Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)

I am on the same page as the Minister on this issue. We are virtually the only country in Europe that does not have a DNA database, and the sooner we have it, the better. My concern is to get it as quickly as possible. An 18-year-old murder was solved with this technology. Some 6,000 crimes from the past four years in England have been investigated using DNA evidence, and these include murders and attempted murders. We should proceed with this database.

I have two problems. I am concerned that there has been such a small increase in the budget of the Forensic Science Laboratory, which indicates that not a whole lot will be happening this year. With regard to legislation, will the Minister give a timetable on when we will have it? Will he give an assurance that it will not be heaped into the wheelbarrow with other amendments to the Criminal Justice Act, as it is already vastly overloaded? I guarantee my party will do what it can to make sure the legislation is put in place quickly. We badly need the operation of this database.

See this speech in context