Results 10,921-10,940 of 16,537 for speaker:Brian Lenihan Jnr

Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (3 Apr 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I am surprised at the Deputy. Of course I am not suggesting that under this treaty we will go that far. However, I am making the point that we have gone a long way in that direction. Therefore it is important that we look at the European institutions to ascertain how they can be more efficient and responsive to their citizens and to the national parliaments in the member states. Throughout...

Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (3 Apr 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: However, Deputy Quinn was not a Member of the Oireachtas and was not as constrained as then Deputy Cruise O'Brien was at the time. Those who oppose the treaty and opposed previous treaties have a duty to explain what future they see for this country. They seem to be offering a march towards isolationism and economic decline — an Albanianisation of Ireland, so to speak. There is no doubt...

Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (3 Apr 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: That is extraordinary. I must say I have a great attachment to our ancestral language and speak it. It is very appropriate on some occasions but as far as Europe is concerned, it is a fact that the members of the European family are increasingly using English as their common language. I realise that the French tradition does not welcome that particular development but the reality is that...

Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (3 Apr 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Yes.

Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (3 Apr 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I could be even more heretical for a Fianna Fáil Deputy and confess that I have always had a secret admiration for Daniel O'Connell in this respect. He was a very good Irish speaker, by the way. He did not lose his Irish by speaking English but he did believe that English was the language of the world. It is certainly the language of the European world and that is something to which we...

Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (3 Apr 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Both systems have their characteristic strengths and weaknesses. Both often arrive at the same conclusion in resolving a particular legal dispute but both use different characteristic procedures and substantive legal rules to arrive at the conclusion and that is why there is a difficulty in this area. We must understand that we have a great deal to learn from civil law jurisdictions as they...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (2 Apr 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The position is that the Law Reform Commission published a Consultation Paper on Multi-Unit Developments in December 2006. It identified a broad range of regulatory and other issues arising in relation to such developments, including problems relating to the structure and governance of property management companies and the manner in which company law currently applies to them. The Law Reform...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (2 Apr 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: A C Visit Visa is granted for visits of less than 90 days. As a consequence it is not the general policy to extend permission to remain to persons who are admitted initially for a period of 90 days or less on a C Visit Visa, save in very exceptional and unforeseen circumstances. The person concerned entered the State on foot of a C visit visa. An examination of the papers in relation to the...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (2 Apr 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: As the Deputy will be aware, the Equality Authority and the Garda Ombudsman Commission are relocating offices to Roscrea as part of my Department's Decentralisation Programme. Under an advance phase, the Equality Authority relocated twenty posts to temporary accommodation in Roscrea in April 2007. In total, around eighty posts will transfer to the town by the target date of mid-2009. I...

Written Answers — State Airports: State Airports (2 Apr 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: In the course of my meeting with President Bush on St. Patrick's Day, we discussed matters relating to Northern Ireland including the forthcoming investment conference, a range of current international issues including the international economy and the position of the undocumented Irish in the US.

Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (2 Apr 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Garda Commissioner and I will write to the Deputy directly when this information is to hand.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (2 Apr 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I am aware of, and appreciate the work done by, this organisation on behalf of both Irish and non-Irish residents of the area. My Department has not provided funding to this organisation in the past and I understand there are no applications for funding on hand at this time. Services like these, which are focused on the inclusion of all communities, encourage integration and form part of...

Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (2 Apr 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Final arrangements for the printing of the Report in question in both the English and Irish languages, are now being made. I intend to publish the Report shortly and arrangements will be made to lodge copies in the Oireachtas Library.

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (2 Apr 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I can inform the Deputy that, to date, €300,000 has been issued, of a total of €400,000 approved for the purpose of assisting the Stardust Victims' Committee to participate in the examination in question.

Written Answers — Crime Prevention: Crime Prevention (2 Apr 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I am informed by the Garda authorities that there is no mechanism by which Interpol, or any other external agency, can directly access the AFIS Database. The current AFIS upgrade project, which is due for completion later this year, will provide a mechanism for the electronic receipt of fingerprint data at the Fingerprint Section of the Garda Technical Bureau. Any searches to be performed on...

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (2 Apr 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: My Department's records show that the person concerned arrived in the State on 30 December 1996 and claimed asylum on 2 January 1997. His asylum application was considered by the then Asylum Division of my Department who concluded that the person concerned did not meet the criteria for recognition as a refugee. This position was conveyed to the person concerned by letter dated 2 February...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (2 Apr 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Applications for certificates of naturalisation from the persons referred to in the Deputy's question were received in the Citizenship section of my Department in October 2005. Officials in that section are currently processing applications received in mid 2005 and have approximately 1,300 applications on hand to be dealt with before those of the persons in question. These are generally...

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (2 Apr 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I propose to take Questions Nos. 835 and 836 together. I am informed by the Garda authorities that the number of murder and manslaughter offences which involved the use of a firearm recorded from 1 June, 1997 to 31 December, 2007 and in 2008 up to 25 March was 157. The number of convictions to date in respect of these offences is 26. The number of murder and manslaughter offences involving...

Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (2 Apr 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I have been advised by the Garda authorities that funding has been ring-fenced from the Garda Budget for 2008 to ensure that Garda activities under Operation Anvil, which is augmented by other operations and initiatives both locally and nationally, will continue within all units and sections of An Garda Síochána. Operation Anvil commenced in May 2005 in the Dublin Metropolitan Region and...

Written Answers — Residency Permits: Residency Permits (2 Apr 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I wish to inform the Deputy that a total of 16,693 applicants were granted permission to remain in the State, initially for a period of two years, under the revised arrangements for non-EEA parents of children born in Ireland prior to 1st January, 2005, commonly referred to as the IBC/05 scheme. While applicants were of many nationalities, Nigeria, Romania and China were the most commonly...