Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It was challenge enough because I was fighting the system. Anyway, bhí an bua againn. I thanked him, and thanked the jury as well. But for jurors in this country we would be nowhere. Jurors are good people. They go in and they do not get anything. Often it is quite onerous on their employers to look after them. We need them. We need to be protected.

We must reform. We will pass this legislation and much other without looking at what is going on here - the revolving door and the complete abuse of free legal aid 107 times and 120 times. It is mad. I am not a lock them up and throw away the key merchant, but I am certainly saying that on the third strike on free legal aid, a person should be out. He or she should pay on the next occasion. That person should pony up and he or she might not be as anxious again.

I am supporting the Bill. In case the Ceann Comhairle thinks I have gone too far over the field, back the field or síos an bóithrín, I have not. There are significant issues around this. The Minister will know better than I do. He was a legal practitioner in his previous employment and he should understand it better than I do. The people are worried and scared. They are concerned that we are not supporting An Garda Síochána to enforce the law and not dealing properly with those issues. I wish this legislation well but there is much to be put right in our jurisdiction before we ever embrace legislation coming from the EU and elsewhere. I rest my case.

See this speech in context