Results 9,741-9,760 of 18,729 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Written Answers — Crime Prevention: Crime Prevention (8 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: Neighbourhood Watch was established in 1985 as a crime prevention measure for urban areas and there are approximately 2,600 Neighbourhood Watch schemes in operation nation-wide. Since its establishment, the Garda authorities have sought to encourage the active participation of the public in Neighbourhood Watch by encouraging and supporting communities to establish and maintain such...

Written Answers — Sexual Offences: Sexual Offences (8 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: As the Tánaiste has told this House, on 29 November 2002 my Department was informed in writing by the Chief State Solicitor's Office of an application seeking judicial review to challenge certain provisions of the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1935, (The "C.C." proceedings). An official promptly phoned the Chief State Solicitor's Office to ascertain whether they needed any response from the...

Written Answers — Sexual Offences: Sexual Offences (8 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 166 and 168 together. Whenever my Department becomes aware that legislation might be required, I would be informed and, depending on the issue, its importance and urgency, I would agree policy with officials from the Criminal or Civil Law Reform Divisions. Again, depending on the issue and its legal complexity, the Attorney General's Office and the Office of...

Written Answers — Sexual Offences: Sexual Offences (8 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 167 and 172 together. There is no doubt that recent events have highlighted communications issues between my Department and the Offices of the Attorney General and the Chief State Solicitor. An examination of communications within the Office of the Attorney General took place some years ago that resulted in some administrative changes in that Office and as...

Written Answers — Sexual Offences: Sexual Offences (8 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: I have made enquiries with the Garda authorities and the statistics relating to the number of convictions recorded for an offence under Section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1935 for the years 2000 to 2006 to date are set out in the following table. Figures prior to the introduction of the computerised crime recording system are not readily available, and it would require a...

Written Answers — Residency Permits: Residency Permits (8 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: I have been advised by my officials that documents were removed from the family in question in December 2005 for further examination. I understand that one of the documents referred to by the Deputy is in the process of being returned to the family. An issue has arisen in respect of the other document referred to by the Deputy and further enquiries are being made by my officials. It is hoped...

Written Answers — Court Procedures: Court Procedures (8 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: I requested a further report from the Garda authorities in respect of the matter raised by the Deputy. I am now informed by the Garda authorities that when the person in question appeared in court on 3 January 2006 an adjournment until 7 February 2006, rather than a remand on bail, was granted in the case concerned. At a subsequent hearing on 17 February, the person in question was released...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (8 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: An application for certificates of naturalisation on behalf of the two persons in question, who are both minors, was submitted by their mother, a naturalised Irish citizen, to the Citizenship Section of my Department on 14 November 2005. Due to the fact that applications on behalf of minors generally require less processing than standard adult applications, it is usually possible to finalise...

Written Answers — Garda Equipment: Garda Equipment (8 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: I can inform the Deputy that Expenditure under the main I.T. Capital and Current subheads of the votes under my Department's aegis (Justice, Courts, Prisons, Garda, Land Registry) for the years 2000 to 2004 amounted to €172.933m (1.7% of total accumulated expenditure). Figures relating to 2005 are not yet available for publication. As the Deputy will appreciate, this expenditure relates to...

Written Answers — Garda Recruitment: Garda Recruitment (8 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: The Public Appointments Service (PAS) is responsible for the administration of the application process as well as Stage 1 (aptitude testing) and Stage 2 (interview) of the Garda recruitment process. I have been informed by the PAS that there was a total of 8,462 applications for the current Garda recruitment competition, 4,926 of whom sat the entrance exam. 2,872 (or 58.3%) of these...

Written Answers — Garda Investigations: Garda Investigations (8 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Garda authorities that the figures relating to robberies involving hostages are not readily available and are currently being researched. They will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as they are available. I am further informed, however, that there were 51 incidents of false imprisonment offences recorded in 2005 and 46 in 2004. These figures relate to incidences where a...

Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (8 Jun 2006)

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 is set to rise to a record 12,641 today following the attestation of 273 new members. This compares with a total strength of 10,702 (all ranks) as at 30 June 1997 and represents an increase of 1,939 (or...

Written Answers — Garda Equipment: Garda Equipment (8 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: I assume the Deputy is referring to the Forensic Science Laboratory which, although located in the Garda Headquarters complex at Phoenix Park, is in fact a civilian organisation coming under the aegis of my Department and not part of the Garda Síochána. The Laboratory staff both at leadership and subordinate levels are superbly well qualified and do a magnificent job in supporting crime...

Written Answers — Deportation Orders: Deportation Orders (8 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: In relation to the treatment of returnees to their homelands, it should be borne in mind that before a decision to deport is made in any individual case, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform must have regard to the eleven factors contained in Section 3 (6) of the Immigration Act, 1999 (as amended) and the provisions of Section 5 of the Refugee Act, 1996 (as amended) on the...

Written Answers — Courts Service: Courts Service (8 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: Statistics on community service orders are provided in the Annual Reports of the Courts Service, which are available in the Oireachtas Library. At present, figures are given for the Dublin and Limerick Courts only. The most recent report covers the year 2004.

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (8 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: The following table sets out the information sought by the Deputy:

Written Answers — Prison Accommodation: Prison Accommodation (8 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table. Institution Cells with accommodation for more than one person Mountjoy Prison 75 double cells, 15 four man cells and 1 six man cell. St. Patrick's Institution One triple cell Castlerea Prison Four 4 man cells and 20 double cells Cork Prison 109 double cells. Limerick Prison (Male) 104...

Written Answers — Garda Investigations: Garda Investigations (8 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: Statistics for the offences of unauthorised taking/theft of a mechanically propelled vehicle, recorded and detected for the years in question, are available in the relevant Annual Reports of An Garda Síochána, which are available in the Oireachtas library.

Written Answers — Courts Service: Courts Service (8 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: As the Deputy will be aware, the Bail Act 1997 amended the bail regime generally and gave effect to the terms of the Sixteenth Amendment of the Constitution. Section 2(1) of the Act provides for the refusal of bail to a person charged with a serious offence where it is reasonably considered necessary to prevent the commission of a serious offence by that person. For this purpose a serious...

Written Answers — Garda Operations: Garda Operations (8 Jun 2006)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 185, 187, 193, 200 and 201 together. Let me say at the outset that the Gardaí are, in fact, conducting a major crackdown on organised crime, including drug trafficking and other types of organised criminality. The Deputy will appreciate that policing operations and the deployment of Garda resources are matters for the Garda authorities. It is the...