Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)

That is the precisely the point I was going to make. There was certainly a disparity in sizes and the point the Tánaiste makes is a fair one. In certain circumstances, when the elderly in particular are confronted by a perpetrator, it is not satisfactory that they should meet eyeball to eyeball, much less have to physically come into contact with each other. There is great merit in this proposal. I cannot recall why the amendment was not accepted, but I know there was broad consensus as regards the spirit of the proposal. Ministerial advisers are always reluctant to adopt such an initiative because if it is put into a Bill it has to be effected, whereas if it is checked in principle one may resile from it or it may be long-fingered in some way. I recommend it be adopted as it is an important issue in its own right and has merit, certainly, in the context of all the submissions on this matter, of which there were a great deal, to the child protection committee. It has general application, too, across other categories of crime perpetrated against the young, the elderly or anybody for that matter.

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