Results 5,521-5,540 of 18,729 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2002 [Seanad]: Second Stage. (3 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to open the Second Stage debate on the Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2002. The Bill was presented in the Seanad on 10 December 2002, considered in committee on 7 and 8 April 2004 and passed by that House on 19 April 2005 following detailed discussion on its provisions. Significant amendments were made to the Bill in the Seanad and...

Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2002 [Seanad]: Second Stage. (3 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: I agree.

Written Answers — Custody Rights: Custody Rights (3 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: Policy in the law as it stands is that it is in the best interest of all concerned when parents can agree the arrangements for custody of and access to their children, rather than have the courts decide the matter. The Children Act 1997, by way of amendment of the Guardianship of Infants Act 1964, places emphasis on alternative dispute resolution mechanisms involving counselling and mediation...

Written Answers — Property Management: Property Management (3 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: In the report published recently, the auctioneering and estate agency review group noted that a wide range of services is being provided in today's property market, not all of which are licensed, and it recommended that they should be brought under an appropriate licensing regime. The report specifically recommended that professional property management agencies be licensed and regulated by...

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (3 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: The Reception and Integration Agency, RIA, is aware of the plans by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and Kildare County Council to use the entire site at Magee Barracks for affordable housing. The RIA has undertaken that, subject to demand, when the current contract for services at the accommodation centre expires in June 2006, the agency will not include the...

Written Answers — Policing Boards: Policing Boards (3 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 221 and 242 together. The Garda Síochána Act 2005 provides for the establishment of joint policing committees, the function of which is to serve as a forum for consultations, discussions and recommendations on matters affecting the policing of a local authority's administrative area. Section 36 of the Act provides that a local authority and the Garda...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (3 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: Under the Government's decentralisation programme, four sections or agencies under the aegis of my Department will transfer from their current location on the north side of Dublin to provincial locations. The details and timescales in relation to these moves are published in the decentralisation implementation group's progress report to the Minister for Finance dated 30 June 2005. The table...

Written Answers — Sexual Offences: Sexual Offences (3 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: I regret that it has not been possible in the time available to obtain the information requested by the Deputy. I will be in contact with the Deputy with regard to this matter when it becomes available.

Written Answers — Garda Strength: Garda Strength (3 Nov 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 for all ranks of the community policing units attached to the stations referred to by the Deputy as at 31 October 2005 was as set out in the table hereunder: Station Community Gardaí Clontarf 6 Coolock 8 Raheny 5 Santry...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (3 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: An application for family reunification in respect of the son of the persons in question was received in the visa section of my Department on 28 October 2005. The application will shortly be forwarded to the Refugee Applications Commissioner for investigation as required under section 18 of the Refugee Act 1996. When the investigation is completed, the commissioner will prepare and forward a...

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (3 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: The person concerned, a Nigerian national, and her three children, arrived in the State on 16 May 2002 and applied for asylum. Her claim was refused by the Refugee Applications Commissioner and she was informed of that recommendation on 8 April 2003. The person concerned appealed this recommendation and her appeal was heard on 20 April 2004 by the Refugee Appeals Tribunal. The appeal was...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (3 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: The visa application in question was received in my Department on 14 June 2005. In assessing any visa application, the visa officer will have regard to information provided with the application and to factors such as the applicant's ties and general circumstances in their country of origin. In assessing this application, the visa officer decided that insufficient evidence of obligations of a...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (3 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: The visa application referred to by the Deputy was refused by my Department in November 2004. The visa was sought to enable a non-EEA national join with her spouse, also a non-EEA national employed under the work permit scheme. When assessing applications of this type, the visa officer will consider, among other factors, whether the level of salary of the worker would come within the ambit of...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (3 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: The visa application referred to by the Deputy was refused by my Department in January 2005. The visa was sought to enable a non-EEA national join with her spouse, also a non-EEA national employed under the work permit scheme. When assessing applications of this type, the visa officer will consider, among other factors, whether the level of salary of the worker would come within the ambit of...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (3 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: When assessing applications of this type, the visa officer will consider, among other factors, whether the level of salary of the worker would come within the ambit of qualifying for payment from public funds. In this regard the criteria set by the Department of Social and Family Affairs for eligibility for family income supplement payment, FIS, have been used. The criteria, which may change...

Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (3 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 231 to 235, inclusive, together. I have been informed by the Garda authorities, who are responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, that the personnel strength of the Louth-Meath division as at 1 November 2005 was 526, all ranks. The personnel strength of the Louth-Meath division as at 31 December 1997 was 498, all ranks. This...

Written Answers — Residency Permits: Residency Permits (3 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: I regret that it has not been possible in the time available to compile the statistics requested by the Deputy. The information sought is being compiled at present and I will forward it to the Deputy shortly.

Written Answers — Garda Investigations: Garda Investigations (3 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Garda authorities that the Garda Síochána had no advance notice of this crime and that there had been no Garda surveillance on the person referred to by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Deportation Orders: Deportation Orders (3 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: The person referred to by the Deputy was a multiple asylum applicant. He applied for asylum in the State on three separate occasions, that is, on 27 October 1999, 25 February 2000 and 4 December 2000. In each case he used different identities. This has only come to light recently as fingerprinting of applicants was not used at the time. His first two asylum applications were deemed abandoned...

Written Answers — Violence Against Women: Violence Against Women (3 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 517 of Wednesday, 2 November 2005.