Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

While I will vote in a different way from the proposers of the amendments, it is unfortunate there is almost an implication that their motivations are not fair or high-minded or that they are not people with a very strong track record of raising issues of sexual violence and fairness in our courts. It is the case and they are entirely entitled to bring forward amendments. Their motivations are just as right and honourable as those of the Minister of State. We should not be unfair. It is important to have an adult discussion about the implications of criminal justice legislation even in the context of such an emotive issue as this.

I am not entirely reassured by the Minister of State's response. I understand it but it would be still the case that if a lawyer is consulting with an accused, he or she would not know if the judge would take a guilty plea into account at the very end and lawyers might not, as they currently do, advise it is in the accused's interest to plead guilty. I am not sure the Minister of State has addressed that issue. I am anxious to hear what the Minister for Justice and Equality has to say on it and I hope he will speak on the debate.

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