Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

——and tighten up legislation to ensure we create a situation where what many Members want to achieve is done in a proper way and we do not give people carte blanche to kick the hell out of people who enter a property.

I have been the victim of crime and understand that emotions can be very frayed in that context. However, we must understand the need to be law-abiding and let the Garda do its job. I hope the Minister of State will convey that message to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform because it is very important. I listened carefully to the Minister and he makes a fair point when he argues that we must understand the concerns of the public and try to find a mechanism for dealing with them while not creating a situation where people can run amok and do all sorts of things in the name of justice. At the end of the day, that is why we have the Garda Síochána to protect us.

I am looking forward to the remainder of the debate. I appreciate the time I have been given to support the Government position on this issue. The debate will continue and Deputy Jim O'Keeffe's ideas——

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