Results 14,241-14,260 of 18,734 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Written Answers — Garda Complaints Procedures: Garda Complaints Procedures (28 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: I am acquainted with the incident and the allegations referred to and have sought a report from the Garda Síochána as I indicated I would to the person referred to in the Deputy's question. However, as I outlined to the House on 22 February 2005, I understand from the Garda authorities that an investigation file in this case has been forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions. The...

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

Michael McDowell: The person concerned is the subject of a deportation order made on 20 January 2003. He has instituted judicial review proceedings challenging that order. The issue raised, i.e., the subsequent marriage to an Irish national of a person who is the subject of a deportation order, has already been raised in a precedent judicial review case which is likely to be heard by the Supreme Court in the...

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

Michael McDowell: The application in question was for the stated purpose of allowing a non-EEA national travel to the State to assist a family member, resident here on the basis of parentage of an Irish-born child and due to undergo a medical procedure, to care for her children. I understand this application was received on 5 April 2005. Following assessment of the application it was determined that additional...

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

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 578, 581 and 593 together. Dublin City Childcare Committee is one of the 33 city-county child care committees, CCCs, established as part of the quality sub-measure of the equal opportunities child care programme in order to promote better co-ordination and enhanced quality for the child care sector. As with all the CCCs, Dublin City Childcare Committee was...

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

Michael McDowell: On 22 June 2005, I approved capital grant assistance of €1.5 million under the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme, EOCP, 2000 — 2006, in respect of an application from the group in question. This approval is subject to the group's satisfactory compliance with a number of conditions in relation to the development and completion of the project. I understand the group has been advised...

Written Answers — Garda Equipment: Garda Equipment (28 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: The Garda mountain bike unit was introduced on a pilot basis, on 5 June 2001, in the Tallaght and Raheny Garda districts of the Dublin metropolitan region, DMR. In February 2002 a review conducted by the Garda authorities found that the deployment of Garda personnel on mountain bikes has proven to be successful in tackling and responding to certain types of offences. Since that time the Garda...

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (28 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: In relation to crime figures the Deputy will be aware that on becoming Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, I arranged for the publication of headline crime statistics on a quarterly basis in order to improve the quality of information available to the public. While caution should be exercised in interpreting levels of crime between quarters, I am pleased to note that during my term...

Written Answers — Prison Committals: Prison Committals (28 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: There was an average number of 3,176 persons held in custody within the prison estate in 2003. The corresponding figure for 2004 was 3,199.

Written Answers — Irish Prison Service: Irish Prison Service (28 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: The cost per place of running prisons for the year 2003 are as follows: Prisons and Places of Detention Cost per Prison Place Arbour Hill 72,800 Castlerea 72,100 Cork 71,500 Cloverhill 68,700 Curragh 67,200 Fort Mitchel 88,500 Limerick 88,500 Loughan House 56,200 Midlands 70,500 Mountjoy (including Dóchas Centre) 98,400 Portlaoise 146,200 ...

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

Michael McDowell: The application referred to by the Deputy was for the purposes of allowing a non-EEA national join his spouse, who is an Irish citizen, in the State. This application has only recently, on 20 June 2005, been received by my Department's visa section and is pending assessment. Applications are currently taking, on average, four to six weeks to process.

Written Answers — Prisoner Statistics: Prisoner Statistics (28 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table. Isolation Cell Usage — Breakdown by Prison. The following figures relate to the number of instances where it has been necessary to transfer a prisoner to an isolation cell. If the same prisoner has had to be transferred to an isolation cell more than once in a given year, each incident is recorded separately. Year...

Written Answers — Naturalisation Applications: Naturalisation Applications (28 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: An application for a certificate of naturalisation by the person referred to by the Deputy was received in the citizenship section of my Department in January 2003. Section 15 of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, provides that an applicant for naturalisation must have a period of one year's continuous residence in the State before the date of the application and a...

Written Answers — Sexual Offences: Sexual Offences (28 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Garda authorities that 799 persons were subject to the notification requirements of Part 2 of the Sex Offenders Act 2001, as at 23 June 2005.

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

Michael McDowell: Mexican nationals are not subject to a visa requirement for the purposes of travel to this jurisdiction. However such persons require permission to remain from an immigration officer at a port or airport. Such permission is normally forthcoming in the case of a Mexican national who wishes to make a short term visit to the State provided the person has the resources to maintain him/herself...

Written Answers — Victims Commission: Victims Commission (28 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: Earlier this year, the Commission for the Location of Victim's Remains submitted its third report to both Governments. In response, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Right Honourable Peter Hain, MP and I wrote a joint letter to the commission proposing the appointment of a forensic sciences consultant to conduct a review of the searches to date and an evaluation if more could...

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

Michael McDowell: I have received representations from the person in question and that, in response, I have caused inquiries to be made of, inter alia, the Garda authorities. I have undertaken to communicate further with the person in question in due course. As part of the ongoing Garda investigation, inquiries into all aspects of the murder are being continued. On the wider community, I understand the level...

Written Answers — Garda Investigations: Garda Investigations (28 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: I understand from the Garda authorities that a full investigation was carried out in this case and a file submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions for directions which are awaited.

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

Michael McDowell: The Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000 — 2006, EOCP, was established as an element of the National Development Plan 2000-2006 to increase the supply of child care places through capital grant assistance to create new and quality enhanced childcare places, to support the child care needs of parents in employment, education and training through the provision of capital grant...

Written Answers — Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Rights of Persons with Disabilities (28 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: As the Deputy is aware, the General Assembly of the United Nations established an ad hoc committee, AHC, to consider proposals for a UN Convention to promote and protect the dignity and rights of persons with disabilities. At the second meeting of this committee in June 2003, it was decided to set up a working group to prepare a draft convention for consideration by the AHC. The working group...

Written Answers — Garda Disciplinary Proceedings: Garda Disciplinary Proceedings (28 Jun 2005)

Michael McDowell: The question of internal Garda disciplinary proceedings is a matter for the Garda Commissioner in accordance with Garda Síochána (Discipline) Regulations 1989. As to the specific case to which the Deputy refers, the Garda Commissioner has not been in a position to provide me with a report in the time available. I will write to the Deputy following receipt of the Commissioner's report in the...