 4,641-4,660 of 18,728 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (30 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: Vacancies are due to arise in the following bodies between now and 31 December 2005: Name of Board/Statutory/State Body Courts Service Board Prison Visiting Committees Arbour Hill Prison Visiting Committee Cork Prison Visiting Committee Limerick Prison Visiting Committee Loughan House Place of Detention Visiting Committee Mountjoy Prison Visiting Committee Portlaoise Prison...

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (30 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: The person concerned arrived in the State on 29 March 2000 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 5 November 2001, that the...

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (30 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: I am grateful to the Senators for their contributions on this issue. Frankly, I have sympathy with all the views expressed because root and branch change is needed in the way in which the Garda Síochána is run. A Bill does not bring about root and branch change by itself. That process must follow in the wake of the Bill and will require a considerable degree of commitment from the Garda...

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (30 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: I would like to agree with Senator Cummins. However, I never saw such sustained time-wasting and deliberate kicking around of the ball in one's own penalty area as happened in the other House. The Senator was not there but I was. The difference between this House and the Lower House is remarkable when it comes to adversarial politics. The willingness of Members to take vote after vote on the...

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (30 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: All of those things made it very clear to me that they were not interested in a line by line debate but in making sure the Bill did not become law this session. I know a filibuster when I see it. There is no guillotine in this House yet I am here. I am willing to spend until midnight in the House, any day of the week——

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (30 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: ——-as long as I am satisfied that a bona fide debate is taking place, in which Members are addressing the issues. However, I saw Members deliberately chew up and waste the time of the Dáil to delay the Bill and make it increasingly difficult for me to get it into law before the end of the session. That was the tactic and I was not going to go for it.

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (30 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: In chapter 9 of the second report of the Morris tribunal, the tribunal refers to the absence of structures for dealing with corruption at a most serious level. The tribunal also referred to the proposals of Garda headquarters to set up a body to which, on a confidential basis, difficulties and possible irregularities could be reported. The tribunal suggested this particular initiative should...

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (30 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: If we had said that one of the functions of the ombudsman commission was to entertain complaints by gardaí against other gardaí, the force would be mud-wrestled to the floor as an institution and would become an arbitrator and industrial relations kind of theatre of war. I do not want to go down that road. I want the commission to be one that deals with the public's complaints about...

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (30 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: Senators will recall that I brought forward an amendment in this House on Committee Stage which inserted a new subsection (2) into section 114. This amendment provided as follows: "Regulations under subsection (1)(i) shall include provision for the establishment of promotion boards comprising 3 members, one of whom (but not the chairperson) shall be a member of the Garda Síochána". I...

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (30 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: If the Senator had my copy of the Bill it would make more sense.

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (30 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: When amendments are made, the sections of the Bill are automatically renumbered. That is the way the system operates. The correct reference is to subsection (3).

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (30 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: It is not incorrect. It is done by reference to the original Seanad Bill. It becomes more complicated for one to follow the process if one does not have a copy of the Bill, as passed by the Dáil.

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (30 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: In regard to members of the Garda Síochána, we are in danger in this House of operating on the basis of outdated stereotypes. One of the great pleasures of my job is to visit Templemore to see the passing out parades. The notion that these are young farmers' lads, with the leaving certificate sticking out of their breast pocket, who have no experience of the broad wide world, which may have...

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (30 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: It is well paid. The notion that the education of gardaí involves a group of people, who have no experience of the broader world and no other education, attending a kind of monastery in Templemore is not true any more. Anybody who wants to leave their prejudices aside should go to Templemore to learn the truth because the situation is radically different from the picture being portrayed of...

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (30 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: Yes, there is.

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (30 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: I am rooting for the Senator.

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (30 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: It surprises me that Senator White objects to the retirement age of 57. This has been debated for many years and there are two sides to the argument. It is easy to ask why somebody should be let go at 57 when he or she is doing a good job. On the other hand, do we want people between 57 and 60 who, getting on in years, are not in a position to hop over walls and chase burglars? I am 54 and I...

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (30 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: If the Senator were a female member of the Garda Síochána I would not like to see her scaling walls either, although I am sure she is younger than me.

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (30 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: Members of the Garda Síochána are entitled to a full pension after 30 years service, although this is changing for new recruits. That is a substantial property right accorded to them. Not everybody can retire after 30 years and receive half their salary, inflation-proofed for the rest of their existence.

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (30 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: I agree with Senator Jim Walsh that it is desirable that gardaí live in the communities they police. I cannot, however, force any garda to do that. I cannot force a garda policing Donnybrook to live in Donnybrook, or one policing Ringsend to live in Ringsend. I can, however, encourage reservists to enlist so that there are members of the broader force in every community. For the information...