Results 361-380 of 4,842 for garda speaker:Michael McDowell

Written Answers — Garda Recruitment: Garda Recruitment (3 Apr 2007)

Michael McDowell: Under the Garda Síochána Act, the Commissioner became responsible for all civilians in An Garda Síochána in 2006. The Commissioner is now responsible for recruitment of all personnel to the force including civilians. I am informed by the Garda authorities that there is currently a campaign underway to recruit 300 civilian support staff into An Garda Síochána. This process is well...

Written Answers — Garda Strength: Garda Strength (3 Apr 2007)

Michael McDowell: The Garda Commissioner is proceeding with the recruitment and training of 1,500 members of the Garda Reserve. The first group of 36 Garda Reserves completed their training and were formally attested as members of An Garda Síochána on 15 December 2006. A further 87 Reserve trainees are currently in training, some of whom will be attested next month. Recruitment and selection of trainees for...

Written Answers — Garda Stations: Garda Stations (29 Mar 2007)

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 13,178 following the attestation of 273 new members on Wednesday 14 March, 2007. This compares with a total strength of 10,702 (all ranks) on 30 June, 1997 and represents an...

Written Answers — Garda Districts: Garda Districts (29 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: I have been informed by the Garda authorities that the Blanchardstown Garda District includes Blanchardstown Garda Station, Cabra Garda Station and Finglas Garda Station. I have been further informed by the Garda authorities that the Blanchardstown Garda District covers part of the electoral divisions of Dublin Central, Dublin West and Dublin North West. Garda Management state that the...

Written Answers — Garda Pensions: Garda Pensions (29 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: Garda superannuation benefits are paid in accordance with the Garda Síochána Pensions Orders and Agreed Reports of the Garda Conciliation Council. Agreed Report 499 provides that members, who were serving on or after 1 January, 1993 would be entitled to a pension, based on unsocial hours allowances earnings with effect from 1 January, 1994. This Agreement did not make provision in respect...

Written Answers — Garda Strength: Garda Strength (29 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Garda authorities. I will be in contact with the Deputy when this information is to hand.

Written Answers — Identification Parades: Identification Parades (29 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: The conduct of identification parades is governed by administrative procedure rather than legislation. The current procedure used by An Garda Síochána was introduced following advice from the Law Officers. In order to ensure that there is no doubt as to the person the victim or witness has identified, it is necessary that a clear identification is made. This may be done in a number of...

Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (29 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Garda authorities. I will be in contact with the Deputy when this information is to hand.

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (29 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: ...whether or not to make a deportation order. The Deputy will also be aware that the person concerned has been evading his deportation since 31 October 2003 and should present himself to the Garda Authorities without any further delay. As I stated in my most recent reply, all refoulement issues have been fairly and comprehensively examined and, as such, the decision to deport is justified....

Written Answers — Garda Contracts: Garda Contracts (29 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: In accordance with the provisions of the Garda Síochána Act, 2005, the Garda Commissioner has been appointed as Accounting Officer for the Garda Vote. This provision came into effect from 14th July, 2006. The Accounting Officer is responsible for the proper expenditure of money from the Vote and the safeguarding of public funds and property. He is accountable to the Oireachtas through...

Written Answers — Garda Communications: Garda Communications (29 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: Section 62 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 was enacted for the purpose of specifically prohibiting a person who is or was a member of the Garda Síochána or of its civilian staff, from disclosing information obtained in the course of his or her duties. The section provides stiff penalties — fines up to €75,000 and/or up to 7 years imprisonment for conviction on indictment — for...

Written Answers — Garda Insurance: Garda Insurance (29 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Garda authorities that paragraph 6.2(3) of An Garda Síochána Code (Volume III) provides for a Garda member, who is summoned as a witness in civil proceedings, to request a viaticum from the party by whom summonsed. The viaticum is for the purpose of covering the member's anticipated necessary travelling and subsistence expenses as a result of attending court. Such...

Written Answers — Garda Insurance: Garda Insurance (29 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Garda authorities that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between An Garda Síochána and AXA Ireland was signed by the Garda Commissioner and the Chief Executive of AXA Ireland on 22 April, 2005. The purpose of the MOU is to provide a framework to facilitate the implementation and operation of a partnership wherein An Garda Síochána and AXA Insurance Company come...

Written Answers — Missing Persons: Missing Persons (29 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Garda authorities that the following table shows the number of persons reported missing, the number remaining untraced and number found dead for the years 2004 to 2006: Year Missing Person Reports Missing Persons Untraced Found Dead 2004 5,060 59 56 2005 4,319 48 77 2006 6,811 108 61 Statistics provided for 2006 are provisional, operational and liable to change.

Criminal Justice Bill 2007: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: A garda can give evidence of opinion in these matters.

Criminal Justice Bill 2007: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: Not necessarily. A garda's means of knowledge might have to be established in advance of his or her giving evidence, particularly if he or she was challenged. If a chief superintendent was asked whether he possessed any knowledge of a matter or whether he had investigated it or carried out research in respect of it, his evidence would be of no value if his answer was that he had never...

Criminal Justice Bill 2007: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: I intend that, in serious cases, the Garda Síochána will be in a position to tender as admissible witnesses senior officers who will have researched matters before the courts. I do not intend that it will merely be a case of arresting officers being asked to come to court to provide their opinions.

Criminal Justice Bill 2007: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: ...case, what is necessary now is to put the applicant for bail into the circumstance of having to set out the facts of the matter and to back them up with evidence. This is because often the garda must get into the witness box and take an oath to give evidence on the application, but the applicant simply sits there concealing all sorts of matters, for instance, including facts such as that...

Criminal Justice Bill 2007: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: I move amendment No. 31: In page 9, line 29, to delete "belief or of evidence of opinion" and substitute the following: "belief, or of evidence of opinion, whether tendered by any member of the Garda Síochána or other person".

Criminal Justice Bill 2007: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: One should always proceed by retrying something if possible, looking to the constitutional issue subsequently and so forth. I agree with Deputy Ardagh in respect of the notion that a garda acting in good faith could be found to have objectively breached the Constitution, despite the garda not knowing that he or she had done so or believing that it was not a breach. The evidence obtained...