Results 13,681-13,700 of 18,733 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Written Answers — Garda Remuneration: Garda Remuneration (13 Oct 2005)

Michael McDowell: The starting pay for a member of the Garda Síochána is €23,598 per annum rising to a maximum of €42,404 over 17 years on an incremental scale. The estimated total annual payroll costs including pay, allowances and employers' PRSI, but excluding overtime, for a member of the force in his-her first year following qualification from the Garda college is €39,767. It is difficult for me to...

Written Answers — Garda Training: Garda Training (13 Oct 2005)

Michael McDowell: I have been informed by the Garda authorities, who are responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, that the provision of training in suicide is delivered by the social and psychological studies section of the student-probationer training faculty at the Garda college. The training is provided on phase III of the student-probationer education-training and...

Written Answers — Gender Discrimination: Gender Discrimination (13 Oct 2005)

Michael McDowell: As the Deputy may be aware, the examination of Ireland's combined fourth and fifth reports on progress under the UN Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women, CEDAW, was held in New York in July 2005, following the submission of the reports in June 2003. The CEDAW committee issues concluding comments and recommendations for further action following the...

Written Answers — Asylum Support Services: Asylum Support Services (13 Oct 2005)

Michael McDowell: The reception and integration agency is responsible for the accommodation of asylum seekers through the policy of dispersal and direct provision. The agency seeks to meet its obligations regarding the accommodation of asylum seekers in a sensitive, balanced and proportionate way and maintains a spread of centres throughout the country. The agency monitors its accommodation on an ongoing...

Written Answers — Garda Investigations: Garda Investigations (13 Oct 2005)

Michael McDowell: The Garda investigation into the death of the person referred to has not been re-opened. However, the Garda authorities inform me that, following consideration of the matter, they have decided that they should conduct a review of the original investigation. This review is being carried out under the direction of a detective chief superintendent from the national bureau of criminal...

Written Answers — Criminal Prosecutions: Criminal Prosecutions (13 Oct 2005)

Michael McDowell: The role of the Garda is to investigate alleged offences, to gather whatever evidence may be available and to submit a report to the Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP. The question of whether a particular person should be prosecuted, and for what criminal offence, is the responsibility of the DPP. The DPP, who is independent in the performance of his functions, makes his decision on the...

Written Answers — Deportation Orders: Deportation Orders (13 Oct 2005)

Michael McDowell: The persons referred to by the Deputy made separate applications for refugee status in the State in November 1998 and February 2001 and their cases were considered separately. Both applications were rejected and following further consideration of their cases under section 3 (6) of the Immigration Act 1999, as amended, deportation orders issued. In the meantime they married each other on 30...

Written Answers — Garda Recruitment: Garda Recruitment (13 Oct 2005)

Michael McDowell: I recently made a number of changes to the rules governing entry to An Garda Síochána, including removing the requirement to hold a qualification in both Irish and English in the leaving certificate or equivalent, in favour of a requirement, instead, to hold a qualification in two languages, at least one of which must be Irish or English. Irish society is increasingly multi-ethnic and...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (13 Oct 2005)

Michael McDowell: The visa applications were received by my Department on 2 August 2005, and were for the purposes of allowing the children of two non-EEA nationals travel to the State to reside with them here. It appears that the father of the children was a work permit holder for a number of years. Subsequently, both he and his wife applied for residency in the State based solely on parentage of a child born...

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (13 Oct 2005)

Michael McDowell: The Deputy will be aware that the primary responsibility for funding agencies providing health and welfare services to the victims of domestic violence rests with the Department of Health and Children. My Department has provided funding to such non-governmental organisations at the level set out in the tabular statement below. This financial assistance has been provided in respect of such...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (13 Oct 2005)

Michael McDowell: The person in question must make a written application to the immigration division of my Department for permission to remain in the State providing details as to his circumstances, address and identity.

Written Answers — Crime Prevention: Crime Prevention (12 Oct 2005)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 357 to 360, inclusive, together. I propose to take these questions together as they all concern the illegal and harmful uses of the Internet. The Internet is an international and world-wide phenomenon with no borders and no single organisation controlling it. Measures to combat child pornography or other illegal materials and activities on the Internet are...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (12 Oct 2005)

Michael McDowell: The visa application in question was received on 11 August 2005 and refused by my Department. The visa application was refused for two reasons. First, the visa officer was not satisfied that a previous relationship history existed between the applicant and the reference in Ireland. Second, financial information was not provided, therefore the visa officer could not be satisfied that there...

Written Answers — Garda Investigations: Garda Investigations (12 Oct 2005)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 362 and 371 together. The report submitted to me by Mr. Shane Murphy SC followed his independent review and thorough examination of the Garda Síochána papers relating to the making by Mr. Dean Lyons of false inculpatory statements in the course of the Garda investigation into the murders of Mary Callinan and Sylvia Sheils on 6-7 March 1997. Consequently, it...

Written Answers — Road Traffic Offences: Road Traffic Offences (12 Oct 2005)

Michael McDowell: I regret that it has not been possible in the time available to compile the statistics requested by the Deputy. I will of course contact the Deputy again when the figures are to hand.

Written Answers — Garda Operations: Garda Operations (12 Oct 2005)

Michael McDowell: Negotiations with the preferred supplier for the outsourced fixed charge payment collection system are currently in the final stages and are expected to be finalised very shortly. This will clear the way for the existing fixed charge processing system to be rolled out nationwide and in the process made more Garda resources available for operational duties.

Written Answers — Garda Operations: Garda Operations (12 Oct 2005)

Michael McDowell: The original tender price for the development of the fixed charge processing system was just under €9 million. This was a fixed charge contract and was delivered within budget. The company has also been contracted to carry out additional works in the order of €4.5 million. These were agreed under the change control procedures provided for in the contract and their delivery was monitored...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (12 Oct 2005)

Michael McDowell: I refer the Deputy to my replies to Questions Nos. 424 of 19 April 2005, 199 of 21 April 2005 and 988 of 28 September 2005. In those replies I informed the Deputy that I had decided to refuse an application from the person concerned. I set out the basis for my decision and I also informed the Deputy that a new application from the person concerned had been received in the citizenship section...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (12 Oct 2005)

Michael McDowell: I have been informed by officials in the citizenship section of my Department that there is no record of a declaration of post-nuptial citizenship having been lodged by the person concerned. In fact, since he only married on 24 July 2003, he is not eligible to make such a declaration at this time and will not be eligible to make such a declaration prior to the ending of the scheme of...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (12 Oct 2005)

Michael McDowell: Under the Government's decentralisation programme, 114 posts from Garda headquarters are scheduled to relocate to Thurles. The decentralisation implementation group reported to the Minister for Finance on 30 June 2005 and gave early 2008 as the indicative date for completion of the building to house all the civil servants who are moving to Thurles. As an advance move, the Garda Central...