Results 12,661-12,680 of 18,736 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Order of Business (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: Politics in this country has enough critics, but it does not need to be damaged by people making vindictive attacks from within.

Order of Business (Resumed) (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: That is not true. I did not assent to anything.

Order of Business (Resumed) (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: As may be apparent from what I contributed earlier, I do not make policing plans. I do not plan who is or is not arrested.

Order of Business (Resumed) (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: The Whips can discuss whether there should be a debate on the issue of rendition. I do not think time will be available for a debate on the issue. The Deputy can raise the matter during Private Members' time or on the Adjournment.

Order of Business (Resumed) (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: The Deputy will have to table a question for the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he wants to get more information about the Minister's proposals for dealing with the Money Advice and Budgeting Service.

Order of Business (Resumed) (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: The Deputy will have to ask the Minister how he is getting on with the replacement legislation, as I am not in a position to give details on the matter. While it is not possible to give the Deputy a date for the publication of the proposed enforcement of fines Bill, I can inform him that the Fines Bill 2007 has been ordered for Second Stage. The proposed family law Bill will be introduced...

Order of Business (Resumed) (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: As the leader of my party and a member of the Government, I agree with the position that has been adopted by the Taoiseach on this matter. The terms of the proposed Bill, which have been circulated to the House, have been considered at length. The two aspects of this issue to which Deputy Kenny referred — the protection of children and the provisions relating to soft information — are...

Order of Business (Resumed) (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: At what point will we feel there is a moral imperative to rescue such people from this situation?

Presentation of Estimates: Motion (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I move: That, notwithstanding Standing Order 152(1) or (2) of the Standing Orders of Dáil Éireann relative to public business, Revised Estimates for the Public Services for the year ending 31st December, 2007, be presented to the Dáil and circulated to members on 22nd February, 2007, being a date later than that prescribed for the presentation of Estimates and that the Revised Estimates be...

Crime Levels. (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: The report referred to by the Deputy is The Burden of Crime in the EU — a Comparative Analysis of the European Crime and Safety Survey (EU ICS) 2005. The survey was carried in the 15 old member states of the European Union plus Poland, Hungary and Estonia. The findings of that survey need to be approached with caution. The sample size in the survey of approximately 2,000 is extremely...

Crime Levels. (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: It is not reasonable for me to reject the CSO's figures in this regard. Those figures were produced on the basis of 37,000 respondents in face-to-face interviews in 29,500 households.

Crime Levels. (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I cannot see that I can reject the CSO's method of approach as the House relies on its figures.

Crime Levels. (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I do not believe I should reject them. The Deputy asked whether anything good was happening or was planned. For the past three quarters, the crime rate has reduced. I went to the Phoenix Park yesterday to discuss crime trends with the Commissioner and his two deputies and was told they are of the view that the trend is downward in this quarter also.

Child Protection. (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Garda authorities that on 22 August 2006 the Interpol office at Garda headquarters received information from the Austrian authorities that they were processing reports of child pornography on the Internet and that Ireland was one of 72 countries included in the notification by the Austrian authorities. No action was taken at the time by the Garda authorities on foot of...

Child Protection. (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I share the Deputy's view that there is substantial public concern on the matter. The situation is that the document in question was misinterpreted by the recipient as a general circular, the implication of which was not understood. The document was treated as a general circular rather than a warning to the Irish system that certain activity was taking place here. That was a serious error...

Child Protection. (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: After this came into the public domain, I spoke to the Commissioner and deputy commissioner about operations. They assured me they had taken steps immediately to ensure that in future circular material of this kind would be more carefully examined, that any reference to Ireland would be immediately acted upon, that inquiries would be made with regard to the sending case to ensure gardaí...

Child Protection. (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: He has not indicated, but I presume it cannot take long as it is not a complex matter.

Criminal Assets Bureau. (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: The Criminal Assets Bureau has been at the forefront of the fight against organised crime including drug trafficking in this jurisdiction since its inception in 1996. In that 11 year period the manner in which the bureau operates has come to be viewed, both domestically and internationally, as a successful model for targeting persons seeking to derive profits from criminal activities. In...

Criminal Assets Bureau. (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I have a good deal of sympathy with the point Deputy Gregory made. From recent accounts given to me of places to which the Garda has gone where crime has been committed or where people have fled following crimes, I have been surprised by the accumulation of physical possessions such as flat-screen televisions in various bedrooms where there does not seem to be a support base for it. I take...

Criminal Assets Bureau. (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I take the Deputy's point.