Brian Stanley (Laois, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his reply. When we discuss this previously, he indicated that a review was under way or getting under way. While I accept that it is there in law and welcome the clarification regarding the 1984 Act, the Minister, who was until recently a practising barrister, will know from the courts that it is clear there is a consistency problem. He used the word himself and that is what we need to address here. Of course the courts need flexibility and need to be separate from the Oireachtas, but the Department has a responsibility to monitor what is happening at some level in the courts and where there is a complete breakdown in consistency and sentences that are off the Richter scale, such as in the Joe Drennan case, it shows we have a problem and judges need to be clear the sentencing needs to match the crime. That is what I am asking for.

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