Results 17,501-17,520 of 18,736 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (5 Oct 2004)

Michael McDowell: I understand that a capital grant application for over €918,000 was submitted by the group to my Department some time ago. The equal opportunities child care programme 2000-06 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 progress of the programme was commented upon very...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (5 Oct 2004)

Michael McDowell: I understand that a capital grant application for over €655,000 was submitted by the group to my Department some time ago. The equal opportunities child care programme 2000-06 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 progress of the programme was commented upon very...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (5 Oct 2004)

Michael McDowell: I understand that a capital grant application for over €655,000 was submitted by the group to my Department some time ago. The equal opportunities child care programme 2000-06 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 progress of the programme was commented upon very...

Written Answers — Registration of Title: Registration of Title (5 Oct 2004)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Registrar of Titles that the details supplied by the Deputy refer to four applications for first registration which were lodged on 8 May 2003 — dealingNos. D2003CK009404Q, D2003CK009406T, D2003CK009411P and D2003CK009416V refer. I am further informed that the applications are receiving attention in the Land Registry and, subject to no queries arising, should be...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (5 Oct 2004)

Michael McDowell: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 1102 and 1103 of 29 September 2004.

Written Answers — Prison Visiting Committees: Prison Visiting Committees (5 Oct 2004)

Michael McDowell: Members of prison visiting committees are appointed by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform under section 2 of the Prisons (Visiting Committees) Act 1925 for a period not exceeding three years. At the end of their term of appointment, their membership of the committee automatically lapses but they may be either re-appointed for a further term or replaced by new members. The...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (5 Oct 2004)

Michael McDowell: Applications for naturalisation were received from the person in question and six members of his family on 18 October 1999. I approved one of the applications and refused the remaining six. The persons whose applications were refused lodged a request under the Freedom of Information Act on 23 January 2003 for copies of their case files and the reasons for the refusal of their applications. It...

Written Answers — National Disability Strategy: National Disability Strategy (5 Oct 2004)

Michael McDowell: The national disability strategy was launched by the Taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern, on 21 September 2004. The launch involved seven Ministers with direct responsibility for the various elements of the strategy. The strategy has been advanced by a cross-departmental group of senior officials reporting to the Cabinet committee and comprises four elements: the Disability Bill 2004, which is the...

Seanad: Barron Report: Statements. (7 Jul 2004)

Michael McDowell: I express the Taoiseach's regret that he is not able to be here today for these statements. He initiated this process following his meeting with the Justice for the Forgotten group on 22 April 1999 and he remains deeply committed to the victims and their families and the search for the truth surrounding these terrible atrocities. As Attorney General at the time, I was centrally involved in...

Seanad: Transfer of Execution of Sentences Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages (Resumed). (23 Jun 2004)

Michael McDowell: I apologise to the House. I had intended to deal with that amendment when it was grouped earlier but I forgot to do so. While I recognise the intended purpose of the amendment, I think the amendment I have introduced to section 9, providing for account to be taken of the deductible period, already addresses the substance of this amendment. The implications of the amendment may not be fully...

Seanad: Transfer of Execution of Sentences Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages (Resumed). (23 Jun 2004)

Michael McDowell: Obviously, I have no notice of that issue, although, apparently, the Senator has raised it on other occasions in the House. Any person who is on the soil of Ireland is entitled to the protection of our Constitution. No person can be brought through the soil of Ireland in the custody of any other state except in accordance with international law. If the Senator has reason to believe any person...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Joint Investigation Teams) Bill 2003 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages. (23 Jun 2004)

Michael McDowell: I am grateful to the Acting Chairman for circulating the amendment made by Dáil Éireann in this matter. I come before the House today to seek approval of a Government amendment to section 5(4) of the Criminal Justice (Joint Investigation Teams) Bill, which was approved on Committee Stage in the Dáil. I will outline to the House the terms of the amendment. Section 5(4) as initiated provided...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Joint Investigation Teams) Bill 2003 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages. (23 Jun 2004)

Michael McDowell: I thank Senators for their positive attitude towards the amendment. As regards Senator Jim Walsh's comments, I have no objection in principle to harmonisation where it is necessary but I have a slight fear, which I have always expressed, regarding involuntary harmonisation where others consider it necessary and we have good reason to oppose it. That is why I was pleased that under the IGC...

Seanad: Transfer of Execution of Sentences Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (23 Jun 2004)

Michael McDowell: I am grateful to the Senator for tabling the amendments but I oppose them. They propose that the full text of the additional protocol and the Schengen Convention should be added as Schedules to the Bill. I do not propose to accept them because the additional protocol does not give effect to the full protocol. While the protocol contains nine articles, only two contain substantive provisions...

Seanad: Transfer of Execution of Sentences Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (23 Jun 2004)

Michael McDowell: The documents are original and have been signed and dated. They are not regularly updated, except by other instruments. Senator Tuffy asked about the policy on annexing or scheduling texts. It is desirable to do so in principle if the terms of a convention are being incorporated into Irish law. In circumstances where somebody is interpreting the Irish provision, he or she should be in a...

Seanad: Transfer of Execution of Sentences Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (23 Jun 2004)

Michael McDowell: I am grateful to the Senator for tabling the amendments, but having considered them, they are not necessary. Section 5(1) already deals in very clear terms with this matter, making it clear who the relevant authority in the sentencing state is, therefore there seems to be no advantage in attempting a definition of relevant authority in the interpretation section. The existing wording in...

Seanad: Transfer of Execution of Sentences Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (23 Jun 2004)

Michael McDowell: I fully accept that every Bill should at some stage state its purpose, but there has been a long tradition that the Long Title of a Bill is the place in which to set that out. The particular example cited by the Senator may be one where it would be desirable to have a more ample statement of the purpose of the Bill in the Long Title or to have a separate purposes section somewhere in the...

Seanad: Transfer of Execution of Sentences Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (23 Jun 2004)

Michael McDowell: Again, I am grateful to Senator Terry but I am advised that there does not seem to be a need for this amendment, as the existing wording in sections 5(1) and 6(1) makes it very clear which sentences are being referred to in each case, the Irish sentence or the foreign sentence. The present formulation is satisfactory. It has been suggested to me that the amendment could introduce a level of...

Seanad: Transfer of Execution of Sentences Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (23 Jun 2004)

Michael McDowell: Section 2 of the Bill provides that it applies in regard to sentences imposed before or after the passing of the Act. The idea that the High Court could disapply it where it would be unjust to apply it raises a series of questions as to by reference to what does the term "unjust" mean. If it were by reference to some constitutional principle, under the canon of construction, there is a...

Seanad: Transfer of Execution of Sentences Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (23 Jun 2004)

Michael McDowell: I am grateful to the Senator for tabling the amendments. However, I believe they contravene the terms of the parent convention. The six month threshold is set out in Article 3.1.c of the 1993 Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons, which is the parent convention. The additional protocol and the Schengen provisions are to be read in conjunction with the convention, so the six-month...