Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This is has been a most enlightening discussion. I certainly support the concept of 50% remission as a step towards resolving the problems facing the penal system. However, I agree that there might well be a high degree of public resistance to such proposals which would, in turn, manifest itself in a significant degree of opposition in the Oireachtas. A solution might be found by introducing some type of restorative justice process whereby perpetrators could hear at first hand about the effect of their crimes on the victims. Giving a stronger voice to victims and obliging criminals to face up to the realities of their crimes might make any proposal for 50% remission more palatable to the public. What are the delegates' views on restorative justice in general? The problem this committee is facing is that very little has come of previous proposals for significant reform, with report after report left to gather dust on the shelf. I hope we are not wasting our time here and that our deliberations will be taken on board.