Results 11,421-11,440 of 18,729 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Written Answers — Juvenile Offenders: Juvenile Offenders (9 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: Offending behaviour by children including petty crime is a serious matter and improving the State's response to this problem is a priority within my Department. I have recently established a dedicated section to address issues of youth offending. In October 2004, an internal project team was established within my Department to examine the scope for rationalising and restructuring the delivery...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (9 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Garda authorities that while the number of seizures of freebase or crack cocaine continues to represent a very small proportion of the total number of cocaine seizures recorded annually, there has been an increase in the number of such seizures in this jurisdiction over the past three years. This is a matter of concern and the Garda authorities have taken a number of...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (9 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: The Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, provides that the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform may, in his absolute discretion, grant an application for a certificate of naturalisation provided certain statutory conditions are fulfilled. Those conditions are that the applicant must be of full age, or by way of exception, be a minor born in the State; be of good...

Order of Business. (9 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: The Deputy opposed minimum sentences when they were last introduced.

Order of Business. (9 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: Deputy Kenny is convincing nobody and he is making a fool of himself. I suggest he sits down. When the Minister, Deputy O'Donoghue, brought them in the Deputy opposed them. You are a shower of hypocrites.

Order of Business. (9 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: Frauds. You are a pack of frauds, the lot of you.

Order of Business. (9 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: You opposed minimum sentences when they came before this House.

Order of Business. (9 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: You opposed minimum sentences when they came before the House.

Order of Business. (9 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: Yes, you did. Read the record.

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (8 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: The Equality Act 2004, which was enacted on 18 July 2004, amended both the Employment Equality Act 1998 and the Equal Status Act 2000 to give effect to EU Equality Directives 2000/43/EC (Race Directive), 2000/78/EC (Framework Employment Directive) and 2002/73/EC (Gender Equal Treatment in Employment Directive). With this enactment, Irish national law is now fully compliant with the framework...

Written Answers — Legislative Programme: Legislative Programme (8 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: In accordance with section 28 of the Parental Leave Act 1998 and a Government commitment in the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness, a working group chaired by my Department and comprising representatives from relevant Departments and the social partners was established in 2001 to review the operation of the Act. The report of the working group on the review of the Parental Leave Act 1998...

Written Answers — Registration of Title: Registration of Title (8 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: I wish to inform the Deputy that I have requested the Land Registry to contact him directly concerning the current position of the application in question. I understand that, in circumstances where the completion of an application in a particular case is urgent, the Land Registry will make every reasonable effort to facilitate such requests on receipt of a written explanation as to the reason...

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

Michael McDowell: Officials in the citizenship section of my Department have informed me that there is no record of an application for Irish citizenship having been received from the person referred to by the Deputy. The Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, provides that the Minister may, in his absolute discretion, grant an application for a certificate of naturalisation provided certain...

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

Michael McDowell: The person concerned currently has permission to remain as the holder of a work authorisation until 22 July 2006. It is open to her to seek to renew her permission to remain on this basis by attending her local immigration office with supporting documentation.

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (8 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: There is no provision for the granting of family reunification to adult family members of naturalised Irish citizens. The person concerned has permission to remain in the State until 9 January 2007 on a self-sufficiency basis. It is a condition of this permission to remain that an individual cannot have access to State funds, services or benefits.

Written Answers — Registration of Title: Registration of Title (8 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: I wish to inform the Deputy that I have requested the Land Registry to contact him directly concerning the current position of the application in question. I understand that, in circumstances where the completion of an application in a particular case is urgent, the Land Registry will make every reasonable effort to facilitate such requests on receipt of a written explanation as to the reason...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (8 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: The Human Rights Commission was established under the Human Rights Commission Acts 2000 and 2001 in line with the terms of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement on Northern Ireland. Under those Acts, the commission is a fully independent national human rights institution and as such, it is not accountable or answerable to me in relation to its procedures or the conduct of its operations.

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (8 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: I have no plans at present to amend legislation on the production, display, sale and distribution of pornographic material. However, I can inform the Deputy that my Department is currently reviewing certain aspects of the Censorship of Films Act 1923 and the Video Recordings Act 1989.

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (8 Mar 2006)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Garda authorities that the following table shows the number of headline offences by group, recorded and detected in the Garda district of Santry, which includes Whitehall, for the years 2002 to 2005, inclusive. I am pleased to note that the figures show a decrease of 9% in the headline crime rate for 2005 in the Santry district, when compared with 2004. I am also informed...

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

Michael McDowell: I have been informed by the Garda authorities, which are responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, that the personnel strength — all ranks — of Kildare Garda station as on 28 February 2006 was 25. I have been further informed that there is currently one Garda and three civilian staff employed purely on administrative duties at Kildare Garda station. Garda...