Results 5,161-5,180 of 18,728 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Order of Business (Resumed) (29 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: If I were to go down the road of simply pushing this off to a committee I would be telling the Irish people——

Order of Business (Resumed) (29 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: There is no point in shouting.

Order of Business (Resumed) (29 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: Deputy Howlin is not the leader of his party yet. If this were to go to a committee now, everybody knows the result would be that what was agreed last December, that an urgent need existed for legislation in this area, would remain unaddressed. Deputy Ó Caoláin spoke about the protection of the innocent. This is precisely what I am about. I do not want to stand at the foot of the beds of...

Order of Business (Resumed) (29 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: I do not want to have to do that. I am concerned about protecting the rights of the innocent. People speak about the legislative package put before the House as if it attacks the right to silence. It is not about removing the right to silence. The law proposed here has been on the statute book of our neighbouring jurisdiction for 12 years and nobody stated that the right to silence was...

Order of Business (Resumed) (29 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: This House will consider this Bill on Committee Stage today and Report Stage next week. I will bring the proposals to Seanad Éireann and engage in debate with its Members. If further amendments are made, I will bring them back to this House in April or May and the House will have a long time to consider all the implications.

Order of Business (Resumed) (29 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: I always listen to reasonable proposals for amendments and am positive towards them, and I will be in this debate. Yesterday, in a letter, a small minority of barristers made a good point on the repeat offences provision and I will take it on board and amend the legislation to reflect that.

Written Answers — Security Services: Security Services (28 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 107 and 108 together. The Private Security Authority, established under the Private Security Services Act 2004, is the regulatory body with responsibility for regulating and licensing the private security industry in the State. The Authority is independent in the exercise of its statutory functions. The Board of the Authority is comprised of industry,...

Written Answers — Garda Equipment: Garda Equipment (28 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: The approval, testing and supply of evidential breath testing instruments to the Garda Síochána is a matter for the Medical Bureau of Road Safety, which also provides training to An Garda Síochána in their use. The MBRS has responsibility for the continuing forensic integrity of the instruments. I am informed by the Garda authorities that evidential breath testing instruments are...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (28 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: It is not the practice to comment in detail on an individual asylum application or on any other issues arising in connection with an application. As the Deputy will be aware, applications for refugee status in the State are determined by an independent process comprising the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner and the Refugee Appeals Tribunal which make recommendations to the...

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (28 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 111 to 114, inclusive, together. Following the submission to me in 2004 of a report and recommendations by an expert group on crime statistics, I decided that the compilation and publication of crime statistics should be taken over by the Central Statistics Office, as the national statistical agency, from the Garda Síochána. The Garda Síochána Act, 2005...

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (28 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 115 to 118, inclusive, together. Following the submission to me in 2004 of a report and recommendations by an expert group on crime statistics, I decided that the compilation and publication of crime statistics should be taken over by the Central Statistics Office, as the national statistical agency, from the Garda Síochána. The Garda Síochána Act, 2005...

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (28 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 119 to 122, inclusive, together. Following the submission to me in 2004 of a report and recommendations by an expert group on crime statistics, I decided that the compilation and publication of crime statistics should be taken over by the Central Statistics Office, as the national statistical agency, from the Garda Síochána. The Garda Síochána Act, 2005...

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (28 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 123 to 126, inclusive, together. Following the submission to me in 2004 of a report and recommendations by an expert group on crime statistics, I decided that the compilation and publication of crime statistics should be taken over by the Central Statistics Office, as the national statistical agency, from the Garda Síochána. The Garda Síochána Act, 2005...

Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (28 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 127 to 131, inclusive, together. 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...

Written Answers — Garda Operations: Garda Operations (28 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 132 to 138, inclusive, together. The interception of telecommunications is governed by the provisions of the Interception of Postal Packets and Telecommunications Messages (Regulation) Act 1993. It is not the practice and it would be contrary to the public interest to disclose if an authorisation to intercept has or has not been granted in any particular...

Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (28 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: I received the draft Report of the Casino Committee on 21 December 2006. The Report is a detailed and comprehensive document dealing with all the issues placed before the Committee. I expect to receive the final version of the report shortly. The Government must then consider the Report.

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (28 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: A C Visa is granted for visits of less than 90 days. As a consequence it is not the general policy to extend permission to remain to persons who are admitted initially for a period of 90 days or less on a C Visa, save in very exceptional and unforeseen circumstances. A wrap-around information sheet accompanies every visa application form. That sheet makes it clear to the applicant that, in...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (28 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: There are no restrictions on Palestinian citizens who live and work in another EU State in applying for holiday visas to visit Ireland. Eleven Visit Visas in total were issued to Palestinian citizens in the last 12 months.

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (28 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: I refer the Deputy to my previous reply of 3 October 2006 in relation to the person in question. The position remains unchanged.

Written Answers — Irish Language: Irish Language (28 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: I wish to inform the Deputy that pursuant to the scheme prepared by my Department under Section 11 of the Official Languages Act 2003 my Department is committed to providing a range of services through the medium of Irish and through the medium of Irish and English. Under this scheme, my Department has given an undertaking that all prerecorded oral announcements to our customers will be in...