Results 6,561-6,580 of 18,729 for speaker:Michael McDowell

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

Michael McDowell: Applications for visas, including visitor visas, are received in Irish embassies and consulates abroad. Under a delegated sanction arrangement, most visas are granted by Department of Foreign Affairs personnel without reference to Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. Only the more problematic types are referred to Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform in Dublin for...

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

Michael McDowell: Procurement activity in my Department continues to be managed in accordance with established public sector guidelines. The requirement to produce an annual corporate procurement plan arises from the national public procurement policy framework, which was issued by the Department of Finance in May 2005. In response to that, my Department has undertaken steps to produce a corporate procurement...

Written Answers — Vetting Procedures: Vetting Procedures (25 Jan 2006)

Michael McDowell: On 13 December 2005, the British National Central Bureau of Interpol issued a communiqué to all Interpol member states, including Ireland, signalling changes in British vetting procedures. The nature of these changes would have the potential to create significant difficulties for the Garda Síochána in submitting requests for vetting to the British authorities. Accordingly, high level...

Written Answers — Asylum Support Services: Asylum Support Services (25 Jan 2006)

Michael McDowell: The Reception and Integration Agency, RIA, is charged with providing accommodation under the Government policy of direct provision for asylum seekers. Decisions regarding the opening, reclassification or closing of centres are made in the context of the overall demand for accommodation and the need to achieve value for money in the context of managing a very large property portfolio. Such...

Written Answers — Car Compounds: Car Compounds (25 Jan 2006)

Michael McDowell: The two car compounds are located at Parkgate Street and Santry. The capacity in Parkgate Street is: 200-220 cars, 50 motorcycles and four or five articulated lorries. The capacity at Santry is: 301 cars, 100 motorcycles and 46 stolen cars. Some stations around the country have facilities to hold cars in a portion of the station yard, but these are not known as car-pounds.

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

Michael McDowell: The information requested by the Deputy is set out as follows: Name of Agency — 2004 Report (Yes/No) Has Minister been provided with a copy of the Report (Yes/No) Have copies been laid before Houses of Oireachtas (Yes/No) If No, why not The Courts Service — Yes Yes Yes N/A The Judicial Appointments Advisory Board — Yes Yes Yes N/A The...

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

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 and will be processed in due course. Applications of this type are dealt with in chronological order, in fairness to all such applicants and take 16 to 18 months to process. It should be noted that marriage to an Irish national does not confer an...

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

Michael McDowell: The executive director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC, met me recently to discuss the issue of improving the rule of law in developing and post-conflict countries and to seek Ireland's support for measures to achieve this. I indicated that I would consider positively any proposals which the UNODC wished to make formally in this regard.

Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (25 Jan 2006)

Michael McDowell: Every effort is made to provide a high visibility presence throughout the country's towns and villages. Garda management states that uniform and detective units and divisional traffic corps, supplemented by community policing units and Garda mountain bike units — all of which provide a highly visible local presence — continue to police the community and to take a proactive approach to...

Written Answers — Bullying in the Workplace: Bullying in the Workplace (25 Jan 2006)

Michael McDowell: The policy for dealing with bullying in the Civil Service is set out in the revised policy document entitled, A Positive Working Environment: an Anti-Harassment, Sexual Harassment and Bullying Policy for the Civil Service. This policy was circulated to all staff in my Department in August 2005 prior to the new code becoming effective on 1 September 2005. Since 2000, my Department's personnel...

Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (25 Jan 2006)

Michael McDowell: The allocation of Garda resources is a matter for the Garda Commissioner who takes into account various factors including population, crime trends and the operational policing needs of each division. In regard to Garda resources generally, the accelerated recruitment campaign of 1,100 Garda recruits each year to reach a record force strength of 14,000, in line with the commitment in an Agreed...

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

Michael McDowell: The Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 2004 made certain changes to Irish citizenship law. The Act came into force on 1 January 2005. an extensive information note, located on the Department's website at Immigration, Asylum and Citizenship — Publications since late December 2004, explains these changes as they apply to the entitlement to Irish citizenship of any child born in the island...

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

Michael McDowell: The following tables provide the total offences for the ten headline offences groups recorded and detected in the Garda districts of Baltinglass, Carlow, Naas and Kildare for the years 2001 to 2005. The figures provided for 2005 are provisional, operational and liable to change. The PULSE computer system to record crime figures was introduced in 1999. As with the introduction of any new...

Written Answers — Garda Strength: Garda Strength (25 Jan 2006)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1207 and 1208 together. I have been informed by the Garda authorities, which are responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, that the personnel strength, all ranks, of the Carlow-Kildare division as at 31 December in each of the past five years was as set out as follows: Year Strength 2001 321 2002 323 2003 323 ...

Written Answers — Garda Operations: Garda Operations (25 Jan 2006)

Michael McDowell: I regret that it has not been possible in the time available to obtain the information requested by the Deputy. I will contact the Deputy again when the information is to hand.

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

Michael McDowell: The position on costs associated with escorted cash movements, including cash escorts of moneys for An Post, principally in respect of social welfare payments, throughout the State is as set out in the following table. Year Amount â'¬ 2000 6,224,523 2001 7,574,055 2002 6,536,323 2003 5,598,100 2004 6,094,928 Figures for 2005 costs are not yet available. From 2000 to...

Written Answers — Freedom of Information: Freedom of Information (25 Jan 2006)

Michael McDowell: No bodies under the aegis of my Department, which are covered by the Freedom of Information Acts, are subject to the Acts in respect of certain functions only.

Written Answers — Registration of Title: Registration of Title (26 Jan 2006)

Michael McDowell: 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 underlying the urgency.

Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (26 Jan 2006)

Michael McDowell: I have been informed by the Garda authorities, which are responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, that the personnel strength of Monivea Garda station as at 25 January 2006 was one sergeant and one garda. Local Garda management states there are currently no plans to alter the personnel strength of Monivea Garda station and resources are augmented from within...

Written Answers — Juvenile Offenders: Juvenile Offenders (26 Jan 2006)

Michael McDowell: There are currently 64 Garda youth diversion projects, three of which — KEY, JAY and YEW — are operating in the Tallaght area. In addition, one sergeant and four Garda level juvenile liaison officers operate from Tallaght Garda station. I am committed to the continuing development and, as resources permit, expansion of Garda youth diversion projects and the possibility of funding further...