Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their contributions. I thought that the most interesting thing was what Mr. Jennings said a few minutes ago about how the development of an individual can start at shoplifting and can go on, through years of being let off with it, to a much more serious crime event. In this building we sometimes hear from individuals - particularly in the Seanad - who would talk about crimes such as shoplifting and others and they say these are by individuals in areas of deprivation, that they need to be supported and that locking them up is not the answer and punishment is not the answer because they need support. From the witnesses' view on the ground what is their response to that? More important, how do the representatives feel when people in this building say that punishment is not the answer?