Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Last night's edition of "RTÉ Investigates" outlined how the criminal justice system, particularly in the District Court, is very poor in terms of dealing with drink-driving offences, particularly regarding the progressing of warrants and summonses, the number of loopholes that are contained in the 22 different Road Traffic Acts and the number of people who get off completely and people who were never prosecuted, fined and so on. More particularly, the number of people who have been murdered or killed by people who are out on bail is growing alarmingly. I can think of people like Manuela Riedo, Sylvia Roche Kelly, Garda Tony Golden, Shane O'Farrell and more who were either killed in hit-and-run accidents or murdered by people who were out on bail and not just out on bail once. There is a fundamental malaise at the heart of our system. If one goes through the O'Higgins report, one will see further examples of people on bail continuing to commit crime. When we can anticipate the tabling before the House of the consolidated road traffic Bill? In the interim, will the Government accept Deputy O'Callaghan's legislation, which he will bring forward tomorrow, concerning our bail laws?

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