Results 4,981-5,000 of 18,728 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Written Answers — Prisoner Numbers: Prisoner Numbers (11 Oct 2005)

Michael McDowell: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table. The data contained therein relates to those serving prison sentences on 4 October 2005. Prison Sentenced Irish 2,339 British 64 South African 17 Chinese 14 Lithuanian 8 Romanian 7 Nigerian 7 Polish 5 Albanian 4 Niger 4 Czech 3 American 3 Dutch 3 Georgian 3 Kosovan 3 Pakistani 3...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (11 Oct 2005)

Michael McDowell: The child care directorate of my Department has no record of an application for capital grant assistance in the name of the group in question. Should an application be received from the group, it will be forwarded to Area Development Management Limited, ADM, which is engaged by my Department to carry out detailed assessments of all applications received under the equal opportunities child...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (11 Oct 2005)

Michael McDowell: The person concerned, a Nigerian national, arrived in the State on 21 May 1997 and applied for asylum. His claim for refugee status was considered under the process then applicable and was refused by the asylum division of my Department. He was notified of the decision on 12 March 1999 and again on 1 June 1999. He appealed this decision to the appropriate body at the time, the appeals...

Written Answers — Registration of Title: Registration of Title (11 Oct 2005)

Michael McDowell: I wish to inform the Deputy that I have requested the Land Registry to contact him directly concerning the current position of the application in question. I understand that, in circumstances where the completion of an application in a particular case is urgent, the Land Registry will make every reasonable effort to facilitate such requests on receipt of a written explanation as to the reason...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (11 Oct 2005)

Michael McDowell: An extensive set of criteria applies when assessing any visa application. These criteria, to a large extent, depend on the context in which the application is made, the personal circumstances of the applicant, and the nature and purpose of the application itself. Government policy of the day will also have an influence on the assessment of applications falling into specific categories. The...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (11 Oct 2005)

Michael McDowell: Section 8 of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, provides that a non-national who is married to an Irish citizen, who is Irish other than by naturalisation, post-nuptial citizenship or honorary citizenship, for a period of at least three years, may lodge a declaration accepting Irish citizenship as post-nuptial citizenship. The marriage must be subsisting at the date...

Written Answers — Road Traffic Offences: Road Traffic Offences (11 Oct 2005)

Michael McDowell: I regret that it has not been possible in the time available to compile the statistics requested by the Deputy. I will of course contact the Deputy again when the figures are to hand.

Written Answers — Extradition Orders: Extradition Orders (11 Oct 2005)

Michael McDowell: The system which was in operation at the time for extradition between Ireland and the UK was based on Part 3 of the Extradition Act 1965. In accordance with the provisions of Part 3 it was a matter for the Garda Commissioner, in consultation with the Director of Public Prosecutions, to decide on such matters. Neither I as Minister nor my Department had any role in the procedure.

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (11 Oct 2005)

Michael McDowell: The visa application to which the Deputy refers was refused on 9 August. In this case, the visa officer was unable to conclude that the applicants had demonstrated sufficient evidence of their obligations to return home following the proposed visit and based on the information provided it did not appear that the proposed visit was essentially short term in nature. There is no record of any...

Written Answers — Legalisation of Fireworks: Legalisation of Fireworks (11 Oct 2005)

Michael McDowell: The Explosives Act 1875 provides for the control of the importation, manufacture, storage and sale of fireworks and, under the Act, any person wishing to import fireworks into the State must first obtain an importation licence from me. It is long-standing policy to grant importation licences only for organised fireworks displays conducted by professional and experienced operators and not to...

Written Answers — Crime Prevention: Crime Prevention (11 Oct 2005)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 351 and 352 together. As the Deputy will be aware, the national steering committee on violence against women, or NSC, which is chaired by a Minister of State in my Department, was established in 1997 following the publication of the report of the task force on violence against women. A wide range of relevant non-governmental organisations are represented on...

Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (11 Oct 2005)

Michael McDowell: I have been informed by the Garda authorities, who are responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, that the personnel strength of Aughrim Garda station on 6 October 2005 was two gardaí. Local Garda management reports that gardaí allocated to Aughrim Garda station make use of the patrol car attached to Avoca Garda station. Incidents requiring attention at...

Written Answers — Closed Circuit Television Systems: Closed Circuit Television Systems (11 Oct 2005)

Michael McDowell: Clonmel is one of 17 locations nationwide to be selected to receive a Garda CCTV system. This programme of installing CCTV systems is being implemented on a phased basis as follows: phase 1 — Bray, Dundalk, Dún Laoghaire, Finglas, Galway and Limerick; phase 2 — Athlone, Clondalkin, Tallaght and Waterford; phase 3 — Ballyfermot, Carlow, Castlebar, Clonmel, Ennis, Kilkenny and Sligo....

Written Answers — Commissions of Investigation: Commissions of Investigation (11 Oct 2005)

Michael McDowell: I am satisfied that the terms of reference of the inquiry which I have appointed Mr. Hugh Hartnett SC to hold into the arrest, detention and treatment of Brian Rossiter and the investigation of his death will enable the facts surrounding this regrettable incident to be ascertained in a thorough and speedy manner. I am also satisfied that on the basis of legal advice received, with which I...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (11 Oct 2005)

Michael McDowell: The application in question was received by my Department on 24 August. The decision was reached on 26 September 2005. I assure the Deputy that my Department notifies applicants of decisions as soon as possible and that if an error were ever to occur whereby an applicant was not notified within a reasonable timeframe, a late appeal would of course be accepted. In this case, the Department of...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (11 Oct 2005)

Michael McDowell: As the Deputy may be aware, the community-based group in question submitted an application for capital grant assistance to my Department in February 2005. The application was forwarded immediately to Area Development Management Limited, or ADM, which is engaged by my Department to carry out the day-to-day administration of the equal opportunities child care programme from 2000 to 2006, EOCP,...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (11 Oct 2005)

Michael McDowell: In the case of all non-EEA workers seeking to be joined by their family members, they must be in a position to support the family members in question without the need for those family members to have recourse to public funds or paid employment. When assessing applications of this type, the visa officer will consider, among other factors, whether the level of salary of the worker would come...

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (11 Oct 2005)

Michael McDowell: It is not the practice to comment in detail on individual asylum applications. As the Deputy will be aware, applications for refugee status in the State are determined by an independent process comprising the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner and the refugee appeals tribunal, which make recommendations to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform as to whether such...

Written Answers — Garda Strength: Garda Strength (11 Oct 2005)

Michael McDowell: I have been informed by the Garda authorities, who are responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, that the personnel strength, covering all ranks, of the Limerick division at the end of each year from 1997 to 2004 and as at 6 October 2005 is as set out in the table below. Year Strength 1997 423 1998 427 1999 430 2000 435 2001 461 2002 460...

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (11 Oct 2005)

Michael McDowell: The number of unaccompanied minors who sought asylum on an annual basis during the period 2000 to 2005 is as follows: Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner Year 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 (30/09) No. of applications 302 600 288 271 127 96