Results 8,121-8,140 of 18,729 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Asylum Applications. (27 Apr 2006)

Michael McDowell: As far as I know, no member of the asylum appeals tribunal has had a record of never accepting an appeal.

Asylum Applications. (27 Apr 2006)

Michael McDowell: I am aware that some people who might be regarded as more generous have in respect of the accelerated categories of asylum seekers themselves had 100% rejection rates. These are appeals from a careful system where the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner has already turned them down. It is not as if this is a random group of asylum seekers coming from nowhere.

Asylum Applications. (27 Apr 2006)

Michael McDowell: It is not the case that because one lives in a country with an unstable government and a violent climate that one can come to Ireland to live here as of right. That is not the law and not what the 1951 convention means. If that were the law, half the world would have descended on Ireland. It is not the law and it is a great mistake for people——

Asylum Applications. (27 Apr 2006)

Michael McDowell: I am sorry to have to enlighten the Deputy.

Asylum Applications. (27 Apr 2006)

Michael McDowell: To take a state such as Liberia, where there has been chronic instability and violence, it is not the case that anybody who comes to Ireland from Liberia——

Asylum Applications. (27 Apr 2006)

Michael McDowell: ——can stay here because of an unstable, violent atmosphere in their home country.

Garda Divisional Boundaries. (27 Apr 2006)

Michael McDowell: For policing purposes the country is divided into six regions, each of which is commanded by a regional assistant commissioner. The duties of the commissioners are mainly operational and they are responsible for ensuring the operational efficiency of their respective region and, in particular, the quality of operational management exercised by their divisional and district officers. Each...

Garda Divisional Boundaries. (27 Apr 2006)

Michael McDowell: Postal districts and the organisation of the postal service have little to do with crime.

Garda Divisional Boundaries. (27 Apr 2006)

Michael McDowell: I would like to see the people of Dublin 6W demanding to be moved back to Dublin 6 if they went to a different Garda station. I know that the Deputy is not seriously suggesting that we should structure policing around postal districts.

Garda Divisional Boundaries. (27 Apr 2006)

Michael McDowell: I accept the point that, as part of general reform of the Garda Síochána, the districts will have to be reviewed in one respect since we are now establishing local policing committees. If they are to function reasonably, they should correspond with understandable local authority boundaries, and that issue will be examined. Regarding the Dublin area, the facts say that Enniskerry is regarded...

Garda Divisional Boundaries. (27 Apr 2006)

Michael McDowell: I will make a point to the Deputy concerning an area near enough to home for him. Shankill is not radically different from Bray. The Dargle River is the boundary between one part of Bray and Little Bray and lower Shankill, but they are not radically different when it comes to establishing a Garda command-and-control structure. To suggest otherwise places one at the margins of reality. I do...

Garda Divisional Boundaries. (27 Apr 2006)

Michael McDowell: I do not accept the proposition that any garda would push a body into an adjoining Garda district or float it across a river to get another force to deal with the issue.

Harbours and Piers. (27 Apr 2006)

Michael McDowell: I am responding on behalf of the Minister for Transport. Responsibility for Tralee and Fenit harbour and for 12 other regional harbours operating under the Harbours Act 1946 transferred from the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to the Department of Transport with effect from 1 January 2006. The Tralee and Fenit Harbour Commissioners are responsible for the control,...

School Closures. (27 Apr 2006)

Michael McDowell: I thank the Deputies for raising this matter as it provides me with an opportunity to outline to the House, on behalf of the Minister for Education and Science, the position of her Department on the recently announced closure of St. Michael's national school in Inchicore. The Minister has asked me to apologise on her behalf for being unable to attend to deal with this matter. She is...

Written Answers — Garda Ombudsman Commission: Garda Ombudsman Commission (27 Apr 2006)

Michael McDowell: On 12 December 2005, I made an order under the provisions of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 establishing the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission. On 13 December 2005 the Government decided to nominate the following persons for appointment by the President to be members of the Ombudsman Commission: Mr. Justice Kevin Haugh to be chairperson; Ms Carmel Foley and Mr. Conor Brady. Subsequently,...

Written Answers — Refugee Appeals Tribunal: Refugee Appeals Tribunal (27 Apr 2006)

Michael McDowell: As the Deputy will be aware, the Refugee Appeals Tribunal is a statutory independent body established under the Refugee Act 1996 in order to deal with appeals arising from negative recommendations in respect of applications for refugee status issued by the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner, ORAC. The tribunal has been in operation since November 2000 and is comprised, at the...

Written Answers — Juvenile Offenders: Juvenile Offenders (27 Apr 2006)

Michael McDowell: It is not correct to say that the age of criminal responsibility is being reduced from 12 years to ten years of age. The Children Act 2001 proposed to raise the age of criminal responsibility from seven years to 12 years but, as the relevant section was never commenced, the age at present is still seven years. Two problems were encountered in raising the age as envisaged in the 2001 Act....

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (27 Apr 2006)

Michael McDowell: As regards future legislation, the position is that the Government legislative programme provides for publication of the Sale of Alcohol Bill later this year. This Bill will repeal the Licensing Acts 1833 to 2004, as well as the Registration of Clubs Acts 1904 to 2004, and replace them with provisions more suited to modern conditions. While I have no current proposals to prohibit the sale of...

Written Answers — Security Industry: Security Industry (27 Apr 2006)

Michael McDowell: The Private Security Authority was established under the Private Security Services Act 2004 to regulate the private security industry. One of its principal functions under the Act is to licence companies and persons providing a whole range of security services. The authority has already commenced licensing contractors providing private security services in the door supervisor and security...

Written Answers — Garda Investigations: Garda Investigations (27 Apr 2006)

Michael McDowell: I have been informed by the Garda authorities that the murder of Donna Cleary is under investigation by the gardaí at Coolock Garda station. A number of persons have been arrested and questioned in relation to the murder. To date, no person has been charged. An investigation file is currently being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecution. As the Garda investigation is ongoing, it...