Results 5,961-5,980 of 18,728 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Written Answers — State Airports: State Airports (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: My Department has no role in conducting searches, random or otherwise, in the circumstances outlined in the Deputy's question. As the Deputy is aware, the Garda Síochána is responsible for the investigation of the commission, alleged or otherwise, of offences. Where the Garda Síochána reasonably suspects that an offence is being committed, statutory powers of entry and arrest are...

Written Answers — Courts Service: Courts Service (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Garda authorities that Section 8 of the Enforcement of Courts Orders Act 1940 as amended by the Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses and Children) Act 1976 provides that where the maintenance debtor is in arrears on payments, a District Judge may, if he thinks proper, direct that the sums payable be levied by distress, i.e. seizure and sale of his goods. Also a maintenance...

Written Answers — Tribunals of Inquiry: Tribunals of Inquiry (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 59 and 130 together. There are currently two sitting Tribunals which come under the aegis of my Department; the Morris Tribunal and the Smithwick Tribunal. In so far as the Morris Tribunal of Inquiry is concerned, I can inform the Deputies that the revised fees were to be introduced from October 2006. However, following consideration of a request from the...

Written Answers — Departmental Correspondence: Departmental Correspondence (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I refer the Deputy to my reply to PQ Nos. 422, 464 and 465 of 31 January 2007.

Written Answers — Garda Code: Garda Code (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I have been informed by the Garda authorities that the Garda Code is published in two volumes. Volume I relates to managing a modern police service. The most recent edition of Volume I was issued in August, 2005. Volume II relates to financial matters. The most recent edition of Volume II was issued in December, 1994. Updates of the Garda Code are circulated by way of H.Q. Directives, as the...

Written Answers — International Treaties: International Treaties (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: Due to other urgent official commitments, I was not in a position to attend the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council in Brussels on 15 February 2007. One of the items considered at the recent Council meeting was a proposed Council Decision for the integration of some of the elements of the Prum Treaty into the EU legislative framework. In the course of the discussion on this item, the Irish...

Written Answers — Competition Authority Report: Competition Authority Report (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I understand that the Deputy is referring to the Competition Authority report on Competition in Legal Services — Solicitors and Barristers, which was published on 11 December 2006. The Report makes twenty-nine recommendations, the key ones being that: the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform should bring forward legislation to establish a Legal Services Commission, which would...

Written Answers — Court Staff: Court Staff (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: The former Judge Brian Curtin resigned as a Judge of the Circuit Court on 13 November, 2006. The matter of his pension entitlements is being finalised.

Written Answers — Prison Drug Treatment Services: Prison Drug Treatment Services (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: The Irish Prison Service expended almost €3 million excluding staff costs on the provision of medical services to the prisoner population in 2005 but it is not possible to disaggregate, with any degree of accuracy, from this total, the element that related solely to the treatment of prisoners with drug problems. The new Irish Prison Service Drugs Policy & Strategy — Keeping Drugs Out of...

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 66, 133 and 136 together. I am informed by the Garda authorities that, for operational reasons, it is inappropriate to categorise proceedings as being linked to any particular, identifiable criminal groupings. I am further informed by Garda management that, as part of its contribution to the Europol Organised Crime Report which was recently refined to become...

Written Answers — Mental Health Policy: Mental Health Policy (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I am aware that under the auspices of the Department of Health and Children, the Report of the Expert Group on Mental Health Policy entitled "A Vision for Change" contains certain recommendations in this area. In March 2006, the Minister of State at that Department, Mr. Tim O'Malley, T.D., with special responsibility for mental health, established an Independent Monitoring Group to monitor...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I recently announced my intention to ask the Government to sign the Council of Europe Convention on action against trafficking in human beings. I also stated that it is intended, as part of the new immigration policy framework, to provide a clear policy statement setting out how these cases will be managed once it is established that trafficking has taken place. I would reiterate, however,...

Written Answers — Residency Permits: Residency Permits (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I wish to inform the Deputy that advertisements inviting applications for renewal of permission to remain in the State, granted under the IBC/05 scheme, were placed in National Newspapers on 31 January, 2007. Applications from non-national parents of Irish born children, born before 1 January 2005, for renewal of their permission to remain in the State under the IBC/05 Scheme, must be made...

Written Answers — Garda Disciplinary Proceedings: Garda Disciplinary Proceedings (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: The Garda Síochána Act, in 2005, made detailed provisions for the making of Disciplinary Regulations for the Garda Síochána. In its report earlier this year, the Garda Síochána Act Implementation Group, chaired by Senator Maurice Hayes, acknowledged the requirement for changes to the Garda disciplinary regulations to coincide with the coming into operation of the Garda Ombudsman...

Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I have not yet received the report from Mr Michael Mellet in relation to this matter. The Deputy will be aware that in my reply on this matter to Deputy Kenny on the 7th December 2006, I indicated that Mr Mellet was still in the process of obtaining certain material of particular relevance to this inquiry. I now understand that this material has been obtained and that the report is in the...

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: The Garda authorities inform me that there were two so-called 'tiger' robberies in 2005 and three such robberies in 2006. To date in 2007 there have been two such robberies. An Garda Síochána continue to investigate these robberies. Naturally I cannot go into any details about these as to do so might risk prejudicing these investigations or subsequent prosecutions. The Deputy will be...

Written Answers — International Agreements: International Agreements (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I am aware of the expressed views of Privacy International and the American Civil Liberties Union on the Passenger Name Records Agreement between the European Union and the United States. However, as this Agreement falls outside the remit of my Department, but rather, within the remit of the Department of Transport. I am not in a position to assist the Deputy.

Written Answers — Crime Prevention: Crime Prevention (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I can assure the Deputy that I am in regular contact with the Garda Commissioner on a range of important issues, including the problems caused by organised crime and criminal gangs. In order to disrupt such criminality, Garda operations are regularly put in place to target individuals and gangs suspected of involvement in criminal activity and such operations, for example initiatives under...

Written Answers — Juvenile Offenders: Juvenile Offenders (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: Responsibility for the management of four children detention schools — Finglas Child and Adolescent Centre, Oberstown Boys School, Oberstown Girls School and Trinity House School — will transfer to the Irish Youth Justice Service of my Department on 1 March 2007. This will follow the commencement of the relevant provisions of the Children Act 2001, as amended by the Criminal Justice Act...

Written Answers — Juvenile Offenders: Juvenile Offenders (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: While there have been some studies on this issue they have been sample based rather than longitudinal in nature. As the Deputy may be aware, the Government decided, in December 2005, to establish the Irish Youth Justice Service to take responsibility for the management and development of all services relating to young people who offend. This responsibility includes the management of the...