Paddy McHugh (Galway East, Independent)

It gives me no joy to make the comments I am about to make. When the members of Cabinet were announced, I warmly welcomed the appointment of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. However, since then, to put it mildly, I have become disillusioned. Public confidence in the rule of law and the ability of the justice system to deal with the current lawlessness is at an all-time low. When mob rule is rampant, society demands and expects to receive leadership. That should come from Government and specifically from the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. It is very disappointing, therefore, that the Minister's recent utterances did not address the current lawlessness enveloping our country. His recent hysterical, over the top, inappropriate and irresponsible comments did not relate to crime but to statistics concerning the number of gardaí in the Dublin region.

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