Results 1,581-1,600 of 18,726 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (7 Dec 2004)

Michael McDowell: Is Fingal a part of the Dublin metropolitan area?

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (7 Dec 2004)

Michael McDowell: I remember speaking to Senator Norris on one occasion about the widely held view that the Progressive Democrats Party had tried to take God out of the Constitution. It was not true, of course, as the text we proposed contained at least three mentions of God. That is history. Senator Norris said he admired the Progressive Democrats Party because having alienated 90% of the country by proposing...

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (7 Dec 2004)

Michael McDowell: This is an occasion on which I will disloyally agree with Senator Cummins and disagree with Senator Jim Walsh. Should a garda be allowed to canvass door to door at election time, seek contributions among the business community or shake a box outside a church on national collection day?

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (7 Dec 2004)

Michael McDowell: Senator Jim Walsh has the happy idea that gardaí would come to swell the ranks at cumann meetings, listen to the minutes, the secretary's report and the correspondence, but I think they have more sense. I would be much more worried about the list of activities I have outlined. Members of the Garda have many responsible privileges over the rest of us, including the power of arrest. While...

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (7 Dec 2004)

Michael McDowell: Perception is very important. I am not sure if the Director of Public Prosecutions is prohibited from joining a political party. Perhaps civil servants are not so entitled. There is no law which states that a judge shall not be a member of a political party but there is clear legal convention that it would be a sacking offence if he or she were to join one. The same applies to gardaí. They...

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (7 Dec 2004)

Michael McDowell: This is a fairly straightforward section to delete paragraphs (b), (c) and (d) in section 16 and substitute the following paragraphs: (b) the Minister for Finance; (c) the Equality Authority; (d) the Human Rights Commission, (e) the Standards in Public Office Commission and (f) the Ombudsman Commission. It is to expand the number of people who should be consulted in the context of the process...

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (7 Dec 2004)

Michael McDowell: The Minister, Deputy Cowen, is an ethician of huge standing, as the Senator is aware. The idea is that the Department of Finance has——

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (7 Dec 2004)

Michael McDowell: It is, yes, and it has a policy making role in regard to codes of ethics throughout the public service.

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (7 Dec 2004)

Michael McDowell: No. Senator Brian Hayes is correct. The Department of Finance is the line Department, to use the phrase it always uses about the rest of us, for ethics and all of that area. It is in that capacity that the Minister is being added.

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (7 Dec 2004)

Michael McDowell: The omission of the material contained in subsection (30), which is a ministerial amendment, was done inadvertently. Although people may think it was deliberate, it was an inadvertence pointed out to me by ICTU, which came to the Department. When it was pointed out to us we realised it has simply slipped off the word processor. That is the explanation. There is nothing more sinister to it. In...

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (7 Dec 2004)

Michael McDowell: The omitted material that fell off the edge of the word processor covers that and would authorise the Minister to authorise membership of such an association.

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (7 Dec 2004)

Michael McDowell: I will not get involved in this argument. A saucer of milk will have to be produced. I welcome Senator Leyden's comments. I have indicated to the representative associations that my officials will meet them between now and Report Stage.

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (7 Dec 2004)

Michael McDowell: We have discussed the idea of the geographical presence of gardaí. However, giving cash grants to live in RAPID and deprived areas is not a way to achieve that end.

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (7 Dec 2004)

Michael McDowell: I mean rental supplements. It would be desirable to have members of the Garda Síochána resident in every neighbourhood, if that were possible. However, it is not that easy. Gardaí are free to choose where they want to live. It is not that easy for somebody in the Phoenix Park or St. Stephen's Green to think up some scheme to encourage them to live where they do not want to live. If we were...

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (7 Dec 2004)

Michael McDowell: I do not think the answer is to provide a subsidy for them to live where they do not want to live.

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004: Committee Stage (Resumed). (9 Dec 2004)

Michael McDowell: Unfortunately I was unable to be present yesterday because I was elsewhere. However, I have had an opportunity to read through the proceedings of the House so I have an idea where people were coming from in yesterday's debate. I thank Senator Jim Walsh for his very useful proposals which I will study carefully. I emphasise to the House that I do not want to be completely prescriptive, but...

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004: Committee Stage (Resumed). (9 Dec 2004)

Michael McDowell: I will deal with that last point. Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas have absolute privilege as a matter of constitutional law and cannot be impugned in the courts for what they say in either House. There are strict controls over how that privilege is managed and Members cannot lay waste all around them because they are feeling malicious and want to get even with a few people. We must...

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004: Committee Stage (Resumed). (9 Dec 2004)

Michael McDowell: In some cases the chair of the committee may decide that if the discussion continues on certain lines, he must exclude the public because he or she does not wish to have a person's reputation discussed in public. I do not want a situation to arise where a majority can trample down somebody's rights and force the committee down the wrong line. For example, if 51% of the members decided to use...

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004: Committee Stage (Resumed). (9 Dec 2004)

Michael McDowell: Again, that can be dealt with in guidelines.

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004: Committee Stage (Resumed). (9 Dec 2004)

Michael McDowell: I take quite seriously the point made by Senator Ryan. If it were to be read into this section that these meetings could only take place on a Monday or Friday because Members of the Oireachtas would be liable to attend the Oireachtas on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, that would be somewhat retrograde and would be a constraint. My intention — maybe I have not achieved it in the manner...