Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

There are concerns with this Bill. I hope the Minister will take on board the amendments we and others will bring forward to improve it. There are and have been concerns with the Government's role in judicial appointments over the past couple of years. The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice did not agree to waive the pre-legislative scrutiny, PLS, on this. More importantly, the Minister has had to correct the record on responses to parliamentary questions.

The days of the old boys' club has to end. People voted for change because they are sick of friends helping friends and of the State being run by a cosy circle and the revolving doors of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. Confidence in Government appointments is extremely low. We see this from the issue with Tony Holohan and Katherine Zappone. This Government has shown again and again that it is not capable of transparency and accountability. It is time for a general election. We do not need a Taoiseach to be under criminal investigation and that is where we will be if things do not change in the coming months. We need a new leadership and a new vision. That is what Sinn Féin will deliver.

I will discuss another topic briefly, namely, antisocial behaviour across the State and in Cork city and my constituency in particular. There are huge problems which Deputy Ó Laoghaire has raised here in areas he represents such as Carrigaline and Douglas. It is the same in my constituency. There are nightly occurrences of people burning bins, graffiti, damage to cars, antisocial behaviour, homes being attacked, intimidation, violence and joy-riding. This occurs throughout my constituency from Knocknaheeny to Mayfield to Farranree. Gardaí on the ground are doing their best but the problem is they do not have resources. We need joined-up thinking. We need gardaí to have the ability to tackle these gangs-----

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