Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

-----Sinn Féin must now of course be realising that the public sees through their position on this court. Why else would they have switched their approach in recent years to abstaining from the vote? I believe they did so because they felt shame in the position, which was indefensible. In recent weeks they have engaged in a hypocritical campaign that is designed purely to mislead the public as to Sinn Féin's belief about the Special Criminal Court.

Today, we even saw a Member for whom I have a high regard use the term "lethargy" when referring to a report when the ink was not even dry. That is laughable. Thankfully, I have more confidence in the public than Sinn Féin seems to and the vast majority of people see through its approach and see the Special Criminal Court for what it is.

Criminal gangs tear communities apart and have caused untold misery for many families in the State. It is those families I think about when we renew this legislation annually. I do not have time to mention the high probability of juror tampering in the absence of the Special Criminal Court, which we have seen in other jurisdictions. Therefore, I am pleased to align myself with the work of the Minister, Deputy McEntee, the rest of the Government and her Department in taking the fight to organised crime and not hiding away from the challenges we face. We are seeing record levels of investment in An Garda Síochána and the introduction of new legislation, which will support the Garda in carrying out its work in a safe manner. The introduction of new offences will protect innocent people and there will be stronger sentencing guidelines for those convicted of serious crimes. We are demonstrably committed to building stronger and safer communities. This Government has a proud record of standing on the side of ordinary people who wish to live their lives free of intimidation and fear. We stand on the side of men and women who, every morning, put on uniforms to protect our communities from those who wish to do us harm. We also stand with our legal system, which brings justice to those who break the law.

The public deserves accountability from politicians and to know why for decades a political party on this island refused to support the requirement for the Special Criminal Court. My Fine Gael and Government colleagues and I will be able to answer the call for law and order and ensure that this legislation is renewed for another year, providing the Minister with the time and space needed to respond appropriately to the expert committee.

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