Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Despite these decreases, the Government is of the view that the number of serious crimes in these categories which are being committed by repeat offenders out on bail is still too high and represents an unacceptable risk to the public. The Government believes serious and serial offenders should be imprisoned. This approach underlines the Minister for Justice and Equality's proposals to introduce tougher sentences for repeat burglars and to strengthen the bail laws to protect the public from offences by repeat offenders out on bail.

In July, the Minister published a new Bill to strengthen the law to protect the public against crimes committed by offenders out on bail. This is the first comprehensive review of the law since 1997. The new reforms will include placing clear, new requirements on the courts considering bail applications; providing that courts must give reasons for bail decisions; providing gardaí with new powers of arrest without warrant for breach of bail conditions; giving the District Court power to refuse bail where there is an appeal against a sentence of imprisonment imposed by the court; providing for restrictions on post-conviction bail; giving the courts the power to prohibit an accused person from driving where the person has been charged with a serious road traffic offence and the court considers it necessary to prevent the commission of a serious road traffic offence; and updating and extending the legislative basis for the electronic monitoring and tagging of persons out on bail under particular conditions.

The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport is examining the question of codifying and updating all the legislation on road traffic offences where drink is concerned. Myriad pieces of legislation make it difficult to implement it effectively, and he is working on it.

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