Results 7,561-7,580 of 18,729 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (22 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: Citizens of the Chinese Republic who wish to take up employment in this State are required to hold a valid work permit. Such work permits are issued by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Information regarding the issue of work permits may be found on that Department's website at www.entemp.ie. Additionally, as non-EEA nationals, citizens of the Chinese Republic travelling to...

Written Answers — Garda Stations: Garda Stations (22 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Garda authorities that in the case of Garda stations employing individual cleaners, vacancies to be filled are advertised in the relevant local FÁS offices. Local Garda management arranges interviews and, subject to security and medical clearance, the successful candidate commences employment. In the case of contract cleaning services, I am advised by the Garda...

Written Answers — Deportation Orders: Deportation Orders (22 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 171 of 9 March 2006. The table provides details regarding the enforcement of the eight deportation orders I referred to on that occasion. U.S. citizens Deportations enforced Deportations evaded Total 3 5 8 Of the five persons recorded as having "evaded deportation", it is considered likely that they have left the State without first...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (22 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: Specific inquiries are not made as to whether an applicant for naturalisation is the holder of a medical card.

Written Answers — Garda Equipment: Garda Equipment (22 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment last visited Ireland in May 2002. I have asked the Garda authorities for the information requested by the Deputy and I will forward it to him when it is made available. However, I can inform the Deputy that as of 21 March 2002, a total of 171 interview rooms in 97 Garda stations had been...

Order of Business. (23 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: Common abuse is not defamatory.

Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2002 [Seanad]: Order for Report Stage. (23 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: I move: "That Report Stage be taken now."

Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2002 [Seanad]: Report and Final Stages. (23 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: I move amendment No. 1: In page 3, line 20, after "1883," to insert "TO AMEND THE INFANTICIDE ACT 1949,". I mentioned on Committee Stage that I was considering whether to change the law on infanticide. Having examined the matter in consultation with the Attorney General's office, I have decided to proceed with two amendments to the Bill which provide for amendments to the Infanticide Act...

Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2002 [Seanad]: Report and Final Stages. (23 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: I understand that in 1949 the view was that lactation had an effect on the mind of mothers who were breastfeeding. Medical and psychiatric science have moved on from that. Issues such as post-puerperal depression and the like would not necessarily be linked to lactation in the technical sense and it is for that reason I put forward these amendments. The Deputy will appreciate that the issue...

Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2002 [Seanad]: Report and Final Stages. (23 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: I move amendment No. 2: In page 4, between lines 2 and 3, to insert the following: ""intoxication" means being under the influence of any alcoholic drink, drug, solvent or any other substance or combination of substances;". During Committee Stage debate of the definition of "mental disorder" Deputy English made the point in support of a Fine Gael amendment relating to intoxication that the...

Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2002 [Seanad]: Report and Final Stages. (23 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: One could be suffering from a hallucination that one's phone kept going off.

Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2002 [Seanad]: Report and Final Stages. (23 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: Would the Deputy allow people to invoke the defence of inflated ego?

Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2002 [Seanad]: Report and Final Stages. (23 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: Regarding the suggestion that the terms used in the Bill should be made identical to those in the Mental Health Act 2001, the Mental Health Commission re-examined this issue and wrote to me to state that the definition of "mental disorder" as used in the Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2002 is identical to the definition used in the Mental Health Act 2001 when referring to issues of treatment....

Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2002 [Seanad]: Report and Final Stages. (23 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: The Deputy should not be too gracious. In view of what was stated, it does not involve a point of principle, although I slightly distrust the constant moving of language, which occurs in the area of mental health particularly. Some of the phrases used with technical meaning in old Victorian criminal law and psychiatric books have completely gone out of currency. The term "imbecile" had a...

Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2002 [Seanad]: Report and Final Stages. (23 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: One can find a word in a thesaurus which has a fairly clear meaning but also means something else that sounds similar. I take the point that it looks slightly circular. Such definitions are frequently used in Acts, for example, "an assault for the purpose of this section means an assault which has the following characteristics".

Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2002 [Seanad]: Report and Final Stages. (23 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: I do not have Roget's Thesaurus to hand to provide another word. There are many colloquial and other terms for having taken too much of something. I would prefer to leave the term as it is.

Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2002 [Seanad]: Report and Final Stages. (23 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: There are lobby groups that want to expand the meaning of the term "intellectual disability". They are activists in this area and I admire them for that. This Act, however, does not have to follow what they, in different contexts, may want to achieve by including things within or outside the definition of intellectual disability. On balance, Deputy Costello's amendment No. 6 is preferable.

Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2002 [Seanad]: Report and Final Stages. (23 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: I move amendment No. 10: In page 4, between lines 8 and 9, to insert the following: ""patient", in sections 11, 12 and 13, means a person detained in a designated centre pursuant to this Act;". This is a technical amendment which follows from one suggested by Fine Gael on Committee Stage. The current construction is somewhat unusual in that "patient" is defined in section 12 although it first...

Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2002 [Seanad]: Report and Final Stages. (23 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: I move amendment No. 14: In page 4, lines 16 and 17, to delete all words from and including "established" in line 16 down to and including "1845" in line 17. This is a drafting amendment as suggested by Parliamentary Counsel. There is no need to refer to the statutory basis for the Central Mental Hospital in the Bill because section 39 of the Mental Treatment Act 1961 already provides for the...

Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2002 [Seanad]: Report and Final Stages. (23 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: I move amendment No. 15: In page 4, to delete lines 22 to 27 and substitute the following: "(2) The Minister for Health and Children, after consultation with the Mental Health Commission established under section 32 of the Act of 2001 by order may— (a) designate a psychiatric centre, or (b) with the consent of the Minister, designate part of a prison,". The issue of prisons or parts of...