Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Ms McDonald for coming before the committee. Historically, victims were very much peripheral to if not ignored by our criminal justice system. I think everyone here welcomes the fact that in recent years victims have become more central to the criminal justice process. This will be more apparent this evening when the Dáil debates the Criminal Justice (Victims of Crime) Bill, which, in general, we support. I commend Ms McDonald. It is important that there are groups which take into account the interests of victims because interest groups have an impact in altering legislation.

One of the questions I wish to ask concerns the area of penal reform, which is an issue we are considering. It is not fair that people sometimes put penal reform groups on one side and victims' groups on the other. What are Ms McDonald's views on the effectiveness of prison and the extent to which it should be used as a punishment? She spoke about restorative justice. Can she give us examples of the type of restorative justice she thinks would be effective in meeting the demands of victims while, at the same time, rehabilitating the offender? Rehabilitation of the offender is one of the functions any legislation in this area must have. My third question concerns parole. I do not know whether Ms McDonald is aware of the Parole Bill. If she is, what are her general views on it? I ask her to deal with these three issues.