Results 6,021-6,040 of 18,728 for speaker:Michael McDowell
- Written Answers — Deportation Orders: Deportation Orders (22 Feb 2007)
Michael McDowell: The deportation costs provided as follows refer to the deportation of either illegal immigrants, persons refused refugee status in the State or persons whose applications for asylum have been transferred to another country under the Dublin Convention/ Dublin II Regulations. The vast majority of the removals involved persons who were refused refugee status in the State. Set out as follows are...
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (22 Feb 2007)
Michael McDowell: The Deputy will appreciate that the Mahon tribunal does not operate under the aegis of my Department and, accordingly, it would not be appropriate for me, by way of answer to a Parliamentary Question, to add to the remarks which I have already made publicly about the matter. I have always been concerned about the cost of tribunals and for that reason I actively pursued the passage through...
- Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (22 Feb 2007)
Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Garda authorities that its records currently show there have been 269 individuals recorded who have a conviction for a headline offence which involved a firearm from 2002 to 2006. Operation Anvil is central to the strategy of the Garda SÃochána in combating serious crime and in particular murder. The Operation has proven to be very successful in disrupting the...
- Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (22 Feb 2007)
Michael McDowell: The information requested by the Deputy is currently being researched. I will contact the Deputy again when the information is to hand.
- Written Answers — Prison Accommodation: Prison Accommodation (22 Feb 2007)
Michael McDowell: As of 20 February, 2007 the available bed capacity of the prison system was 3,415 and there were 3,296 persons in custody on that date. This represents an occupancy level of 97%. It should be noted that this issue is not simply one of matching the global prisoner population to a global figure for beds or cells. A number of factors have to be taken into account including the prisoner's age,...
- Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (22 Feb 2007)
Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Garda Authorities that, particularly as a result of the proactive role of the Criminal Assets Bureau and other specialist units in targeting the proceeds of crime in this jurisdiction, a number of Irish criminals have re-located to the continent. Some of these individuals continue to engage in criminal activity and this may impact on criminality in this jurisdiction....
- Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (22 Feb 2007)
Michael McDowell: The information requested by the Deputy is currently being researched. I will contact the Deputy again when the information is to hand.
- Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (22 Feb 2007)
Michael McDowell: The information requested by the Deputy is currently being researched. I will contact the Deputy again when the information is to hand.
- Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (22 Feb 2007)
Michael McDowell: The disability group concerned applied to my Department for funding of â¬99,945 under the Independent Living Support Programme to purchase and convert for accessible use two Renault Master vehicles. This application was appraised by an independent evaluation committee which recommended that they receive 50% of the funding sought, 90% of which (â¬44,975) to be paid on agreement of contract...
- Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (22 Feb 2007)
Michael McDowell: An application for a certificate of naturalisation on behalf of the person in question, who is a minor, was received in the Citizenship Section of my Department on 6 October 2006. Due to the fact that applications on behalf of minors generally require less processing than standard adult applications, it is usually possible to finalise them more quickly. Based on current processing trends, it...
- Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (22 Feb 2007)
Michael McDowell: An application for a certificate of naturalisation on behalf of the person in question, who is a minor, was received in the Citizenship Section of my Department on 6 October 2006. Due to the fact that applications on behalf of minors generally require less processing than standard adult applications, it is usually possible to finalise them more quickly. Based on current processing trends, it...
- Criminal Assets Bureau. (22 Feb 2007)
Michael McDowell: The Criminal Assets Bureau has been at the forefront of the fight against organised crime including drug trafficking in this jurisdiction since its inception in 1996. In that 11 year period the manner in which the bureau operates has come to be viewed, both domestically and internationally, as a successful model for targeting persons seeking to derive profits from criminal activities. In...
- Criminal Assets Bureau. (22 Feb 2007)
Michael McDowell: I have a good deal of sympathy with the point Deputy Gregory made. From recent accounts given to me of places to which the Garda has gone where crime has been committed or where people have fled following crimes, I have been surprised by the accumulation of physical possessions such as flat-screen televisions in various bedrooms where there does not seem to be a support base for it. I take...
- Criminal Assets Bureau. (22 Feb 2007)
Michael McDowell: I take the Deputy's point.
- Garda Training. (22 Feb 2007)
Michael McDowell: The Garda SÃochána has a range of facilities available to it for firearms training and plans are well under way for the provision of dedicated and improved facilities for the force. Currently the Garda makes use of military ranges; the Garda specialist training units have access to 12 of these ranges countrywide. In addition, the Garda SÃochána last year procured three virtual firearms...
- Garda Training. (22 Feb 2007)
Michael McDowell: A number of gardaà have given me a first-hand account of the simulated ranges and they all spoke very highly of them.
- Garda Training. (22 Feb 2007)
Michael McDowell: It is not child's play or a computer game. The gardaà say the training is far more effective than pointing one's rifleââ
- Garda Training. (22 Feb 2007)
Michael McDowell: ââor pistol at static targets. The Deputy should acquaint himself with these facilities.
- Garda Training. (22 Feb 2007)
Michael McDowell: I have had first-hand accounts from a number of gardaÃ.
- Garda Training. (22 Feb 2007)
Michael McDowell: I have not but I do not have to see every facility myself. The Deputy is obviously a doubting Thomas.