Results 801-820 of 18,726 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Seanad: Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed). (30 Apr 2004)

Michael McDowell: The Taoiseach said the Government had no proposal for such a referendum. That was true because at that stage the case was not made out and was not decided at Cabinet. The day I came before the House for the Fine Gael and others Private Members' motion on the timing of the referendum was the day on which the Cabinet finally made its mind up on that issue as well, not before. The reason I make...

Seanad: Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed). (30 Apr 2004)

Michael McDowell: I do not claim to know it. I claim to have common sense and to draw some inferences from a pattern.

Seanad: Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed). (30 Apr 2004)

Michael McDowell: I cannot put my hand on my heart and say in respect of any individual that she was drawn to Ireland by the prospect of citizenship for her son unless I conduct a long-term interview with that person. That is not practicable. All the objective people who have looked at this matter, all those involved in the maternity hospitals and all the expert advisers in my Department examining migration...

Seanad: Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed). (30 Apr 2004)

Michael McDowell: Not one of them would assert the negative but they will cast doubts about my assertion of the positive. That is as it may be. I wish to make one last point before I trespass too much on the patience of the House. There are two poles of extreme in all of this, the right wing, conservative, reactionary view that a homogeneous Irish society with pale skins, similar accents and so on is the...

Seanad: Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed). (30 Apr 2004)

Michael McDowell: ——and that everything has been falling apart since that ceased to be. The other view, and it is equally unpleasant and equally unsustainable, is that it does not matter who comes into Ireland, we should not have any controls, that deportation of itself is racist, and that heterogeneity, as opposed to homogeneity, is an end in itself. I suggest that is equally untenable as a proposition....

Seanad: Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed). (30 Apr 2004)

Michael McDowell: ——not just yet. I believe that a single-issue referendum would be more divisive than putting this to the people on a day where there are other issues to be decided. I believe that positively as a proposition. Second, I believe it is a good idea to get a representative view of the Irish people, not just the conservative reactionaries on the one hand and the internationalist leftists on the...

Seanad: Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed). (30 Apr 2004)

Michael McDowell: ——when they really want to sit at home and watch "Coronation Street" or whatever else. That is what would happen to me. I would have an unrepresentative turn out of Irish people in such a poll.

Seanad: Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed). (30 Apr 2004)

Michael McDowell: I now say it is sensible to have it on a day when people are going to the polls in any event. This was signalled at the beginning of the life of the Government, as part of An Agreed Programme for Government, as something that would be faced up to and if necessary a constitutional solution sought. We are constantly reminded by our Opposition critics that we are two years into the life of this...

Seanad: Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed). (30 Apr 2004)

Michael McDowell: There may be an IGC treaty or there may not; we do not know about these things. In An Agreed Programme for Government I have an undertaking to face up to this issue, if necessary on a constitutional basis. I ask this House in all reasonableness, what other day in the life of the Government, given that we are now between 40% and 50% through the life of the Government, could I say before the...

Seanad: Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed). (30 Apr 2004)

Michael McDowell: I commend the Leader for her diplomacy in getting us to the point at which we can put the matter to the House. The Bill deserves a solid "Yes" vote. Tairgeadh an cheist: "Go bhfanfaidh na focail a thairgtear a scriosadh."

Written Answers — Prison Service Staff: Prison Service Staff (4 May 2004)

Michael McDowell: As stated in my letter of 30 March 2004, the Irish Prison Service has conducted a thorough search of its files and has documented all information available in relation to chaplains' salaries. To revisit these files in order to clarify the exact application of all public service pay round increases applied to prison staff from 1980 would take an inordinate amount of staff time and resources,...

Written Answers — Prisoners' Voting Rights: Prisoners' Voting Rights (4 May 2004)

Michael McDowell: As I indicated previously, in reply to Question No. 175 of 7 April 2004 and Question No. 693 of 27 April 2004, the European Court of Human Rights, ECHR, in a judgment adopted on 9 March 2004, found that a breach of Article 3 of Protocol 1 to the European Convention on Human Rights had occurred in a case taken by a prisoner in the United Kingdom. The prisoner, who is serving a sentence of life...

Written Answers — Peace Commissioners: Peace Commissioners (4 May 2004)

Michael McDowell: The duties and powers of a peace commissioner as set out in section 88(3) of the Courts of Justice Act 1924 allows for: (a) signing summonses (except against a garda); (b) signing warrants; (c) administering oaths and taking declarations, affirmations, information, bonds and recognisances; and (d) signing certificates for the registration of clubs. Peace commissioners are also empowered to...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (4 May 2004)

Michael McDowell: The immigration division of my Department has written to the person concerned on three occasions requesting information to assist with the determination of the application in question. There has been no response from the person to date. Consideration of the application cannot proceed pending the receipt of the information requested.

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (4 May 2004)

Michael McDowell: The visa applications in question were to enable the wife and daughter of a non-EEA national employed in the State under the work permit scheme to join him. A worker employed under this scheme may be joined by their spouse and minor children after the worker has been in the State for one year and has been offered a contract for a further year. The worker must also be able to fully support the...

Written Answers — May Day Protests: May Day Protests (4 May 2004)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Garda authorities that the Garda Síochána engaged in ongoing liaison with various groups planning protests and-or demonstrations over the May Day bank holiday weekend.

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (4 May 2004)

Michael McDowell: An application for naturalisation from the person referred to by the Deputy was received in the citizenship section of my Department on 9 March 2004. Applications for naturalisation are currently taking approximately 18 months to process. Consequently, it is likely that the application of the person concerned will be finalised in late 2005. As soon as I have reached a decision on the matter,...

Written Answers — Probation and Welfare Service: Probation and Welfare Service (4 May 2004)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 233 to 238, inclusive, together. A monitoring committee was recently established comprising representatives of the traders of the shopping centre, the property management group, the probation and welfare service, my Department, and the Garda to review the operation of the new probation and welfare office at Donaghmede shopping centre and to report to me on the...

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (4 May 2004)

Michael McDowell: I wish to inform the Deputy that it is not the practice to comment on individual applications for asylum. As the Deputy will be aware, under the Refugee Act 1996, two independent statutory offices were established to consider applications and or appeals for refugee status and to make recommendations to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform on whether such status should be granted....

Written Answers — Property Acquisitions: Property Acquisitions (4 May 2004)

Michael McDowell: There are no plans to purchase the facility referred to by the Deputy. The Reception and Integration Agency, on behalf of the Department of Social and Family Affairs, has entered into a short-term service level agreement with a contractor for the provision of full board accommodation and ancillary services at the premises for short stay purposes, if required.