David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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As colleagues have said, this is something that will only be granted on application by the prosecution. That will enable it to be managed and controlled. I do not believe it will be widely used; rather, it will only be used in the case of serious crimes. As Deputy Jim O'Callaghan said, it is an alternative to incarceration. I have seen the system in operation in other jurisdictions and it does require a high level of sophistication to monitor and track individuals. We have to be careful that what is in place will continue and that what we will put in place will actually work properly. We also have to trust the courts which will make the decision on the conditions of bail.

If the prosecution applies for it, the courts will have to decide whether it is suitable or not in the circumstances. The judges know a lot more than anyone else because they have access to all the information and that is the basis on which they make their decisions. We had better trust the courts to do their job. In addition, the Deputy should bear in mind that the measure is restricted. It does not apply to everybody. It will be a condition of bail and only on application of the prosecution.