Results 8,861-8,880 of 18,729 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (7 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: The application referred to by the Deputy was received in the Visa Office on 6th June, 2006 and is awaiting examination by a Visa Officer. A decision in respect of this application will issue in the coming weeks.

Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (7 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: I have been informed by the Garda authorities, who are responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, that the personnel strength (all ranks) of An Garda Síochána as at 30 April 2006 was 12,408. This compares with a total strength of 10,702 (all ranks) as at 30 June 1997 and represents an increase of 1,706 (or 16%) in the personnel strength of the Force during...

Written Answers — Garda Complaints Procedures: Garda Complaints Procedures (7 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: Section 111 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 provides for transitional provisions in relation to complaints made under the Garda Síochána (Complaints) Act 1986 following commencement of the relevant provisions of the 2005 Act. Where an investigation into a complaint made under the Garda Síochána Complaints Act 1986 has commenced but has not been completed when the Garda Ombudsman...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (7 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: An application for a certificate of naturalisation by the person referred to by the Deputy was received in the Citizenship Section of my Department in September 2005. Officials in Citizenship Section are currently processing applications for naturalisation received in the first half of 2004 and, at the present time, there are approximately 5,000 applications awaiting processing before that of...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (7 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: A declaration accepting Irish citizenship as post-nuptial citizenship, which was lodged by the person referred to by the Deputy on 24 November 2005, was examined recently by officials in the Citizenship Section of my Department. It was deemed necessary to seek clarification in relation to one of the documents submitted by the person concerned in support of his application. A letter issued to...

Written Answers — Public Order Offences: Public Order Offences (7 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Garda authorities that local Garda management is aware of some complaints in relation to the event in question. I am further informed that local Garda management have an operational plan in place for each of the horse fairs held in the Smithfield area and are generally satisfied with the current policing of these events. I understand that local Garda management are in...

Written Answers — Public Order Offences: Public Order Offences (7 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Garda authorities that local Garda management is aware of one complaint in 2006 in relation to the premises referred to. The complaint has been investigated by the Gardaí who have established that as a result of the behaviour complained of annoyance and nuisance had been caused to the residents in the locality. Local Garda management has brought this complaint to the...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (7 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: The applications referred to by the Deputy were received in July, 2004. The decision to refuse the applications was made in September, 2004. The Visa Officer was unable to establish, based on the evidence supplied, that the applicants would observe the conditions of the visa, or that the applicants had sufficient obligations to return to their country of origin. There was no evidence of...

Written Answers — Gangland Murders: Gangland Murders (7 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: The Deputy will appreciate that policing operations and the deployment of Garda resources are matters for the Garda authorities. However, I am, of course, in regular contact with the Garda Commissioner in order to keep the measures and resources for tackling serious crime under continuing review. The Government's top policing priority for 2006 is to continue to target organised crime,...

Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (7 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: I have been informed by the Garda authorities, who are responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, that the personnel strength (all ranks) of An Garda Síochána as at 30 April 2006 was 12,408. This compares with a total strength of 10,702 (all ranks) as at 30 June 1997 and represents an increase of 1,706 (or 16%) in the personnel strength of the Force during...

Written Answers — Ground Rents Abolition: Ground Rents Abolition (7 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: The position is that section 2 of the Landlord and Tenant (Ground Rents) Act 1978 prevents the creation of new leases reserving ground rents on dwellings with effect from 16 May 1978. More recently, issues relating to the creation of fee farm grants have been considered by my Department and the Law Reform Commission in the context of a joint project to reform and modernise our land and...

Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (7 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: I have been informed by the Garda authorities, who are responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, that the personnel strength (all ranks) of An Garda Síochána as at 30 April 2006 was 12,408. This compares with a total strength of 10,702 (all ranks) as at 30 June 1997 and represents an increase of 1,706 (or 16%) in the personnel strength of the Force during...

Written Answers — Closed Circuit Television Systems: Closed Circuit Television Systems (7 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Garda authorities that Castlebar is one of the 17 locations nationwide which form part of the Garda CCTV programme that remains to be completed. I am anxious to accelerate the implementation of Garda CCTV systems and reduce as far as possible the workload of the Garda Síochána in this regard. I believe that the answer is to outsource the installation of Garda CCTV...

Written Answers — Traveller Accommodation: Traveller Accommodation (7 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Garda authorities that local Garda management is aware of an encampment of travellers at the location referred to. Attempts by An Garda Síochána to initiate proceedings for obstruction under the Road Traffic Acts have been hampered by the families rotating their presence at the location. However, it is open to the local authority to apply for an injunction. Vehicles...

Written Answers — Child Protection: Child Protection (7 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: On 23 May 2006, the Supreme Court in the case between C.C. and Ireland, the Attorney General and the Director of Public Prosecutions declared that section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1935 was inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution in that it did not provide a person charged with an offence under that provision with a defence of honest mistake as to age. Section 1(1)...

Written Answers — Child Protection: Child Protection (7 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: Since my appointment as Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform in 2002, neither the Department nor I have received any representations or submissions from any group to include the defence of reasonable mistake in the 1935 Act. The only representations or submissions which it has been possible to find in my Department which argued for the introduction of a defence of reasonable mistake...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (7 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: The person in question arrived in the State on 6 November 1999. He made an application for asylum on 9 November 1999 which was refused on 7 November 2001. A subsequent Appeal to the Refugee Appeals Tribunal was refused on 28 March 2002. A notification of proposal to deport from the State under Section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999, together with the refusal to grant a declaration of refugee...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (7 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: An application for permission to remain in the State on the basis of marriage to an Irish national was received from the person in question in September 2005. An acknowledgement of receipt of the application was issued on 4 October 2005. Applications of this type, in fairness to all other such applicants, are dealt with in strict chronological order and currently take approximately fourteen...

Written Answers — Immigration Policy: Immigration Policy (7 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has not conducted any studies regarding the impact of immigration on the role of the Gardaí and the legal system nor are there plans to undertake such studies in the near future. The Deputy will be aware of the amendments made to the Garda Síochána (Admissions and Appointments) Regulations 1988-2004 to facilitate the recruitment to An Garda...

Written Answers — Ministerial Correspondence: Ministerial Correspondence (7 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: As the Tánaiste has told this house, on 29 November 2002 my Department was informed in writing by the Chief State Solicitor's Office of an application seeking judicial review to challenge certain provisions of the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1935 — the "C.C." proceedings. An official promptly phoned the Chief State Solicitor's Office to ascertain whether they needed any response from the...