Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

I share the concern of the Deputy with regard to crimes being committed by people on bail. The Deputy is correct in saying the Oireachtas has grappled with the issue and put it to the people on at least one occasion in a referendum. We will, possibly, have to return to a referendum on the issue in the future. I intend to keep the situation under review and will not hesitate to bring forward further legislative change if necessary.

On the issue of tagging, there is a body of opinion that this may not be the most cost effective way of dealing with the matter and that introducing tagging may allow a situation where even more people would be allowed out on bail, on the basis that it is an alternative to incarcerating people who, under the eyes of the law, are innocent until proven guilty. It is the effort to achieve the right balance with regard to the taking away of a person's liberty that causes the issue with which the Judiciary must grapple. On one hand it must consider the right of people who are innocent until proven guilty and on the other the common good to ensure suspects are held in custody rather than given bail.

Over the years, the Oireachtas has given a strong signal that the issue must be dealt with firmly and that is the reason we enacted the legislation in 2007. It has only been in place less than 12 months and must be given the opportunity to bed down. If we feel that other issues need to be dealt with then, we will deal with them.

See this speech in context