Results 1,401-1,420 of 18,726 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Seanad: Garda Recruitment: Motion. (20 Oct 2004)

Michael McDowell: I welcome the motion tabled by Senators Dardis, Walsh, Morrissey, Brennan and Minihan to commend the Government and me for our commitment to increasing the strength of the Garda Síochána. Much has been said and written on this matter. The Opposition has claimed that the Government was not interested in honouring its commitment on the strength of the Garda force. Even when it was announced...

Seanad: Garda Recruitment: Motion. (20 Oct 2004)

Michael McDowell: —— and the way in which he conducted the economics of the country.

Seanad: Garda Recruitment: Motion. (20 Oct 2004)

Michael McDowell: After June 2002, and despite the cap on public service numbers announced in the budget of 2002, I secured Government approval to proceed to increase the strength of the force to 12,200 by the end of 2004, which will be achieved. The Opposition and some other commentators have stated that it is not remotely possible during the remaining lifetime of this Government to recruit in sufficient...

Seanad: Garda Recruitment: Motion. (20 Oct 2004)

Michael McDowell: This will enable the Garda College to concentrate mainly on training new recruits. The OPW will advertise this week for expressions of interest in the provision of new accommodation for in-service training. This outsourced facility will provide classroom and lecture facilities for up to 100 gardaí. This facility will be used to provide courses for gardaí who are already inducted into the...

Seanad: Garda Recruitment: Motion. (20 Oct 2004)

Michael McDowell: They will be fully qualified. The Senator seems to ignore the fact that trainee gardaí are on the streets and part of their training involves being on the streets. We have the longest training programme on these islands and in this corner of the world. In the London Metropolitan Police there is a six month training process while in Ireland we have a two year training process. Much of that is...

Seanad: Garda Recruitment: Motion. (20 Oct 2004)

Michael McDowell: The necessary resources for the Garda Síochána budget have to be addressed in the normal Estimates process for 2005 and in each succeeding year. I have to battle for the resources in question. The same will apply to the once-off capital costs for the OPW. The increases in the Garda budget will initially be relatively small but they will rise to a significant amount, an annual cost of about...

Seanad: Garda Recruitment: Motion. (20 Oct 2004)

Michael McDowell: I used to walk past them approvingly while the Senator would have cowered around the corner to see where they were. I say that in jest. High visibility policing is a major factor in terms of people's sense of well-being. In rural Ireland in particular, if there were not to be the increase in numbers under this programme of recruitment, inevitably any Garda Commissioner under pressure to...

Seanad: Garda Recruitment: Motion. (20 Oct 2004)

Michael McDowell: Women in their sixties and seventies were afraid to go out to buy a bottle of milk after dusk. The middle classes rarely experience this. Furthermore, whereas a middle class family can take in its stride a window broken in a burglary and get on with life, an elderly woman who may not have her house insured must pay a considerable price, not to mention the psychological damage done to her as a...

Seanad: Garda Recruitment: Motion. (20 Oct 2004)

Michael McDowell: I did not say that; I said the opposite.

Irish Nationality and Citizenship Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed). (2 Nov 2004)

Michael McDowell: The Deputy should look at section 15 of the Act which requires people to make a declaration of loyalty to the State as a condition of naturalisation. That is in our law at the moment.

Irish Nationality and Citizenship Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed). (2 Nov 2004)

Michael McDowell: They are required to do it before a judge of the District Court.

Irish Nationality and Citizenship Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed). (2 Nov 2004)

Michael McDowell: I am listening and I am amazed at what I hear.

Irish Nationality and Citizenship Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed). (2 Nov 2004)

Michael McDowell: It is not a lawyer's hat. It is a fact that one has to make a declaration of loyalty before becoming an Irish citizen.

Irish Nationality and Citizenship Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed). (2 Nov 2004)

Michael McDowell: I will do that.

Irish Nationality and Citizenship Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed). (2 Nov 2004)

Michael McDowell: Is the Deputy seriously saying we are worse off now than we were 100 years ago?

Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (2 Nov 2004)

Michael McDowell: As the Deputy is aware in December 2001, an independent evaluation of the community policing forum in Dublin's Garda A district, Kevin Street — Kilmainham, recommended, inter alia, that a state funded co-ordinator be appointed to assist in the work of the forum. Co-ordinators are provided in certain cases for fora through funding under the national drugs strategy. In a reply to Deputy...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (2 Nov 2004)

Michael McDowell: Applications for certificates of naturalisation from the persons referred to by the Deputy were received in the citizenship section of my Department on 7 July, 2004. The average processing time for such applications is 24 months. Due to this lengthy processing time, applications are usually dealt with in chronological order unless there are exceptional circumstances in a particular case for...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (2 Nov 2004)

Michael McDowell: I assume that the Deputy is referring to applications for citizenship submitted by the two persons, both Romanians, referred to in this question. The first person referred to was granted temporary leave to remain in the State on 26 August 1999. This permission has now been extended until 15 September 2006. On 30 July 2001 he applied for a certificate of naturalisation in accordance with the...

Written Answers — Identity Cards: Identity Cards (2 Nov 2004)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Garda authorities that for persons travelling within the common travel area, acceptable forms of ID can include a valid passport; driving licence with photograph; international student ID card with photograph; national ID card with photograph; bus pass with photograph; and a valid work identification with photograph. There is no requirement on any citizen to pay for a...

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (2 Nov 2004)

Michael McDowell: The wife in question arrived in the State in December 2001 and made an asylum application. She gave birth in March 2002. The husband arrived in the State in April 2002 and made an application for asylum. Both subsequently withdrew their asylum applications and applied for residency on the basis of parentage of the Irish born child. Following the decision of the Supreme Court in the cases of L...