Results 12,461-12,480 of 18,761 for speaker:Michael McDowell

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——

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

Michael McDowell: I am fascinated by people who are willing to stand up in this House and pretend that no wrongdoing took place in Colombia and that these men were bird watchers, tourists or people studying the peace process.

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

Michael McDowell: We should face up to reality.

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

Michael McDowell: Deputy Stagg should stop shouting. If we ever had a Minister for Justice——

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

Michael McDowell: If we ever had a Minister for Justice who was willing to believe these men visited Colombia for bird watching, studying the peace process or as tourists, we would be in a sorry state.

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

Michael McDowell: I am proud to say to this House that every single step I have taken in this matter has been to ensure that the Irish people know——

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

Michael McDowell: If the Opposition does not want to listen to me, I will sit down.

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

Michael McDowell: Deputy Ó Caoláin should allow me to answer the question instead of shouting me down.

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

Michael McDowell: In order to brief Mr. Chuck Feeney on the real threat to Irish democracy posed by allowing the Centre for Public Inquiry to be manned by a person who had engaged in that process, I got a briefing from the Garda Síochána and I had the document in question given to me in that context.