Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

The legal situation that has emerged from the Supreme Court decision requires not only an appropriate legislative response from the Oireachtas but also a response from the Executive. To cope with the new situation I have described to the House, I propose to augment to a considerable degree the resources deployed by the State and its agencies in the investigation and prosecution of sexual crimes and crimes against children in particular. The agencies to which I refer are the Garda Síochána, the Forensic Science Laboratory and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, which is looking for increased victim liaison funding. I propose to ask an eminent legal figure to undertake a quick but comprehensive independent review of the two issues of resources and court procedures to enable me to bring practical proposals before the Government in both respects in advance of the settling of next year's Estimates and the framing of the budget in December.

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