Results 6,041-6,060 of 18,728 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Garda Training. (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: When gardaí tell me they are very happy with this new facility and when those I know and trust tell me how good it is, I am inclined to believe them. I do not deride them, belittle them or accuse them of playing computer games. The facility is nothing of the kind.

Garda Training. (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: Sending gardaí to the North for firearms training would not be practicable. It is not reasonable to send them on day trips to Belfast for this purpose. There are outdoor ranges in this jurisdiction. The indoor range constructed at the Phoenix Park, with which the Deputy's party was involved when in government, turned out to be dangerous.

Garda Training. (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: Although it is a comparatively modern facility, I am now in a position to build a dedicated indoor range in the park.

Garda Training. (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: They are not grand plans. I just have to do things, while the Deputy just makes a mess of them; that is the problem.

Garda Training. (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: If I were the Deputy, I would stick to broadcasting.

Garda Operations. (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I refer to my answer to Questions Nos. 422, 464 and 465 of 31 January. The House will appreciate that the granting of bail is a matter for the courts and that the Director of Public Prosecutions who is independent in the performance of his functions represents the State for the purpose of dealing with such applications.

Garda Operations. (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: Moreover, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on the circumstances in which bail may have been granted, or refused, in particular cases. I can confirm, however, that I was made aware by the Garda authorities of their concern that in a substantial number of cases involving operations they had launched against gun and drugs criminals, bail had been granted despite Garda objections....

Garda Operations. (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: It is interesting that Deputy Howlin is so selective in quoting the Dáil record because, if he turned back a few pages, he would note that he raised the matter for the first time in this House. He asked: Does the Minister accept that his current policy has not worked and that the first step to a successful policy lies in recognising his failure to date? He stated yesterday and today that...

Garda Operations. (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: The Deputy should not get so excited. He continued: "Does [the Minister] accept that 23 are out on bail and walking the streets and what does he propose to do about this?"

Prison Literacy Rates. (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: The Irish Prison Service report, The Prison Adult Literacy Survey: Results and Implications, which was published in September 2003, is the most recent information available to my Department. The major results of the survey indicated that a significant number of prisoners have virtually no literacy skills and 52% were at level one or pre-level one literacy levels. In other words, more than...

Prison Literacy Rates. (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I fully agree with the Deputy that rehabilitation must be at the heart of the prison process. At present, 210 whole-time teacher equivalents work in the Prison Service, of whom 37 have been assigned specifically to literacy duties. Consequently, resources are being devoted to this area. The Deputy referred to the curtailment of education services that obtained during the emergency...

Crime Levels. (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: The report referred to by the Deputy is The Burden of Crime in the EU — a Comparative Analysis of the European Crime and Safety Survey (EU ICS) 2005. The survey was carried in the 15 old member states of the European Union plus Poland, Hungary and Estonia. The findings of that survey need to be approached with caution. The sample size in the survey of approximately 2,000 is extremely...

Crime Levels. (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: It is not reasonable for me to reject the CSO's figures in this regard. Those figures were produced on the basis of 37,000 respondents in face-to-face interviews in 29,500 households.

Crime Levels. (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I cannot see that I can reject the CSO's method of approach as the House relies on its figures.

Crime Levels. (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I do not believe I should reject them. The Deputy asked whether anything good was happening or was planned. For the past three quarters, the crime rate has reduced. I went to the Phoenix Park yesterday to discuss crime trends with the Commissioner and his two deputies and was told they are of the view that the trend is downward in this quarter also.

Child Protection. (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Garda authorities that on 22 August 2006 the Interpol office at Garda headquarters received information from the Austrian authorities that they were processing reports of child pornography on the Internet and that Ireland was one of 72 countries included in the notification by the Austrian authorities. No action was taken at the time by the Garda authorities on foot of...

Child Protection. (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I share the Deputy's view that there is substantial public concern on the matter. The situation is that the document in question was misinterpreted by the recipient as a general circular, the implication of which was not understood. The document was treated as a general circular rather than a warning to the Irish system that certain activity was taking place here. That was a serious error...

Child Protection. (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: After this came into the public domain, I spoke to the Commissioner and deputy commissioner about operations. They assured me they had taken steps immediately to ensure that in future circular material of this kind would be more carefully examined, that any reference to Ireland would be immediately acted upon, that inquiries would be made with regard to the sending case to ensure gardaí...

Child Protection. (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: He has not indicated, but I presume it cannot take long as it is not a complex matter.

Order of Business (22 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: The Bill is important and has taken a long time to get to this point. When it is on Committee Stage and so on, everyone will be able to participate.