Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

To give the Deputy a straight answer to his final question, there is concern within my Department. I have concerns about the number of occasions on which some individuals find themselves before the courts while they are on bail pending the hearing of their cases. There are individuals who commit a series of offences between the time they are first charged and granted bail and when they are finally prosecuted. The courts have within their armoury mechanisms for dealing with that issue because it is also frequently the case that subsequent prosecutions are initiated against individuals who have offended while on bail prior to their first charge being determined. The courts have within their armoury the possibility of imposing consecutive sentences rather than concurrent sentences. This is a matter for judicial discretion. The courts are independent in the manner in which they approach these issues. Some people take the view that if the Judiciary used the option of consecutive sentencing more frequently where individuals commit offences while on bail, it might reduce the incentive for some individuals to continue to offend. However, that is a matter for the courts and the Judiciary, which is independent in making these decisions. It is a matter for judges to consider when dealing with individual cases involving a multiplicity of prosecutions against individuals who have committed alleged offences while in the community on bail.

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