Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)

I wish to speak on amendments Nos. 115 to 120. They are on the point I have made already about mandatory sentences so I will not repeat them except to say that we dealt with firearms in legislation last year. The fact that we are returning to the issue so soon shows that the Tánaiste does not think we got it right then. There have been several gangland killings in the meantime but we have not had the chance to allow the legislation that was passed last year take effect and to see whether it had its intended effect.

I do not approve of mandatory sentences but I approve of strong sentencing guidelines. The Judiciary should understand the concerns of the legislation and society on these issues. Society wants the Judiciary to come down heavy on drug barons and gangs which shoot one another and innocent victims caught in their crossfire or mistaken targets. That is the basis for these amendments deleting Part 6 until we have reviewed the effectiveness of last year's legislation.

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