Results 6,161-6,180 of 18,729 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (6 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: Applications for certificates of naturalisation were received from the persons referred to by the Deputy in the citizenship section of my Department on 19 October 2004 and 29 April 2005 respectively. Both are children of a naturalised Irish citizen. The average processing time for applications for naturalisation is approximately 24 months at the present time. The first person, who is an...

Written Answers — Traveller Community: Traveller Community (6 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: I am not aware of any particular difficulties experienced by members of the Traveller community in accessing services directly delivered by my Department. As the Deputy is no doubt aware, Travellers enjoy the same civil and political rights as any other citizen. The Government is committed to challenging discrimination against Travellers and has defined membership of the Traveller community...

Written Answers — Centre for Public Inquiry: Centre for Public Inquiry (6 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: I take it that the Deputy has tabled the question to me in the light of concerns which I have expressed about the position of Mr. Frank Connolly, the executive director of the Centre for Public Inquiry — Fiosrú An Phobail. According to its website, the Centre for Public Inquiry was established in February 2005. The Centre for Public Inquiry is funded by Atlantic Philanthropies, which has...

Written Answers — Garda Investigations: Garda Investigations (6 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: There have been three Garda investigations into the death of the person concerned. Such investigations are undertaken as part of normal duties and, therefore, the costs incurred in each investigation were accounted for in the normal manner under the relevant subheads of the Votes concerned. It would not be possible to retrospectively extract the cost of each investigation without the...

Written Answers — Land Registry: Land Registry (6 Dec 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 (6 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the visa application in question has been approved on appeal by my Department.

Written Answers — Tribunals of Inquiry: Tribunals of Inquiry (6 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: The amounts paid in 2005 in respect of the Morris tribunal, up to the end of November are as follows: Amounts to legal teams. Tribunal legal team: â'¬1.695 million Garda legal team: â'¬1.247 million Department legal team: â'¬90,000 Other costs. Third party legal costs: â'¬175,000 Non-legal costs to date in 2005: â'¬2.205 million

Written Answers — Land Registry: Land Registry (6 Dec 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 applications 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...

Written Answers — Garda Strength: Garda Strength (6 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 374 to 376, 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 both the Kerry Garda division and the Tralee Garda station as at 30 November, 1997, 2000 and 2004 was as set out in the following table: Date Kerry division Tralee...

Written Answers — Probation and Welfare Service: Probation and Welfare Service (6 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: The linkage programme is a joint enterprise between Business in the Community, Ireland, and the probation and welfare service of my Department. The programme is fully funded by my Department through the probation and welfare service. I intend to continue to provide financial and other support for its work and to keep the allocation of funding under review.

Written Answers — Residency Permits: Residency Permits (6 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: The position regarding granting long-term residency is that persons who have been legally resident in the State for over five years, that is, 60 months, on the basis of work permit, work authorisation or work visa conditions, may apply to the immigration division of my Department for a five-year residency extension. In that context, they may also apply to be exempt from employment permit...

Written Answers — Residency Permits: Residency Permits (6 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: An application for permission to remain in the State based on marriage to an Irish national was received from the person concerned in October 2005. Applications of this type are dealt with in chronological order, in fairness to all such applicants and currently take 16 to 18 months to process. It should be noted that marriage to an Irish national does not confer an automatic right of...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (6 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: The equal opportunities childcare programme, EOCP, 2000-2006 has an equal opportunities and social inclusion perspective and facilitates the further development and expansion of child care facilities, to address the needs of parents in reconciling their child care needs with their participation in employment, education and training. With regard to the community based group referred to by the...

Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (6 Dec 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 the Dublin metropolitan region west division as at 31 December 1997 was 502, including all ranks. The personnel strength of the Dublin metropolitan region west division as at 1 December 2005 was 694, including all ranks. This...

Written Answers — Criminal Prosecutions: Criminal Prosecutions (6 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: I have developed no proposals at present to amend the laws on the giving of evidence by children in criminal cases, but will consider any proposals the Deputy may seek to advance, either generally, or through the Criminal Justice Bill 2004, the Committee Stage debate on which is due to be held in the Dáil shortly.

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (6 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: Under the Explosives Act 1875, any person wishing to establish an explosives factory must obtain a licence from me. However, before I may grant such licence, assent to the licence must be sought, by the applicant, from the local authority in whose jurisdiction the factory is to be situated. As part of the assent process the local authority is required to hold a public hearing of the...

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (6 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: I refer the Deputy to the answer I gave to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 146 on 20 October 2005 and 183 on 1 December 2005. The persons concerned applied for permission to remain in the State under the revised arrangements announced by me on 15 January 2005 for the processing of applications from the non-national parents of Irish born children, born before 1 January 2005. For the reasons set...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (6 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: I refer the Deputy to my replies to Parliamentary Questions No. 424 of 19 April 2005, No. 199 of 21 April 2005, No. 988 of 28 September 2005 and No. 366 of 12 October 2005. I have already informed the Deputy that the person concerned applied for naturalisation in April 2003 and I decided to refuse that application. I also informed the Deputy that a further application was received in July...

Written Answers — Domestic Violence: Domestic Violence (6 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: The overall approach of the State to the problem of domestic violence is to emphasise intervention and an integrated response, as reflected in the co-ordination work of the national steering committee on violence against women, NSC, and in the Garda policy on domestic violence intervention. The NSC is currently working on an new strategy and action plan which will seek to further develop this...

Written Answers — Domestic Violence: Domestic Violence (6 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: The Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government provides funding towards the capital cost of providing refuge accommodation under its capital assistance scheme. Current funding is also provided by that Department, through the local authorities, towards the accommodation related running costs. The Department of Health and Children makes funding available each year to the Health...