Results 12,421-12,440 of 18,729 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage. (13 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: Ba mhaith liom mo chuid ama a roinnt leis an Teachta Ó Conchúbhair, le cead an Tigh. I welcome the introduction of this Private Members' Bill by Deputy Rabbitte and his colleagues in the Labour Party. It 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 — the restriction on the...

Chief Executive of Centre for Public Inquiry: Statement by Minister. (13 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: I did not leak any document from any file. I was asked by Independent Newspapers whether I would be prepared to give it a document in the possession of the State, which is the forged application form for a passport in the name of Mr. Johnston, which was used by the perpetrators on one of the journeys as part of the Colombia three episode. I decided that I would do so for proper reasons to...

Chief Executive of Centre for Public Inquiry: Statement by Minister. (13 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: ——yet it appears to be a huge surprise to people opposite that this is the case. Deputy Jim O'Keeffe knows well that no Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has ever commented in this House on whether a person's telephone has been tapped, and I do not intend to do that. That is a fact.

Chief Executive of Centre for Public Inquiry: Statement by Minister. (13 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: I reiterate I did not leak any document. I did not have any official file on this matter and I did what I said I did and what I said yesterday openly and candidly on radio. I arranged for a document which the Irish Independent sought to be delivered to it, and it was looking for it for some time.

Chief Executive of Centre for Public Inquiry: Statement by Minister. (13 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: There is no question of it being a confidential document. It is a forgery. Whose confidential interests are protected by keeping it private? What person has a right to say it should not be published because it could affect him or her?

Chief Executive of Centre for Public Inquiry: Statement by Minister. (13 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: Nobody has a right to do so. Let us be clear about this. This was a document which was sent to the Department of Foreign Affairs by people who wanted to obtain a forged passport in the name of a real person who had nothing to do with it and who forged the signature of a priest in Belfast on it. All I have done is to give to the Irish Independent, at its request, a copy of the forgery in order...

Chief Executive of Centre for Public Inquiry: Statement by Minister. (13 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: I will finish on this point. There appear to be people in this House who are afraid of the truth.

Chief Executive of Centre for Public Inquiry: Statement by Minister. (13 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: There appear to be people in this House who have a deep aversion to the truth emerging in these matters. They are not by any means universally representative of their parties because I want to put on the record of this House that in the summer of this year, I was approached by a senior Opposition Front Bench Member——

Chief Executive of Centre for Public Inquiry: Statement by Minister. (13 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: ——and asked to ensure that the truth about these matters emerged.

Chief Executive of Centre for Public Inquiry: Statement by Minister. (13 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: Upon request.

Chief Executive of Centre for Public Inquiry: Statement by Minister. (13 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: The first I heard of any such suggestion was today in the House. I had no notice of the agenda of that body.

Chief Executive of Centre for Public Inquiry: Statement by Minister. (13 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: I am telling the Deputy the truth. He may not like the truth but I am telling him the truth.

Chief Executive of Centre for Public Inquiry: Statement by Minister. (13 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: When it became apparent to the Government that Mr. Connolly was the chief executive of this organisation, I had discussions with my colleagues in Government and I agreed that I would approach Chuck Feeney——

Chief Executive of Centre for Public Inquiry: Statement by Minister. (13 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: ——and ask him to review his support for this institution because of the involvement of Mr. Connolly in the trip which was the prequel to the Colombia three and part of the same pattern of events. It was my intention in going to America earlier this year to see Mr. Feeney there but unfortunately he was not there. Eventually he saw both the Taoiseach and me in Dublin and I intimated all of...

Chief Executive of Centre for Public Inquiry: Statement by Minister. (13 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: I ask the Deputy to listen to me. Now we are suddenly being told that this does not have a security dimension. I do not think anybody listened to the remarks I made earlier. I reiterate that I am satisfied on intelligence grounds——

Chief Executive of Centre for Public Inquiry: Statement by Minister. (13 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: ——that the purpose of the visit of the Colombia three and the series of visits in question was to arrange for an exchange of know-how in terrorism and explosives for tens of millions of dollars which was to be brought to the island of Ireland to be used in subverting the democratic process.

Chief Executive of Centre for Public Inquiry: Statement by Minister. (13 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: Members of the Opposition have a blind spot if they cannot see this affects the security of the State or represents a subversion of democracy.

Chief Executive of Centre for Public Inquiry: Statement by Minister. (13 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: Independent Newspapers made a verbal request to me approximately ten days before I decided to release the documentation to it. I released the information to the Sunday Independent because it was asserted on a radio programme that there was no substance to these allegations and I believed that the truth must come out. The people are entitled to the truth.

Chief Executive of Centre for Public Inquiry: Statement by Minister. (13 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: The repatriation of tens of millions of dollars to Ireland in exchange for providing expertise to FARC guerillas in Colombia with regard to techniques for causing explosions and killing hundreds of people is deeply subversive of our national interest. The repatriation of this money and its expenditure on the democratic process here is equally subversive of our democratic process.

Chief Executive of Centre for Public Inquiry: Statement by Minister. (13 Dec 2005)

Michael McDowell: If Opposition Deputies do not disagree with this——