Results 6,441-6,460 of 18,729 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Seanad: Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage. (15 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: It does not. It is old-fashioned.

Seanad: Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage. (15 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: There is also no other Minister who is called on so frequently to resign.

Seanad: Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (15 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: It should have been in the Bill.

Seanad: Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (15 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: Under the Bill, I am putting forward, for consideration by Government in the near future, all the policy and legal issues, including best practice for coroners, involved. Under the Infectious Diseases (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 2003, as soon as a medical practitioner becomes aware of or suspects that a person on whom he or she is in professional attendance is suffering from or is the...

Seanad: Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (15 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: That is interesting, because notifiable infectious diseases are much broader in their spread. Tuberculosis and other diseases are also involved. On a practical point, if I accepted this amendment I would have to bring the Bill back to the Dáil and it would then have to wait until late January, so that its whole purpose would be frustrated. For that practical reason, regardless of the merits...

Seanad: Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (15 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: I join in the genuine thanks to the proposers of this Bill. What a pleasure it has been to participate among Deputies in the other House and Members of this House in a process whereby the legislation was passed so speedily. It is my intention to bring the new Bill into law in the lifetime of this Government. I will take heed of what the Leader has said and will propose to my colleagues in...

Seanad: Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (15 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: It was quite the reverse. They tried to persuade me that instead of going ahead with the big project, I might be wiser to go ahead with the smaller one. This was a case where I said "No", that I wanted to go ahead with the big project. In effect, Deputy Rabbitte and the Nowlan family came to my aid by creating a situation in which we could do both. In case it is thought that hard-hearted...

Seanad: Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (15 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: When the Nowlan family visited me to explain their particular position that unless the law was changed soon their inquest would effectively be aborted, the situation was one in which, in effect, one could not make a decision other than the one I chose to make. I do not claim to have any special powers of generosity. Pierce's parents explained to me all the circumstances surrounding his death...

Order of Business. (25 Jan 2006)

Michael McDowell: We offered the Deputy's party a debate on it but it did not take it up.

Order of Business. (25 Jan 2006)

Michael McDowell: The Deputy should keep taking the tablets.

Written Answers — Maternity Leave: Maternity Leave (25 Jan 2006)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1056 and 1057 together. I refer the Deputies to my detailed answer on 14 December last to Question No. 288 regarding the increases in maternity and adoptive leave announced by the Minister for Finance in his financial statement of 7 December 2005. Draft orders providing for the increases were placed before both Houses on 18 January last and motions regarding...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (25 Jan 2006)

Michael McDowell: All visa required non-national residents in Ireland who wish to leave the State and re-enter later are required to obtain a re-entry visa under the terms of the Immigration Act 2004 (Visas) Order 2005. Although the Schengen area of the European Union does not have a re-entry visa requirement, it is my understanding that some of the new member states do impose such a requirement. There is no...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (25 Jan 2006)

Michael McDowell: I can advise the Deputy that the visa was approved on 20 January 2006.

Written Answers — Juvenile Offenders: Juvenile Offenders (25 Jan 2006)

Michael McDowell: In October 2004, the Government endorsed a joint proposal from the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform and from the Minister of State with responsibility for children to examine the scope for rationalising and restructuring the delivery of the State's services in the area of youth justice in accordance with the Children Act 2001. To this end, an internal project team was established...

Written Answers — Registration of Title: Registration of Title (25 Jan 2006)

Michael McDowell: I have requested the Land Registry to contact him directly concerning the current position of the application in question.

Written Answers — Re-interment of Volunteers: Re-interment of Volunteers (25 Jan 2006)

Michael McDowell: I understand from the governor of Cork Prison that, in a previous attempt at re-interment, the body of the person in question could not be located in the grave. The authorities in Cork Prison facilitate visits to the grave for wreath laying by relatives and friends of veterans of the War of Independence and, more recently, by the Organisation of National Ex-Servicemen and Women, ONE. The...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (25 Jan 2006)

Michael McDowell: With regard to the Internet, as a general rule, what is illegal off-line is illegal on-line. This could include illegal pornography, racist or hate materials, financial fraud, intimidation or any criminal activity carried out via the internet. In that context, for example, bullying, harassment or intimidation may constitute an offence of harassment in breach of section 10 of the Non-Fatal...

Written Answers — Crime Prevention: Crime Prevention (25 Jan 2006)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1064 to 1066, inclusive, and 1201 together. Strong provisions are already in place to combat anti-social and unlawful behaviour. The primary basis for the law regarding public order offences is the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994, which modernised the law in this regard. Furthermore, because of my concerns about the abuse of alcohol and its...

Written Answers — Residency Permits: Residency Permits (25 Jan 2006)

Michael McDowell: In considering changes to the immigration system in the context of the proposed Immigration and Residence Bill, the areas of family reunification and residence status for migrants are being considered fully. At present there is no system of "long-term resident" or "permanent resident" in the Irish immigration system. A person can after a period of time obtain permssion to remain "without...

Written Answers — Departmental Correspondence: Departmental Correspondence (25 Jan 2006)

Michael McDowell: Correspondence relating to my reply to Question No. 489 of 8 November 2005 issued from my office on 11 January 2006.