Results 13,021-13,040 of 18,733 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Written Answers — European Arrest Warrant: European Arrest Warrant (16 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: As Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, acting as the central authority for the European arrest warrant, I have only a limited function in relation to outgoing European arrest warrants which is to ensure their safe transmission to the receiving state and in some cases the transmission of additional information. In this particular case the UK authorities had requested the central...

Written Answers — Firearms Offences: Firearms Offences (16 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: I have received a number of communications by and behalf of the person in question. I am currently considering my response to these communications and a reply will issue in due course.

Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (16 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: I have been informed by the Garda authorities, who are responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, that the personnel strength of each Garda district in Cork city and county as at 15 November 2005 was as set out in the table. Corresponding population figures sourced from the CSO 2002 census of population are also included. District Strength Population ...

Written Answers — Probation and Welfare Service: Probation and Welfare Service (16 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 1041 of 28 September 2005. Both the Nenagh community reparation project and the restorative justice services, Tallaght, formerly known as the victim-offender mediation project, have been evaluated and the reports on the evaluations are available, on request, from the respective projects or from the probation and welfare service, Smithfield...

Written Answers — Probation and Welfare Service: Probation and Welfare Service (16 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 372 and 373 together. The funding provided to the prison and probation and welfare services is as set out in Vote 21 of the annual report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts, Volume 2, for each year up to and including 2003. Details for 2004 are set out in the Comptroller and Auditor General's audited appropriation accounts for...

Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (16 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: I have sought the information requested by the Deputy from the Garda authorities and I will be in contact with the Deputy as soon as it becomes available.

Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (16 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: The Deputy will appreciate that the Children Act 2001 is complex and comprehensive legislation and, for those reasons, provisions under the Act are being implemented on a phased basis, as was envisaged at the time of enactment. Responsibility for implementing the Children Act 2001 lies with three Departments: the Departments of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and Education and Science mainly...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (15 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: The directive in question, Council Directive 2003/8/EC of 27 January 2003 to improve access to justice in cross-border disputes by establishing minimum common rules relating to legal aid for such disputes, has been implemented in Ireland via administrative incorporation of the required arrangements into the existing civil legal aid scheme provided by the Legal Aid Board. The Commission has...

Written Answers — Coroners Service: Coroners Service (15 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 474, 475, 503 and 529 together. The report of the working group on the review of the coroners service published in December 2000 recommended a comprehensive overhaul and modernisation of the coroners service in Ireland, with regard to the legislation governing the work of coroners, the support services available to coroners and the structural organisation of...

Written Answers — EU Negotiations: EU Negotiations (15 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: There are two matters in particular where legal issues have arisen. These relate to proposals concerning procedural rights in criminal matters and the retention of communications data. I have made Ireland's concerns on these matters known to the Council. Ireland's position is guided by the advice of the Attorney General.

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (15 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 477 and 478 together. Exemptions specific to Ireland have not been, and are not being, sought from EU directives or regulations within my area of responsibility.

Written Answers — Refugee Status: Refugee Status (15 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: I refer the Deputy to the reply I gave to Parliamentary Question No. 61 on Thursday 20 October 2005. A total of 413 unaccompanied minors who have now reached the age of 18 years have been refused refugee status. These persons received notifications under section 3(3)(a) of the Immigration Act 1999, as amended, informing them of the decision to refuse them refugee status and setting out the...

Written Answers — Garda Equipment: Garda Equipment (15 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: The question of whether a person will be permitted to enter the United States of America is a matter completely within the discretion of the US immigration authorities. Regarding the question of the re-designation of information relating to the person concerned on the Garda computer system, I understand that the Commissioner wrote to him on 19 November 2004 confirming that data on him were...

Written Answers — Sentencing Policy: Sentencing Policy (15 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: The person referred to by the Deputy was sentenced to six years' imprisonment, with the final year suspended, on 15 January 2004. With standard remission she is due to complete her sentence on 15 October 2007. In common with other persons serving prison sentences, contact occurred between prison service headquarters and gardaí on a number of occasions and at appropriate times since her...

Written Answers — Sentencing Policy: Sentencing Policy (15 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: I have made inquiries with the Garda authorities on the information sought by the Deputy. The following table shows the number of allegations of rape of a female and rape section 4 of the Criminal Law (Rape) (Amendment) Act 1990 reported to the Garda Síochána for the years 2000 to 2004 and up to 31 October 2005 and the percentage of such cases prosecuted. The figures provided for 2004 and...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (15 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: The information requested by the Deputy follows under a number of broad headings. My Department, through the probation and welfare service, currently provides funding to 69 voluntary bodies which provide a range of services to offenders in local communities. These services include pre-industrial training and education, offender management programmes, residential accommodation, drug and...

Written Answers — Tribunals of Inquiry: Tribunals of Inquiry (15 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: I am on record as having commended Mr. Justice Frederick Morris on the excellent work of the Morris Tribunal thus far and I have no reason to dispute any of the findings arising therefrom. However, notwithstanding the eminence of the tribunal's sole member and the quality of the work done to date the tribunal is not a court of law — either civil or criminal. Consequently, neither its...

Written Answers — Residency Permits: Residency Permits (15 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: The person concerned was granted permission to remain in the State for a two year period from 14 October 2005 under the revised arrangements announced by me on 15 January 2005 for the non-national parents of Irish born children born before 1 January 2005. Some 18,000 applications to remain in Ireland under the revised arrangements were received by the closing date of 31 March 2005. Some...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (15 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: As I stated in my response to Parliamentary Question No. 268 on 27 October 2005, the refugee in question made an application in respect of his daughter in July 2005. The application was then forwarded to the Refugee Applications Commissioner for investigation as required under section 18 of the Refugee Act 1996. When this investigation is completed the commissioner will prepare and forward a...

Written Answers — Road Safety: Road Safety (15 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Garda authorities that the numbers of proceedings forno insurance commenced for the years 2000-2004 are shown in the following table: Year 2000 19,353 2001 18,820 2002 36,383 2003 30,430 2004* *28,754 *The figure for 2004 is operational, provisional and liable to change. The application of penalty points is a matter for the Department of Transport. I...