Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)

I agree with Deputy Carthy when he says we need to empower victims. One issue I may have in respect of his legislation is that the proposal is that at the time of conviction the protection order would be placed on the individual. If we think about it, under the legislation Deputy Carthy proposes the protection order would be put in place at the same time that an individual is sentenced to ten to 15 years imprisonment for a very serious sexual offence, but it would only come into effect at the time the individual leaves prison, which could be ten, 11 or 12 years later.

Conditional release and terms of release can probably be better set at the time the person is being released. Most victims would be satisfied when somebody gets a lengthy sentence and they know they will spend a lengthy period in prison. The victim has to be informed when the person will be released. As well as this, we should ensure there are conditions placed on the individual from the date of release. I am concerned that imposing these restrictions at the time of conviction may not take into account the full circumstances that apply at the time of release.

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