Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I compliment the Social Democrats on bringing forward this very important legislation. We still have such abhorrent, reckless and demeaning practices going on in our State in 2022 and do not have legislation to punish those engaging in them. I welcome the fact that the Government is not going to oppose this legislation but we need to make sure it is brought in as quickly as possible in order to send a clear message.

I would like to bring into the debate the issue of what we have seen in this country since the destruction and demolition of Ukraine, that is, the great number of people who have been put out of their homes as a result and the continued generosity and goodwill shown by people in Ireland. That has to be noted in this debate. This legislation will benefit very few people but the practice of providing accommodation in exchange for sex, whatever way it is dressed up, has got to be stamped out. We have many good landlords in this country and good people who are opening up their homes to people from Ukraine. It is hard to think of this kind of attack being made on people who are vulnerable and who are desperate to get a roof over their head and to be able to sleep in a bed.

That brings me to my next point, which relates to victims. Last Monday night, I attended a meeting in Headford on crime prevention, the Community Alert programme and all that goes along with that. Present were some people who were victims of crime. Their houses had been robbed. They explained how they felt after their homes being raided while they were out for perhaps half an hour. The big point they made is that the victim is not taken into account in the whole process. One man said that his house is not the same any more. We need to make sure that, alongside whatever happens with regard to crime, criminality, convicting people and putting them into jail, we have more respect and more supports for people who are the victims of what might be deemed a simple crime, that is, their house being robbed. It is very important that we have services in place to help these people and to allow them to become part of the process. They should be part of the process of solving the crime but there is also a healing process involved for these people.

I will be honest and say that there was also a lot of disdain shown for our bail laws at the meeting. We allow repeat offenders out on bail again and again. They often offend while they are out on bail and this is something the Government has to look at. We cannot tolerate that. The reason we cannot tolerate it is that the victim feels they are being victimised again when somebody gets away with something like this. Another issue that was raised and that I must raise in the House relates to free legal aid. Repeat offenders get free legal aid. Taxpayers' money is spent defending repeat offenders. I am not saying we should not have free legal aid, but it should be measured in such a way that makes it available to those who need it but not to everybody who commits a crime.

We have to arrest the sentiment that is out there at the moment and which is particularly prevalent in rural areas where crime has happened. Rural crime is basically robbing houses and farmyards. Convictions for such crimes do not seem to come up in the courts.

To return to the legislation, I hope it comes in quickly and that it is used for what it was intended for, that is, to put people who commit crimes like this behind bars so that the victims get some sort of consolation in their minds for what was foisted upon them. The debate here today is about particular legislation which needs to be brought in as a matter of urgency but, in the wider context of crime and criminality, we are a bit soft on criminals. We have a system in which they are allowed to get away with it for as long as possible. Gardaí tell me that there are people who travel to rob and who do this in a systematic way. They know an awful lot about them but I have not seen a great number of convictions in the courts for these crimes in my area or in any other area. The legislation is there but the bail laws are not helping. We need to tackle this properly. We need to make sure that we do not tolerate crime or give people a soft option. If they commit a crime, they should pay the price. Otherwise, it is the victims who will suffer continuously.

See this speech in context