Results 11,901-11,920 of 18,729 for speaker:Michael McDowell
- Written Answers — Sexual Offences: Sexual Offences (7 Feb 2006)
Michael McDowell: The vast majority of such crimes, including sexual offences, are committed by individuals with no diagnosed or treatable mental illness. In the small proportion of cases where a perpetrator has a previous history of mental illness or is diagnosed with a mental illness while serving a sentence, arrangements are undertaken to provide appropriate psychiatric intervention. In relation to...
- Written Answers — Youth Diversion Projects: Youth Diversion Projects (7 Feb 2006)
Michael McDowell: Garda youth diversion projects which are overseen by my Department in conjunction with the Garda SÃochána are a crime prevention measure which aim, through both intervention and prevention, to divert young people from becoming involved in criminal activity. The number of projects has grown from 12 in 1997 to 64 at present through funding under the National Development Plan 2000-2006. A...
- Written Answers — Sexual Offences: Sexual Offences (7 Feb 2006)
Michael McDowell: As with all offenders on determinate sentences, the individual concerned was, in accordance with statutory requirements, released from Arbour Hill Prison on completion of his sentence on 14 December 2005. In accordance with the provisions of the Sex Offenders Act 2001, members of the Garda SÃochána, including the local superintendent were advised of the impending release. I am advised that...
- Written Answers — Drug Seizures: Drug Seizures (7 Feb 2006)
Michael McDowell: The Deputy will appreciate that policing operations are a matter for the Garda SÃochána. I am informed by the Garda authorities that this matter is ongoing. In the circumstances, it would not be appropriate for me to comment.
- Written Answers — Road Traffic Offences: Road Traffic Offences (7 Feb 2006)
Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 464 and 465 together. I regret that the information requested by the Deputy is not readily available in the format sought by the Deputy and is currently being researched. I will be in contact with the Deputy in relation to this matter in due course.
- Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (7 Feb 2006)
Michael McDowell: The refugee in question made an application for family reunification under section 18 of the Refugee Act 1996 in August 2004. The commissioner submitted a report on the investigation to my Department in June 2005. The timeframe for processing such applications depends on the timeliness of the applicant's responses to requests for documentation and information from the Office of the Refugee...
- Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (7 Feb 2006)
Michael McDowell: The refugee in question made an application for family reunification in June 2004. The application was forwarded to the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner for investigation as required under section 18 of the Refugee Act 1996. The commissioner submitted a report on the investigation to my Department in January 2005. In the course of processing the application questions arose in...
- Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (7 Feb 2006)
Michael McDowell: When assessing any visa application, the visa officer will consider various matters, including whether it is reasonable in all the circumstances to conclude that the applicant would fully honour the conditions of the visa such as whether it is likely that the applicant would overstay the length of time applied for. The visa officer will also have regard to information provided and to such...
- Written Answers — Sentencing Policy: Sentencing Policy (7 Feb 2006)
Michael McDowell: The Criminal Justice (Community Service) Act 1983 provides for the performance of unpaid work in the community by a person who is 16 years or over, who has been convicted of an offence for which the appropriate penalty would be an immediate custodial sentence and who has given his or her consent to the court. It has not been the practice for individuals on community service orders to...
- Crime Levels. (2 Feb 2006)
Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1, 2 and 4 together.
- Crime Levels. (2 Feb 2006)
Michael McDowell: I will deal with all the issues.
- Crime Levels. (2 Feb 2006)
Michael McDowell: It is absurd to state that there has been a dramatic increase in headline crime for 2005 when the level of headline crime for 2005 is 4.4% lower than the level for 2002. I did not hear the Opposition Deputies state that there was a dramatic fall in headline crime when there was a decrease of 3% recorded for 2003 and a further decrease of 4% in 2004 compared with 2003. Since I took the...
- Crime Levels. (2 Feb 2006)
Michael McDowell: I welcome, however, the significant decrease of 27% in the number of incidents of robbery of cash and goods in transit, down from 62 in 2004 to 45 in 2005. This trend improved in the fourth quarter, with a decrease of 47%. Operation Delivery, an initiative undertaken by the Garda SÃochána to counteract the increase in cash in transit robberies which emerged in 2004 has contributed...
- Crime Levels. (2 Feb 2006)
Michael McDowell: It will arise again in Question No. 5.
- Crime Levels. (2 Feb 2006)
Michael McDowell: Of course, I regard crime as serious. However, the phrases used in the questions to which I was replying, that there had been a dramatic increase and that crime was spiralling, are simply not true. Since 2000, the numbers have gone down both in absolute and relative terms. They are significantly down per head of population. I simply made that point. My second point relates to responses to...
- Crime Levels. (2 Feb 2006)
Michael McDowell: Recruitment has been increased and proper provisions have been made in Templemore for this. Class sizes vary between 275 and 300 to bring us up to the 14,000 as promised. This will be delivered by the Government. The Garda SÃochána Vote this year increased by 13%, at a time of 3% inflation or less. That is a significant increase in resources. This was on top of an increase last year and the...
- Crime Levels. (2 Feb 2006)
Michael McDowell: I will deal with the last point first. If I was to split the Bill into different parts, we would require long Second Stage debates on each part. As the Deputy appreciates, that would guarantee no progress would be made in the lifetime of this Dáil on these important matters.
- Crime Levels. (2 Feb 2006)
Michael McDowell: There are now more than 12,200 fully attested members of the Garda SÃochána. This is a significant increase over the numbers ââ
- Crime Levels. (2 Feb 2006)
Michael McDowell: If the Deputy wants to interrupt, let the record show that when Fine Gael and the Labour Party were in Government, they allowed the numbers of gardaà to fall.
- Crime Levels. (2 Feb 2006)
Michael McDowell: Let it also show that they never delivered reform to the Garda, never put in place measures to deliver a decent radio systemââ