Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)

Go raibh maith agat, a Chathaoirligh, as deis a thabhairt dom labhairt ar an gceist seo. Ba mhaith liom ar dtús, mo chomhgairdeachas a ghabháil leis An Garda Síochána agus le lucht an chustaim as an obair iontach a dhein siad i mbliana. Léiríonn sé sin go bhfuil gá le breis maoine agus áiseanna a thabhairt dóibh siúd.

The Garda Síochána and Customs and Excise should be congratulated on their drug seizures this year. That proves that they need additional resources. The number of gardaí should be maintained at the current level and Garda civilianisation should be increased at a proper rate.

This legislation is corrosive to the justice system and the continual renewing of it each year is definitely corrosive. When this legislation was proposed in 2009 I warned of the danger that it would be continuously rubber-stamped in this House.

Much more can be done to protect juries and witnesses. We argued in committees in previous Dáils of a range of measures that could be taken to ensure our justice system operates free from the interference of anyone seeking to influence outcomes wrongfully. I would never ask for leniency for any criminal, especially those gangs who have brought drugs and destruction to my area and other areas throughout the country. I have continuously asked for the Criminal Assets Bureau, CAB, to be refocused on those at a lower level in the chain. Young people in working class areas who have suffered greatly see drug barons and drug dealers with the trappings of wealth and that must stop. CAB needs to refocus on those on the lower level and in the next year or so such refocus would be seen to have an effect on tackling the scourge of drugs and the trappings of wealth around the drugs trade.

There is a need to ensure that juries and witnesses are protected. Some of the mechanisms of doing that is to have quicker trials, the screening of juries where they are under threat and using existing provisions within our justice system, of which there are quite a number, which have not been fully used prior to the introduction of this measure; they are well capable of protecting our society, juries and witnesses, which the implementation of this Act sought to do. The introduction of the Tetra system for the Garda Síochána needs to continue apace and new technologies need to be embraced . The forensic laboratory which should have been built many years ago should be up and running. Until those steps are taken we should not be invoking further corrosive changes to our legislation and in this case we should refuse to renew these powers at this time.

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