Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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Our wires have crossed. What has been objected to here is the specifically pulling out, into a stand-alone category, of the nature and gravity of the offence. If one is going to give that an added weight by according it a particular section then other things should be given equal weight. For example, the circumstances of the offender at the time. Were they strung out on drugs? Had they a psychotic breakdown or whatever? Why would we not single out those matters as well?

Of course the nature of the offence is going to be considered. The section refers to all of "the information from the trial" so it is not that the parole board is not going to know any of that. It will know. We are objecting to that aspect being signalled out as a factor for the board to consider without other factors being given equal weight. That is all