Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

By way of background to this, as the House is aware, I indicated in October 2006 that I was setting a rebalancing committee in process to study the criminal law. I established that committee in November. A series of very brutal murders took place in December and on all sides of this House, there was a call for urgent action on the part of the Government. In December, having consulted with my Cabinet colleagues, I indicated the outlines of a criminal package. In the early weeks of this year, I published the scheme of this Bill, which was widely discussed at that time. The Bill is to be discussed over three weeks in this House. Let us be clear about that. It will be discussed this week, next week and the following week. If people are sincere about making urgent changes in our law to deal with the situation with which Anthony Campbell's family found themselves dealing and have any sincerity about this matter, a discussion over three weeks is perfectly suitable for this debate.

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