Results 13,901-13,920 of 18,734 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (28 Sep 2005)

Michael McDowell: The visa application in question was received in my Department on 2 September 2005. Applications are dealt with strictly in the order of date received. As we have an obligation to provide the best possible service to all our customers and to deal objectively with all applications received in a fair and transparent manner, applications are not, as a rule, given priority over earlier...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (28 Sep 2005)

Michael McDowell: As the Deputy may be aware, the equal opportunities child care programme 2000 to 2006 provides staffing grant assistance towards the staffing costs of community-based or not-for-profit child care services which have a clear focus on disadvantage. To date, I have approved over €447 million in capital, staffing and quality improvement grants. Of that, a total of almost €160 million has been...

Written Answers — Crime Prevention: Crime Prevention (28 Sep 2005)

Michael McDowell: I have been informed by the Garda authorities that local Garda management are aware of the problems at the school mentioned and are in regular contact with school management to address the problems. The incidents of criminal damage are attributable to youths frequenting several vacant and derelict buildings which back onto the school. Intensive Garda patrols have been set up to combat...

Written Answers — Garda Operations: Garda Operations (28 Sep 2005)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Garda authorities that the area referred to is policed by gardaí from Pearse Street Garda station. The policing consists of patrols by uniformed gardaí, the detective unit, the divisional crime task force, the crime prevention unit, the mountain bike unit, the community policing unit and the district drugs unit. The Garda is aware of complaints regarding drug and...

Written Answers — Garda Operations: Garda Operations (28 Sep 2005)

Michael McDowell: I have been informed by the Garda authorities that several burglaries and robberies from the person have occurred in recent months in the area referred to by the Deputy. Those incidents are under investigation by gardaí from Pearse Street station. The area is frequently patrolled by uniformed gardaí, the detective unit, the divisional crime task force, the crime prevention unit, the...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (28 Sep 2005)

Michael McDowell: The Deputy is aware that I wrote to the person concerned in January and April 2004 setting out the position regarding how she might set about acquiring Irish citizenship. While the preferred option is post-nuptial citizenship, the medical condition of her Irish husband appears to rule out the possibility of proceeding in this way. It appears that the only other option is naturalisation, and I...

Written Answers — Prison Staff: Prison Staff (28 Sep 2005)

Michael McDowell: The position regarding the payment of travel and subsistence to the staff concerned was set out in my replies to Questions Nos. 198 and 199 on 16 June 2004 and Question No. 615 on 28 June 2005. I indicated that the payment of travel and subsistence is governed by the provisions of the Department of the public service circular 11/82. It is a matter for each Department to determine whether it...

Written Answers — Legislative Programme: Legislative Programme (28 Sep 2005)

Michael McDowell: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following tabular statement.

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (28 Sep 2005)

Michael McDowell: The person in question entered the State in April 1999 and applied for naturalisation in December 2002. Since she had only been resident in the State for just over two and a half years at that stage, her application was deemed ineligible. The person in question applied again for naturalisation on 21 July 2005, at which stage she had the necessary reckonable residence of five years. The...

Written Answers — Landing Rights: Landing Rights (28 Sep 2005)

Michael McDowell: Permission for foreign military aircraft to land in the State is granted by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, pursuant to the Air Navigation (Foreign Military Aircraft) Order 1952. Permission is normally granted based on several policy stipulations, included among which are requirements relating to cargo contents. Chartered civilian aircraft are also sometimes used to transport military cargo...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (28 Sep 2005)

Michael McDowell: An application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to by the Deputy was received in the citizenship section of my Department on 24 February 2003. The Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, provides that the Minister may, at his absolute discretion, grant an application for a certificate of naturalisation provided certain statutory conditions are...

Written Answers — Sale of Fireworks: Sale of Fireworks (28 Sep 2005)

Michael McDowell: The Explosives Act 1875 provides for the control of the importation, manufacture, storage and sale of fireworks. As the Deputy will be aware, last February I published a fireworks policy consultation document and initiated a process of consultation with a view to bringing forward proposals for amending and strengthening the provisions in the 1875 Act. My Department has received a wide range...

Written Answers — Garda Stations: Garda Stations (28 Sep 2005)

Michael McDowell: I am aware of the Garda accommodation difficulties existing in Dunmanway. There are plans to refurbish and extend the Garda station there, and to that end the Office of Public Works is endeavouring to acquire a small piece of land to the rear of the station to allow access to the site and commencement of the project. Until that has been done, the Deputy will appreciate that it is not possible...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (28 Sep 2005)

Michael McDowell: I have informed this House on several occasions in the recent past in response to parliamentary questions that I have adopted a general policy that applicants for naturalisation, other than refugees, programme refugees or stateless persons, should have been supporting themselves and their families without recourse to State support for a three-year period prior to applying for naturalisation...

Written Answers — Residency Permits: Residency Permits (28 Sep 2005)

Michael McDowell: The person concerned arrived in the State on 11 September 2003 and applied for asylum. His application was refused following consideration of his case by the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner and, on appeal, by the Refugee Appeals Tribunal. Subsequently, in accordance with section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999, as amended, he was informed by letter, dated 11 May 2005, that the...

Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (28 Sep 2005)

Michael McDowell: Owing to the unprecedented growth in the number of foreign nationals arriving in Ireland, the Garda authorities have reviewed the human resource allocation at Dublin Airport in particular on several occasions since 2000. It should be noted that in 2000 the total number of gardaí of all ranks attached to the immigration unit at Dublin Airport was 53. At present there are in total 80 gardaí...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (28 Sep 2005)

Michael McDowell: As previously stated in my reply of 26 January 2005, an application for permission to remain in the State based on marriage to an Irish national was received from the person concerned in December 2004. Applications of that type are dealt with in chronological order and currently take approximately 16 months to process.

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (28 Sep 2005)

Michael McDowell: Under the Government's decentralisation programme, 230 posts in the Land Registry are scheduled to relocate to Roscommon town. The decentralisation implementation group reported to the Minister for Finance on 30 June 2005 giving timescales for all decentralising organisations. In that report, the indicative date for completion of construction of a building for the Land Registry in Roscommon...

Written Answers — Liquor Licensing Laws: Liquor Licensing Laws (28 Sep 2005)

Michael McDowell: Earlier this year, I published proposals for an intoxicating liquor Bill which will streamline and modernise the liquor licensing laws. The Bill will repeal the Licensing Acts 1833 to 2004, as well as the Registration of Clubs Acts 1904 to 2004, and replace them with updated provisions more suited to modern conditions. When publishing the proposals, I invited organisations and individuals...

Written Answers — Criminal Prosecutions: Criminal Prosecutions (28 Sep 2005)

Michael McDowell: I am considering my response to the correspondence in question, which will issue as soon as possible.