Results 11,321-11,340 of 18,761 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Garda Reserve Force. (9 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: I indicated in response to Opposition requests that I should expedite the introduction of the reserve force——

Garda Reserve Force. (9 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: The third point is in regard to power.

Garda Reserve Force. (9 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: I want to make this point in regard to power. I am in the process of consultation. The Commissioner has made proposals to me. Like the Deputy I will be very careful to ensure the reserve's powers are commensurate with its training and capacity. I will not budge from that because I, just as much as everybody else in this House, am committed to the success of a reserve. I hope the Deputy is not...

Garda Reserve Force. (9 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: I favour a consensus approach. That is what I am doing. My door is open. I am bringing the regulations to the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights. It is open to the members of that committee to bring in the representative associations and to discuss any principled difficulties they may have with them. I met with the AGSI and told it that until I had a proposal...

Garda Reserve Force. (9 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: I assure the House that my door is always open. I am behaving in a conciliatory way. I want everybody, including Members, to have confidence in the fact that I will fully accommodate any reasonable points people wish to make in regard to this matter.

Garda Reserve Force. (9 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: I have not breached trust with anybody. As a Minister, my trust is to implement the law as laid down by this House, as backed by all the Members of this House. It is true that when the recruitment of 2,000 extra gardaí was held back by the public service embargo I made it clear to the associations that I would not use the reserve force as a substitute for the expansion of An Garda Síochána...

Garda Reserve Force. (9 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: Deputy Jim O'Keeffe urged me to get on with the job and remove the delays. He is now resiling from that position.

Garda Reserve Force. (9 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: The Garda Commissioner's proposal is for a force of 4,000 with initial pilot projects in a number of areas. In 2006, 900 members will be recruited for allocation on a pilot basis to a number of areas. There was no question of there not being a pilot approach. That is why there was provision in the Estimates of €1.28 million.

Garda Reserve Force. (9 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: I do not need to apologise to the associations. My door has been open. I have not used intemperate language and I will not do so.

Garda Reserve Force. (9 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: I did not give an undertaking to anyone.

Garda Deployment. (9 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: It is standard practice for visiting Heads of State and other similar VIPs to make the Government, via the Department of Foreign Affairs, aware of any intention to visit or pass through the State so that any necessary security arrangements may be put in place to ensure an incident-free event from the perspectives of both the visiting VIP and the local communities. In the case of two stopovers...

Garda Deployment. (9 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform does not decide the security arrangements at any event. Such decisions are for the operational judgment of gardaí under the Commissioner. I am not consulted in advance and have no input into Garda security arrangements. I do not micro-manage them. The strength of the Garda Síochána at either event or at any other is not dictated by me so my...

Garda Deployment. (9 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: I am not acquainted with the websites that Deputy Gormley stares at in the early hours of the morning, but one of them, www.indymedia.ie, has in the past produced interesting footage. On this occasion, it produced footage — from outside — of the Progressive Democrats Party offices being ransacked by a group of Deputy Gormley's type of people.

Garda Deployment. (9 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: It made interesting viewing. We downloaded it and sent it to the Garda for investigation.

Garda Deployment. (9 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: I am merely saying that the party and viewpoint with which most people, including me, would most closely associate the anoraked group which descended on my party's offices would be the Deputy's.

Garda Deployment. (9 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: There was muesli in the air and open-toed sandals on the street.

Garda Training. (9 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: Firearms training forms part of all specialist training conducted by the specialist training unit under the authority of the Garda College. I am advised by the Garda authorities that they have the use of Army firing ranges to facilitate Garda firearms training and have access to 12 such ranges countrywide. The total expenditure for the specialist training unit for 2005 was €1,959,266 which...

Garda Training. (9 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: I reject the suggestion that there is a crisis. The fact that more than 3,600 members of the Garda Síochána are issued annually with a certificate for which they undergo testing every year speaks for itself. In 1985 when two certain parties were in government an indoor range was built in Garda headquarters. This range is out of service and awaiting complete refurbishment because concerns...

Garda Training. (9 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: I assure the Deputy that if the Garda Commissioner asks me for resources for firearms training and makes proposals — he has already proposed the establishment of two centres — which can be implemented, the question of resources will not arise. It is simply a matter of giving the Garda approval to put in place what is appropriate for the force. No Minister in the history of the State has...

Garda Training. (9 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: The other facilities to which I referred will be provided when sites are identified for them.