Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

I move amendment No. 76:

In page 18, between lines 41 and 42, to insert the following:

"(a) section 2 of the Criminal Justice Act 1990;".

The general rule is that where a person is convicted of an offence in the Second Schedule and within seven years commits another offence, then the sentence for the second offence must be at least three quarters of the prescribed maximum. That is the general position under subsection (1). However, as we know, in regard to mandatory sentences, subsection (2) identifies the firearm and drug trafficking offences where there is already a mandatory minimum sentence procedure in place.

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