Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

More broadly, the Judicial Council is looking at sentencing in general and trying to provide guidelines. It has started this work and is looking at a number of areas, one of which is sexual offences, and is making sure there are guidelines set out for the Judiciary. Our role here in the Oireachtas is, more generally, to set the upper limit. We have some crimes where there is a minimum sentence but that is in very few instances. There is a review under way on that at the moment. Separate to increasing the sentence around assault causing harm, we are increasing the sentence for conspiracy to murder. It is not in line with murder, which is a life sentence. Just because somebody fails in their attempt to murder someone, the intent is still there and the punishment should be no less. We are also looking at, for the most serious of crimes, giving a judge the opportunity to say a person should serve a certain amount of time before they come before the parole board. That would be more than 12 years, which is currently the statutory number. If somebody commits multiple murders, serious sexual assault, rape, or any penalty that could result in a life sentence, it would be within the remit of the judge to say that a person must serve a minimum term of 20 or 30 years, or even longer, before they could come before the parole board. We need to make sure people know that if serious crimes are committed, the Judiciary has the flexibility to prescribe significant sentences.

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