Results 12,321-12,340 of 18,729 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Seanad: Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (15 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: When the Nowlan family visited me to explain their particular position that unless the law was changed soon their inquest would effectively be aborted, the situation was one in which, in effect, one could not make a decision other than the one I chose to make. I do not claim to have any special powers of generosity. Pierce's parents explained to me all the circumstances surrounding his death...

Seanad: Commission of Investigation (Child Sexual Abuse) Order 2005: Motion. (15 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: I thank Senators for their contributions and their welcoming sentiments. It is provided for in the statute that the Minister can extend the time for the commission without returning to the Dáil so it is not set in stone. Without saying the 18-month period is an abstract ideal, everyone would support the Minister in being reasonable to ensure the work is done with a requisite timeframe and an...

Seanad: Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage. (15 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: The Bill has a very specific focus, namely, to address certain deficiencies in the current law pertaining to the conduct of an inquest by a coroner. These deficiencies, including the restriction on the number of medical witnesses and the outdated sanction for non-attendance of a witness or juror, have, albeit in a limited number of cases, combined to inhibit the conduct of fair inquests in a...

Seanad: Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage. (15 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: Senators have another day to go in this House. It is useful in the last days of the legislative term and in the Christmas spirit that all parties should get together and engage in a good piece of non-adversarial law reform. I am grateful to the movers and drafters of this Bill for allowing me to do that.

Seanad: Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage. (15 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: Before Easter we will have the full——

Seanad: Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage. (15 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: It does not. It is old-fashioned.

Seanad: Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage. (15 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: There is also no other Minister who is called on so frequently to resign.

Seanad: Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (15 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: It should have been in the Bill.

Seanad: Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (15 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: Under the Bill, I am putting forward, for consideration by Government in the near future, all the policy and legal issues, including best practice for coroners, involved. Under the Infectious Diseases (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 2003, as soon as a medical practitioner becomes aware of or suspects that a person on whom he or she is in professional attendance is suffering from or is the...

Seanad: Commission of Investigation (Child Sexual Abuse) Order 2005: Motion. (15 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: At the outset I remind the House of the circumstances which give rise to the motion which is before it. In November 2002, an RTE "Prime Time" documentary reported on child sexual abuse by priests in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin. The programme made a number of disturbing assertions as to the inadequate way in which allegations and complaints of sexual abuse of children by priests...

Seanad: Commission of Investigation (Child Sexual Abuse) Order 2005: Motion. (15 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: That is not the case in Ireland.

Seanad: Commission of Investigation (Child Sexual Abuse) Order 2005: Motion. (15 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: If a 14 year old boy has sex with a 16 year old girl, the boy commits an offence but the girl does not.

Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (14 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: The information sought by the Deputy is contained in the responses to Questions Nos. 192 of 7 December 2005 and 371 of 13 December 2005. As I stated in reply to Question No. 371 yesterday, I expect to be in a position to respond to the Deputy next week.

Written Answers — State Property: State Property (14 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: I am considering how this site might best be utilised. My Department has held discussions with officials from Dublin City Council on possible uses of the property. The current position, however, is that a number of legal formalities remain to be completed before I am in a position to make a final decision on the matter.

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (14 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: The person concerned was granted a C visit visa to enter the State to visit her friend for a period of three months. It now appears that she is seeking an extension of her permission to remain in the State. An examination of the papers on the case indicates that the person concerned sought an extension of her C visit visa with the immigration division of my Department and was refused....

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (14 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: A wide range of agencies and bodies fall within the ambit of my Department. These agencies and bodies perform a wide variety of functions, some of which are independent of my Department. For example, the Human Rights Commission is an independent human rights institution. However, as Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, I have certain legal responsibilities concerning the financing...

Written Answers — Garda Investigations: Garda Investigations (14 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 280 and 281 together. I am aware of the allegations made by and on behalf of the person in question but the mere assertion of wrongdoing does not progress the matter in any constructive manner. In this regard, it should be noted that the Garda Síochána complaints board investigated a complaint made by the person in question on the matter. The complaints...

Written Answers — Garda Investigations: Garda Investigations (14 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 282 to 285, inclusive, together. I have already placed on the public record my knowledge of the status of certain named persons and I do not propose to go further in this regard.

Written Answers — Garda Investigations: Garda Investigations (14 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 286 and 287 together. I refer the Deputy to my comprehensive statement to Dáil Éireann on 13 December 2005.

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (14 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: In his Budget Statement on 7 December 2005, the Minister for Finance announced increases to paid maternity leave to 22 weeks in March 2006 and to 26 weeks in March 2007 and unpaid maternity leave to 12 weeks with effect from March 2006 and to 16 weeks with effect from March 2007. In the interests of maintaining the parity of entitlements between adopting and natural mothers, similar...