Results 17,681-17,700 of 18,736 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Written Answers — Legal Costs: Legal Costs (1 Jun 2004)

Michael McDowell: I recently announced my intention to establish a group to examine the issue of the taxation of legal costs. The terms of reference and composition of the group are currently being considered. I hope to be in a position to announce the details shortly.

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (1 Jun 2004)

Michael McDowell: The position in relation to the matters raised by the Deputy was set out in my reply to Question No. 29 of 5 May, 2004. Since then, the central application facility, CAF, has been launched by the Civil Service Commission and civil servants have been invited to indicate their preferred decentralisation locations by 12 July 2004. When information is to hand on the initial CAF interest in...

Written Answers — Legal Aid Service: Legal Aid Service (1 Jun 2004)

Michael McDowell: As the Deputy is aware, the Legal Aid Board is examining the possible benefits of relocating some or all of its suburban law centres in Dublin to locations in the city centre, to bring them closer to the courts. In accordance with good public service management practice, the Legal Aid Board keeps the operation of its law centre network under constant review. About 90% of the board's caseload...

Written Answers — Equality Issues: Equality Issues (1 Jun 2004)

Michael McDowell: I was pleased to launch the annual report of the Equality Authority for 2003 on 19 May 2004 and to congratulate the authority on its continued work in successfully promoting equality of opportunity and the elimination of discrimination across the nine discriminatory grounds covered by the Employment Equality Act 1998 and the Equal Status Act 2000. As I stated on that occasion, the 2003 report...

Written Answers — Family Support Services: Family Support Services (1 Jun 2004)

Michael McDowell: Support towards staffing costs under the equal opportunities childcare programme 2000 — 2006 is only made available to community based projects which can demonstrate that they are providing child care in areas of significant disadvantage and are supporting parents who are availing of employment, education or training opportunities. In July 2001, the group in question received a staffing...

Written Answers — Garda Stations: Garda Stations (1 Jun 2004)

Michael McDowell: I understand that the Deputy has been informed by the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Parlon, in a recent reply to Question No. 128 of 25 May 2004 that, for operational reasons , the completion of works to Burnfoot Garda station must precede works to the station mentioned by the Deputy. This is because it is necessary to have one of these stations operating with cell...

Written Answers — Garda Recruitment: Garda Recruitment (1 Jun 2004)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Garda authorities who are responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, that the personnel strength of the Garda Síochána, all ranks, as at 28 May 2004 was 11,964. In April 2000, the Government agreed, inter alia, to a system of delegated authority under which recruitment is carried out to maintain the strength of the force at an agreed...

Written Answers — Proscribed Organisations: Proscribed Organisations (1 Jun 2004)

Michael McDowell: Section 18 of the Offences against the State Act 1939 provides, inter alia, that any organisation which raises or maintains or attempts to raise or maintain a military or armed force in contravention of the Constitution shall be an unlawful organisation. Section 19 of the 1939 Act provides that it shall be lawful for the Government by order to declare that such an organisation is an unlawful...

Written Answers — Prisoner Transfers: Prisoner Transfers (1 Jun 2004)

Michael McDowell: The Transfer of Sentenced Persons Acts 1995 and 1997 provide a mechanism whereby Irish persons who are imprisoned overseas may apply to serve the remainder of their sentences in Ireland under the terms of the 1983 Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons. The purpose of the convention is to facilitate the transfer of foreign prisoners to their home countries by...

Written Answers — Registration of Title: Registration of Title (1 Jun 2004)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Registrar of Titles that this is an application for conversion of title which was lodged on 19 May 2004. Dealing No. D2004CR004960R refers. I understand that due to their complicated nature, applications for conversion of title can take some time to process. Accordingly, it is not possible to estimate a completion date at this stage. However, I assure the Deputy that the...

Written Answers — Legal Aid Services: Legal Aid Services (1 Jun 2004)

Michael McDowell: The Legal Aid Board does not process information relating to the length of waiting lists for free legal aid. However, it does record the length of time the person longest on the waiting list has waited. The following table shows the length of time the person longest on the waiting list has waited as of April 2004 by law centre. The board operates a procedure whereby priority is accorded for...

Written Answers — Legal Aid Services: Legal Aid Services (1 Jun 2004)

Michael McDowell: The Legal Aid Board does not process information relating to an average waiting time for people seeking its services. However, it does record the length of time the person longest on the waiting list has waited. In this regard, the longest a person has waited, as at 30 April 2004, for legal services at the Tallaght law centre is 10.75 months. The board operates a procedure whereby priority is...

Written Answers — Legal Aid Services: Legal Aid Services (1 Jun 2004)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 308, 316 and 320 together. The Deputies will be aware that, in accordance with the provisions of the Civil Legal Aid Act 1995, the Legal Aid Board is independent in the exercise of its functions. In particular, section 30 of the Act provides that responsibility for determining how legal services should be provided is solely a matter for the Legal Aid Board....

Written Answers — Registration of Title: Registration of Title (1 Jun 2004)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Registrar of Titles that this is an application for first registration, which was lodged on 6 August, 2003. Dealing Number D2003TJ013898V refers. I understand that due to the complicated nature of these type of cases, which require examination of an applicant's entitlement to the property concerned, it is not possible to estimate a date of completion at this time. I am...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (1 Jun 2004)

Michael McDowell: The group referred to by the Deputy was approved a staffing grant of €12,000 for one year and a capital grant of €20,426 under the equal opportunities childcare programme 2000 — 2006 on 20 January 2003. I understand that the group has now drawn down both grants. The group was advised that the staffing grant would be paid over one year and that they would be required to prepare and...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (1 Jun 2004)

Michael McDowell: The visa application in question was in respect of a non-EEA national who wished to join his wife who is employed in the State under the work permit scheme. A worker employed under this scheme may be joined by their spouse and minor children, after the worker has been in the State for one year and has been offered a contract for a further year. The worker must also be able to fully support...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (1 Jun 2004)

Michael McDowell: It is quite clear from the details submitted with the Deputy's question that the individual concerned does not fulfil the statutory residency requirements for making an application for naturalisation until September 2005 at the earliest. Any matters relating to the processing of the application can be considered when it has been lodged in my Department.

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (1 Jun 2004)

Michael McDowell: The person in question arrived in the State in July 2002 and made an application for asylum. His wife arrived in the State the previous month, June 2002, and made an asylum application. She gave birth in September 2002. Both withdrew their asylum applications and applied for residency on the basis of parentage of that Irish born child. Following the decision of the Supreme Court in the cases...

Written Answers — Registration of Title: Registration of Title (1 Jun 2004)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Registrar of Titles that the application referred to by the Deputy is an application for a copy folio and filed map. The original application, No. P2004SM034582P, was lodged and issued on 28 April, 2004. I am informed, however, that in imaging the filed map for this folio an error was made. I am further informed that on foot a letter received from the lodging solicitors...

Written Answers — Registration of Title: Registration of Title (1 Jun 2004)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Registrar of Titles that this is an application for first registration, which was lodged on 12 May 2004. Dealing No. D2004XS006807K refers. I understand that due to the complicated nature of these type of cases, which require examination of an applicant's entitlement to the property concerned, it is not possible to estimate a date of completion at this time. I am further...