Declan Breathnach (Louth, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On page 96 of the programme for Government, under crime prevention and justice and equality, there is a commitment to protect all of our citizens and to reduce the incidence of crime. The most recent brutal killing of Cameron Reilly by way of strangulation and kicking to death has left the community of Dunleer in my constituency in shock as did the earlier murder in Dundalk of Yosuke Sasaki from Japan. When those murders were carried out, there were two people walking the streets of Dundalk who had previously been charged with murder and released on bail. Coupled with the murders of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe and Garda Tony Golden in my own constituency, does the Tánaiste accept there is a major need to overhaul our bail laws? The perpetration of crime by persons on bail and sentencing issues must be addressed. I am not speaking on behalf of people in my constituency alone. People across the country want the Dáil to deal with this issue. The punishment or deterrent does not match the crime.

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