Results 11,241-11,260 of 18,734 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Written Answers — Residency Permits: Residency Permits (23 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: The person concerned was granted permission to enter the State as a dependant of his wife. He has permission on this basis until the 1 December 2006. Should he wish to enter employment, there are two main ways in which he can seek to enter employment. The first option open to him is to source a prospective employer who can seek to obtain a Employment Permit on his behalf. The second option...

Written Answers — Parliamentary Questions: Parliamentary Questions (23 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: The information sought by the Deputy is set out in the following Table. As the Deputy will appreciate, the number, range and complexity of the questions tabled to my Department is considerable and yet the overwhelming majority of questions are answered within the few days usually provided for answer. In certain instances and despite every effort, however, some questions cannot be answered...

Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (23 Nov 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 increased to a record 13,000 on Thursday, 16 November, 2006, following the attestation of 299 new members. This compares with a total strength of 10,702 (all ranks) as at 30 June, 1997 and represents an...

Written Answers — Deportation Orders: Deportation Orders (23 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: I refer the Deputy to Parliamentary Question No. 94 of Thursday, 16th November, 2006 (ref: 38448/06) and the written reply to that Question. The position is unchanged.

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (23 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: The person concerned arrived in the State on 10 October, 2003 and applied for asylum. Her application was refused following consideration of her case by the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner and, on appeal, by the Refugee Appeals Tribunal. Subsequently, in accordance with Section 3 of the Immigration Act, 1999, as amended, she was informed by letter dated 18 August 2005, that...

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (23 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: I refer the Deputy to Parliamentary Question No. 162 of Thursday, 11th May, 2006 and the written reply to that Question. The position is unchanged.

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (23 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: An application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to in the Deputy's question was received in the Citizenship section of my Department on 7 June 2006. An examination of his application revealed that he did not have 5 years reckonable residency in the State prior to him submitting the application. He was informed of this on 21 October 2006. The Minister for Justice,...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (23 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: I refer the Deputy to my response to Parliamentary Question No. 97 on 9 November, 2006 and can confirm that no original documentation accompanied the application for naturalisation in this case. Separately however, the individual concerned submitted her travel document to the General Immigration Office at 13/14 Burgh Quay, Dublin 2 for renewal in July of this year. This document has now been...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (23 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: As the Deputy will be aware, very significant levels of funding are being provided to community based drugs projects under the Government's National Drugs Strategy through the Local and Regional Drugs Task Forces initiative as well as the Young People's Facilities and Services fund under the aegis of the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. My own Department's remit in this...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (23 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: The Government's National Strategy 2001-2008 addresses the problem of drug misuse under pillar headings of education and prevention, supply reduction, treatment and rehabilitation and research and is firmly founded on the principle that drug misuse needs to be addressed in an integrated manner across these headings through a co-operative approach involving the statutory, community and...

Seanad: Prisons Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: Including a boot camp.

Seanad: Prisons Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: I thank the Senators for their contributions to this debate. Many thoughtful contributions have been made and it has been a pleasure, rather than a chore, to be here and listen to the views expressed. I will deal with a number of points in this brief reply to Second Stage. I want to thank in particular Senator Ó Murchú for his kind words. When he was not speaking kindly of me he was...

Seanad: Prisons Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: When we did that we had two choices, we could buy it secretly and sent in people wearing mackintoshes to stand at the back of auctions to pick up a farm without ever telling anybody what we had in mind, or we could do what we did, which was to place advertisements in the newspapers and say we asked people to come forward with lands for a major prison site in the environs of Dublin. We chose...

Seanad: Prisons Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: I was very grateful to them for that support because it was suggested in some sense that this was wasteful, but it was not. I wish to make a further point while we are dealing with the issue of Thornton Hall because Part 4 of this legislation will apply to it. There is no tract of 150 acres 14 kms from O'Connell Street which was available for any lesser price. People can cod themselves and...

Seanad: Prisons Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: Our strategy is to introduce sniffer dogs to the system and new visiting arrangements. I do not agree with the proposition it is more humane to have physical contact in a drug-ridden prison than to have a drug-free prison with substantial restrictions on physical contact with prisoners. If the price of physical contact is rampant drug infestation in a prison it is no mercy on any prisoner...

Seanad: Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages (23 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: This Bill will eventually become an Act. If it was referred to simply as a Land Act it would give a misleading impression as to what kind of Act it was. The Land Acts generally concerned land purchase and registry, whereas this Bill is slightly different. Its equivalent in the United Kingdom in 1925, which shows the House how far behind we are, was called the Law of Real Property Act....

Seanad: Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages (23 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: Amendment No. 3 makes more detailed provision for the service of notices by electronic communication and by means of facsimile. It is an alternative to Senator Tuffy's amendment and deals in greater detail with the issues raised in her amendment. I thank her for drawing my attention to this matter by tabling her original amendment and retabling it for this debate.

Seanad: Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages (23 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: Regarding amendments Nos. 5 and 6, subsection (1) is a standard type of provision for the making of regulations on an ongoing basis. Subsection (2), on the other hand, is an exceptional and time-limited provision designed to deal with any unforeseen difficulties in implementing the Act or other statutes it amends. Any modifications made to such regulations must be in conformity with the...

Seanad: Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages (23 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: This is largely a matter of drafting. I do not see a good reason to include a specific reference to section 26 of the Interpretation Act 2005 in section 8(2). The Interpretation Act, by definition, applies to all Acts of the Oireachtas and all of its provisions, including section 26, will apply to this legislation when enacted.

Seanad: Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages (23 Nov 2006)

Michael McDowell: This is a proposal to prevent people from purporting to convey feudal baronies and manorial lordships, a class of incorporeal hereditament under the present law. The group that devised the Bill examined this issue and came to the conclusion that, whatever of their origin in the feudal era, titles of honour had evolved over the centuries into personal rights now rather than interests in the...