Results 5,821-5,840 of 18,729 for speaker:Michael McDowell
- Adequacy of Law. (23 Nov 2005)
Michael McDowell: I welcome that proposal because the Deputy knows that during discussions at meetings of the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights, I have made it clear that amendments to the criminal law emanating from any source, in the context of proposed legislation, will be considered in a fair and reasonable way. I look forward to seeing any proposal from Deputy Jim O'Keeffe...
- Garda Operations. (23 Nov 2005)
Michael McDowell: Last year, an inter-agency working group on Garda vetting reported with a clear and focused strategy for enhancing national vetting arrangements from a child protection perspective. This strategy provided for an expansion in the criminal record vetting service provided by the Garda central vetting unit to all organisations which recruit persons having substantial, unsupervised access to...
- Garda Operations. (23 Nov 2005)
Michael McDowell: There is an accumulated backlog of unvetted people which will take some time to deal with. As I indicated in my answer to the Deputy, these sectors will be dealt with by the vetting unit in chronological order as they get their requirements together. To vet 30,000 people the staff in the unit, given its current complement, would need to deal with 1,000 inquiries each in a year, which should...
- Garda Operations. (23 Nov 2005)
Michael McDowell: I cannot answer a hypothetical question but security clearance is a radically different proposition from vetting provided by the central vetting unit. It arises in another question later today so I will not trespass on that but "soft" information, as opposed to "hard" information, is a requisite in a security vetting procedure whereas, as the Deputy knows, the inclusion of soft information on...
- Garda Operations. (23 Nov 2005)
Michael McDowell: I will come to that in a later question.
- Prison Building Programme. (23 Nov 2005)
Michael McDowell: The size of the site purchased will provide for and enable the development to be carried out in a manner which is consistent with best practice from a planning perspective. It will also facilitate the provision of an integrated prison complex with ample recreational and therapeutic facilities. In addition, in line with a recent Government decision a site will be made available for the...
- Prison Building Programme. (23 Nov 2005)
Michael McDowell: On the last point, they would not be on the same campus, they would be on adjacent campuses. On the acquisition cost, the land in question was the cheapest land per acre suitable for the construction of a prison which was offered to the committee.
- Prison Building Programme. (23 Nov 2005)
Michael McDowell: It is true.
- Prison Building Programme. (23 Nov 2005)
Michael McDowell: It is true. I have examined the records and it was the cheapest land per acre for land which was suitable for the construction of a prison.
- Prison Building Programme. (23 Nov 2005)
Michael McDowell: The Deputy would be asking me different questions if I bought unsuitable land.
- Prison Building Programme. (23 Nov 2005)
Michael McDowell: There is no fox trot, it is just common sense.
- Prison Building Programme. (23 Nov 2005)
Michael McDowell: I want to put on the record that in July last Deputy O'Keeffe announced that five acres, which was part of the farm at Thornton Hall that was kept back by the owner because it had planning permission potential, had a value of â¬1 million per acre. However, later in this House, his party, not himself, said the remaining 150 acres had a total value of â¬6 million. It is an interesting...
- Prison Building Programme. (23 Nov 2005)
Michael McDowell: Deputy O'Keeffe valued the five acres at â¬1 million per acre.
- Prison Building Programme. (23 Nov 2005)
Michael McDowell: That is fair enough. The Deputy accepted this figure and put it into the public domain. I paid less than one fifth of that per acre for the remaining 150 acres.
- Prison Building Programme. (23 Nov 2005)
Michael McDowell: The land in question is totally suitable for the purpose for which it was bought. It was examined carefully by a team of engineers. The report is available under FOI to anyone who wants to see it. The Deputy can examine it at any time if he wishes. He knows it was examined fully at the time of purchase. As an environmental impact procedure will be put in place, the Deputy need not worry about...
- Prison Building Programme. (23 Nov 2005)
Michael McDowell: Yes, and the Deputy should know that it is suitable land. Road access to the land is not inadequate as has been suggested. I wonder has the Deputy driven up the long straight road, because he would be impressed by the road access to the land. It is not as inadequate as the Deputy is implying. On the construction of the prison campus, this will be done on a public private partnership basis....
- Prison Building Programme. (23 Nov 2005)
Michael McDowell: I believe it will run to â¬200 million or â¬300 million, depending on how extensive a prison facility is constructed. It will be between two and six years before it is completed fully. On the Mountjoy site, it is my intention to dispose of it. Given a proper planning scheme, it will recover for taxpayers well in excess of â¬100 million.
- Prison Building Programme. (23 Nov 2005)
Michael McDowell: Unlike Deputy Costello, I believe that Mountjoy Prison should be demolished. There are a couple of features which can be retained as part of redevelopment of the site, including the execution shed which it is proposed to remove to Kilmainham.
- Prison Building Programme. (23 Nov 2005)
Michael McDowell: The work will go ahead and the campaign of obstruction against it will not succeed. I am amused by the neighbouring landowners who suddenly say that the fields I bought are of huge architectural significance. Who was there when they built their houses? No one has explained what is under their houses. Just because I buy land it becomes of architectural significance, while they have built a...
- Road Traffic Offences. (23 Nov 2005)
Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Garda authorities that 13 prosecutions under section 49(4) of the Road Traffic Act 1961, as amended, were dismissed by the district judge sitting at Belmullet District Court on 9 November 2005. An application has been made, by way of case stated, to review the decisions of the district judge. As the Deputy will appreciate, the courts are subject only to the Constitution...