Results 16,301-16,320 of 18,761 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (3 Mar 2005)

Michael McDowell: Persons seek and are granted refugee status in the State based on a wide variety of reasons, some of them multiple, in accordance with provisions of the Refugee Act 1996 and the 1951 UN Refugee Convention. A detailed breakdown of these reasons is not maintained by the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner or by the Office of the Refugee Appeals Tribunal. Consequently, statistics are...

Written Answers — Foreign Passports: Foreign Passports (3 Mar 2005)

Michael McDowell: On 15 January 2005, I introduced revised arrangements for the making of applications by non-nationals for permission to remain on the basis of their parentage of a child born in Ireland prior to 1 January 2005. All applicants are required to provide adequate proof of their identity by way of a passport or national identity card. Establishing the true identity of an applicant under the revised...

Written Answers — Death Certificates: Death Certificates (3 Mar 2005)

Michael McDowell: The issue of certification of death is not generally the responsibility of my Department. However, I can say that in so far as the coroner's service is concerned, all aspects of its operation are being considered for updating in the context of the preparation in my Department of proposals for a new Coroner's Bill, in line with the commitment in the Government legislation programme as...

Written Answers — Garda Operations: Garda Operations (3 Mar 2005)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Garda authorities that they are aware of the reports regarding anti-social behaviour in the location concerned and I understand that a policing plan has been devised to combat it. I am advised that a Garda inspector has been in direct contact with the residents referred to, concerning policing of the area, and regular contact will be maintained with them. I am further...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (3 Mar 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 12 May 2004. The average processing time for such applications is currently 24 months. It is likely, therefore, that the application of the individual concerned will be finalised by May 2006. The lengthy processing time for applications is...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (3 Mar 2005)

Michael McDowell: The applications referred to by the Deputy were for the purposes of allowing the spouses of non-EEA nationals employed under the employment permit scheme to reside with them in the State. These applications were refused by my Department in May 2004 on the grounds that, based on the evidence supplied, the persons resident in the State did not have sufficient finances available to them to...

Written Answers — Garda Stations: Garda Stations (3 Mar 2005)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Garda authorities that there are currently no plans to extend the number of Garda stations open to the public on a 24 hour basis. The Garda authorities have also informed me that the extension of the current opening hours of the Garda stations in the north Kildare area would necessitate the employment of Garda personnel on indoor administrative duties and that, in their...

Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (3 Mar 2005)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Garda authorities, who are responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, that the number of Garda personnel allocated to each Garda station in County Meath at 31 January 1997 and 31 January 2005, and the total number of gardaí in the county on each of these dates, were as set out in the table. Station 1997 2005 Laytown 6 8 ...

Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (3 Mar 2005)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Garda authorities, who are responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, that the number of Garda personnel allocated to each Garda station in County Kildare at 31 January 1997 and 31 January 2005, and the total number of gardaí in the county on each of these dates, were as set out in the following table. Garda Stations 1997 2005 Naas...

Written Answers — Departmental Programmes: Departmental Programmes (3 Mar 2005)

Michael McDowell: The Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme, EOCP, 2000-2006 is a seven year development programme which aims to increase the availability and quality of child care to support parents in employment, education and training. The level of demand for capital grant assistance was such that I considered it important to increase the capital provision for the present programme. Following discussions...

Written Answers — Prisoner Transfers: Prisoner Transfers (3 Mar 2005)

Michael McDowell: Solicitors acting on behalf of the person in question made an application for a transfer to Dublin on his behalf on 4 February 2005. Having regard to his particular circumstances with regard to access to translation services, the reception and integration agency has arranged accommodation for him in Dublin from 1 March 2005.

Written Answers — Prison Accommodation: Prison Accommodation (3 Mar 2005)

Michael McDowell: The Prison Service has in place arrangements to ensure that the property is maintained in a secure and safe manner. I am not for obvious reasons going to go into detail about the specific measures but I can confirm that the buildings have not been damaged or vandalised since the closure. A total of €129,798.52 has been expended to date on security related measures and in addition to this,...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (3 Mar 2005)

Michael McDowell: As the Deputy may be aware the equal opportunities childcare programme, EOCP, provides grant assistance towards the staffing costs of community-based not-for-profit child care services which have a clear focus on disadvantage. Funding under the staffing measure of the EOCP is only made available to help support the staffing costs of those projects which can demonstrate that they are providing...

Written Answers — Irish Prison Service: Irish Prison Service (3 Mar 2005)

Michael McDowell: The Irish Prison Service employs a number of means to encourage prisoners to bring about positive development within themselves, including: programmes in the areas of education, vocational and pre-vocational training and lifeskills, specific programmes and individual counselling to address criminogenic factors, for example, anger management and sex offenders programmes, individual and group...

Written Answers — Prison Staff: Prison Staff (3 Mar 2005)

Michael McDowell: At this stage no final decision has been made as to the exact number or category of prisoners to be accommodated on the new site. Therefore, it is not possible to give precise staff numbers for the new prison complex planned for north County Dublin at this point in time.

Written Answers — Prison Committals: Prison Committals (3 Mar 2005)

Michael McDowell: At present, Mountjoy Prison operates as the largest committal prison for sentenced prisoners in the State. In this regard it caters for persons serving sentences ranging from a few days right through the spectrum to include those sentenced to life imprisonment. It is anticipated that the new complex will also cater for a wide range of offenders. However, no final decision has yet been made as...

Written Answers — Prison Accommodation: Prison Accommodation (3 Mar 2005)

Michael McDowell: As of 1 March 2005 the maximum available bed capacity of the prison system was 3,357. There were 3,257 persons in custody on that date. That does not however imply the existence of 100 readily available spaces. Two thirds of the available spaces were in Portlaoise Prison which mainly houses subversive and other high security prisoners and is not suitable for the general population. Cloverhill...

Written Answers — Prisons Building Programme: Prisons Building Programme (3 Mar 2005)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 176 and 178 together. A decision has been taken in principle to dispose of the current Mountjoy complex including the training unit and St. Patrick's Institution. A final decision has not yet been made regarding the facilities that will be provided for prisoners at the new site.

Written Answers — Prison Accommodation: Prison Accommodation (3 Mar 2005)

Michael McDowell: At this stage no final decision has been made as to the precise number of prisoners to be accommodated on the new site. The existing Mountjoy complex has a total capacity of over 900 prisoners and the new facility will cater for more than that number.

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (3 Mar 2005)

Michael McDowell: A declaration of acceptance of Irish citizenship as post-nuptial citizenship was received in the citizenship section of my Department on 10 October 2003 from the person referred to in the Deputy's question. Officials in the citizenship section wrote to the representatives of the person concerned by registered post on 10 January 2005 informing them that it was their view that the person...