Dáil debates

Wednesday, 29 March 2006

Criminal Justice Bill 2004: Motion (Resumed).

 

10:00 pm

Photo of Michael McDowellMichael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

There have been a few cases of sexual offences involving minors. A solid citizen could wake up one morning to realise that the young boy who had raped his or her daughter was going back to school that day and there would be a conference, or that a person who pushed his or her child under a train or into a canal was back at school, or that a person had bullied and tortured a person. If our law was such that these people would be given a mere slap on the wrist and told to get on with the rest of their lives, public opinion would be outraged. What the Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Brian Lenihan, is doing is entirely reasonable.

The resolution before the House today is part of the procedures laid down by the House. It is not an attempt to trample on the rights of the House but part of the Standing Order system which the House has provided for itself. This debate has witnessed more than 50 Deputies over two days add their voices to what was said on Second Stage. I have done my level best to create a sense of public awareness of where I am bringing this Bill. I believe it has the support of the great majority of Deputies in the House, as do the great majority of the amendments. Whereas they will merit a full debate and benefit from close scrutiny they will, by the time the House rises for the summer, be an important part of the law of this State.

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