Results 5,181-5,200 of 18,761 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Order of Business (Resumed) (29 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: Yes, sorry——

Order of Business (Resumed) (29 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: Yes, I take the point.

Order of Business (Resumed) (29 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: No, he does not.

Order of Business (Resumed) (29 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: It is interesting that I am not allowed to speak although I allowed everyone else to so do.

Order of Business (Resumed) (29 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: The point I wished to make is that this matter will come before An Bord Pleanála in the near future. I believe all the Deputies concerned will be present to make the point that the area is the wrong place in which to build any such incinerator.

Order of Business (Resumed) (29 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: I agree with Deputy Quinn that this matter should be referred to the committee. If the committee believes it should come back to this House or if material arising from the committee's deliberations requires the attention of the House, this can be discussed among the Whips.

Order of Business (Resumed) (29 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: The situation with regard to this Bill is that last December I indicated publicly that I would bring forward a package in response to the very urgent circumstances that then existed and at the request of many people in Irish society that something should be done about gangland crime, and I did so.

Order of Business (Resumed) (29 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: In February I published the scheme of a Bill. I brought before this House a Bill that has the support in principle of the great majority of people and it was debated on Second Stage. I am grateful to the Labour Party and Fine Gael for their support for the principle of the legislation. I accept the Green Party and Sinn Féin object to the principle of this.

Order of Business (Resumed) (29 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: Deputy Cuffe, on Second Stage, was opposed to the principle of the measures in the Bill.

Order of Business (Resumed) (29 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: The Green Party and Sinn Féin are in that small minority position. The great majority of people in the House support the principle of the Bill. Regarding the comments made recently, I am not trying to push this through before Easter.

Order of Business (Resumed) (29 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: No I am not, this will go through this House during the period before Easter. It will then go to Seanad Éireann where it will also be discussed extensively.

Order of Business (Resumed) (29 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: I will bring this Bill back from Seanad Éireann to this House with any amendments made to it.

Order of Business (Resumed) (29 Mar 2007)

Michael McDowell: I am acting reasonably.

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,...