Results 6,421-6,440 of 18,728 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (7 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: 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 13,000 following the attestation of 299 new members on Thursday, 16 November, 2006. This compares with a total strength of 10,702 (all ranks) as at 30 June, 1997 and represents an...

Written Answers — Residency Permits: Residency Permits (7 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I wish to advise the Deputy that the person in question was granted permission to remain in the State on 10 August 2005 for two years under the revised arrangements for non national parents of Irish children born prior to 1 January 2005 commonly referred to as the IBC/05 scheme. Advertisements inviting applications for renewal of permission to remain granted under the IBC/05 scheme were...

Written Answers — Prison Building Programme: Prison Building Programme (7 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 223 and 224 together. A total of nine contracts have been put in place for the work on Thornton Hall site. Six of these are complete and three are ongoing. These are the landscape planting contract, the team of consultants appointed to oversee all of the planning of the preliminary works and the site security services. A total of €2.7m has been expended...

Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (7 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: 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 13,000 following the attestation of 299 new members on Thursday, 16 November, 2006. This compares with a total strength of 10,702 (all ranks) as at 30 June, 1997 and represents an...

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (7 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I assure the Deputy that I consider murder to be the most heinous of crimes. The significant resources which are being made available to An Garda Síochána are being brought to bear in a focused and methodical way on bringing the persons involved in these crimes to account. An Garda Síochána's policing pans continue to target crime, including organised crime, in our community. All...

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (7 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: Headline crime statistics for the Garda Division of Dublin West are contained in the relevant Garda Annual Reports, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas Library. I am informed by the Garda authorities that crime statistics are compiled on the basis of Garda operational areas and do not correspond to postal districts. Following the submission to me in 2004 of a report and...

Written Answers — Garda Strength: Garda Strength (7 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Garda authorities. I will be in contact with the Deputy when this information is to hand.

Written Answers — Domestic Violence: Domestic Violence (7 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I would refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 211 of 6 February 2007. I have nothing further to add to that response.

Written Answers — Garda Equipment: Garda Equipment (7 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: An InterAgency Group chaired by my Department has conducted an EU Procurement competition for the provision of national digital radio services to the non-commercial public sector. Following a detailed evaluation of the proposals received, my Department announced Tetra Ireland as the preferred bidder. Tetra Ireland is a consortium comprising eircom, Sigma Wireless and Motorola. Tetra...

Written Answers — Coroners Service: Coroners Service (6 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: The recognised way in law for a death to be investigated, where the circumstances surrounding it may be unclear, is by way of a coroner's Inquest. While I have no definite information on the coroner's intentions in this regard, I would be very surprised if an inquest were not held in this case. Such an inquest will enable the full details of the death concerned to emerge into the public arena.

Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (6 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Garda authorities. I will be in contact with the Deputy when this information is to hand.

Written Answers — Warrant Statistics: Warrant Statistics (6 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I regret that difficulties have arisen in collating the information in the format requested by the Deputy and I have directed that this matter be resolved without delay. I will be in touch directly with the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (6 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: The position in relation to granting long term residency is as follows: Persons who have been legally resident in the State for over five years on the basis of work permit/work authorisation/work visa conditions may apply to the Immigration Division of my Department for a five year residency extension. In that context they may also apply to be exempt from employment permit requirements. The...

Written Answers — Closed Circuit Television Systems: Closed Circuit Television Systems (6 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Garda authorities that the Garda CCTV Advisory Committee has recommended a Garda CCTV scheme for Kilkenny. The Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform have sanctioned funding for CCTV Schemes. The CCTV budget allocation for 2007 is €7,514,000.00 which is divided between Garda Town Centre CCTV systems and Community Based CCTV systems. I am further informed that a...

Written Answers — Criminal Prosecutions: Criminal Prosecutions (6 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I commenced Part 11 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2006 regarding civil proceedings in relation to anti-social behaviour by an adult on 1 January, 2007. A person behaves in an anti-social manner if the person causes or, in the circumstances, is likely to cause, to one or more persons who are not of the same household as the person (a) harassment, (b) significant or persistent alarm, distress,...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (6 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: An invitation to tender for the provision of a Survey of Public Attitudes towards An Garda Síochána was advertised in the OJEC and on the e-tenders government web-site with a closing date for receipt of tenders of 7 November. Following evaluation of the tender proposals by the Garda Authorities, Millward Brown IMS was selected as the preferred bidder and a contract is due to be signed with...

Written Answers — Garda Operations: Garda Operations (6 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: On 18 January, 2007, Tetra Ireland Limited was selected by the Department of Finance as the preferred bidder for the provision of the National Digital Radio Services. The preferred bidder and the relevant Departments and Agencies have commenced work on a Service Performance Evaluation (SPE) which involves the provision of a live working system covering a significant part of Dublin and...

Written Answers — Garda Stations: Garda Stations (6 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: There are plans to update the Garda accommodation at Birr. In this regard, the Office of Public Works has been asked to acquire a property adjacent to the station to facilitate extension and renovation of the existing building. When this process has been completed, consideration will then be given on how best to progress this project. In the interim, any essential maintenance to the...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (6 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I refer the Deputy to my response to Parliamentary Question No. 136 on 23 November 2006 wherein I informed him that the person in question did not have five years reckonable residency in the State prior to submitting his application and thus did not satisfy the statutory residency requirements at that time. I have now been informed by officials in the Citizenship Division of my Department...

Written Answers — Domestic Violence: Domestic Violence (6 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I would refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 5 of Thursday 7 December 2006 (ref 42178/06) and to Parliamentary Question 2853/07 of Wednesday 31 January 2007. In this latter response, I advised the House that the final report of the completed pilot project was received by my Department on Thursday 25 January 2007. Officials of my Department had a meeting with...