Results 1,561-1,580 of 4,915 for speaker:Jim O'Keeffe

Criminal Justice Bill 2007: Report Stage (Resumed) (4 Apr 2007)

Jim O'Keeffe: If there are practical difficulties, we should address them.

Criminal Justice Bill 2007: Report Stage (Resumed) (4 Apr 2007)

Jim O'Keeffe: That is an answer to one of the many questions I had on the approach. I am advised that provision is made in section 7 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996. Coincidentally, both Acts to which I refer were enacted while Fine Gael and Labour were in office. What use has been made of that Act and what benefit has it been in bringing to trial and convicting people? My advice is...

Criminal Justice Bill 2007: Report Stage (Resumed) (4 Apr 2007)

Jim O'Keeffe: Effectively before 1996 it had to be the arresting garda.

Criminal Justice Bill 2007: Report Stage (Resumed) (4 Apr 2007)

Jim O'Keeffe: In the 1996 Act was there the same issue of the arresting garda?

Criminal Justice Bill 2007: Report Stage (Resumed) (4 Apr 2007)

Jim O'Keeffe: I have no problem with the principle involved here, but I want to elicit some further information. Why is it that the existing inferences have not been effective? I take the point that under the 1984 Act, it is confined to the arresting garda, but the 1996 Act was not so confined. Why has this not been effective? Why will the new provision be more effective in such a situation? I want to...

Criminal Justice Bill 2007: Report Stage (Resumed) (4 Apr 2007)

Jim O'Keeffe: The Minister is bringing in——

Criminal Justice Bill 2007: Report Stage (Resumed) (4 Apr 2007)

Jim O'Keeffe: I see.

Criminal Justice Bill 2007: Report Stage (Resumed) (4 Apr 2007)

Jim O'Keeffe: The Minister has responded to that point, although we have not come to it yet.

Criminal Justice Bill 2007: Report Stage (Resumed) (4 Apr 2007)

Jim O'Keeffe: Strong points have been raised by people outside this House who are entitled to raise concerns. Some of them are recognised groups like the Human Rights Commission, while others are more loosely organised groups like groups of lawyers from the Bar Library. At the very minimum, would it not have made sense for us to have the opportunity to discuss the points raised by these groups with them...

Criminal Justice Bill 2007: Report Stage (Resumed) (4 Apr 2007)

Jim O'Keeffe: It might be of concern that the Minister is weakening the existing law. We have not had the opportunity to discuss that point.

Criminal Justice Bill 2007: Report Stage (Resumed) (4 Apr 2007)

Jim O'Keeffe: The Minister's situation is a matter of concern to the Minister. I am concerned that we get a good outcome and a practical, effective law.

Criminal Justice Bill 2007: Report Stage (Resumed) (4 Apr 2007)

Jim O'Keeffe: That is why I do not reject views from outside. We should listen to them, question and consider them and then end up with as solid and effective law as possible. The difficulty is that we are largely expected to take the Minister's proposals on trust. In the light of historic performance, that is a little difficult to take.

Criminal Justice Bill 2007: Report Stage (Resumed) (4 Apr 2007)

Jim O'Keeffe: I do not support Deputy Ó Snodaigh's amendment.

Criminal Justice Bill 2007: Report Stage (Resumed) (4 Apr 2007)

Jim O'Keeffe: I have no difficulty with any practical arrangement to use the limited time available to best effect. We have used our time effectively today and that has been of benefit to the Bill. It raises the question of how best to use the remaining time and suggests how much better this Bill could be if the normal parliamentary time were available for its consideration. I am glad the Minister is...

Criminal Justice Bill 2007: Report Stage (Resumed) (4 Apr 2007)

Jim O'Keeffe: Clearly tougher sentences are needed to deal with serious drug traffickers and serious drug offences. I support an approach that will involve such sentences. When I spoke about tougher sentences on the last Criminal Justice Bill and, in particular, the removal of the exceptional circumstances clause for a second conviction, the Minister initially indicated that he had major constitutional...

Criminal Justice Bill 2007: Report Stage (Resumed) (4 Apr 2007)

Jim O'Keeffe: Absolutely.

Criminal Justice Bill 2007: Report Stage (Resumed) (4 Apr 2007)

Jim O'Keeffe: I agree with the Minister and Deputy Howlin.

Criminal Justice Bill 2007: Report Stage (Resumed) (4 Apr 2007)

Jim O'Keeffe: We are discussing a criminal justice matter. The changes referred to by the Minister would vastly improve the section. The original section, as I highlighted, takes a blunderbuss approach which would be ineffective, would not achieve the objectives outlined by the Minister, which I support, and would probably be unconstitutional. The new approach has a much better chance of standing up...

Criminal Justice Bill 2007: Report Stage (Resumed) (4 Apr 2007)

Jim O'Keeffe: I do not dismiss any lobby on this issue. The Oireachtas has established bodies such as the Irish Human Rights Commission which have a role and function in highlighting issues that may make us uncomfortable at times but need to be highlighted. I have spoken to genuine individuals from the Bar and Law Society who have highlighted genuine concerns, not least regarding this provision. Due to...

Criminal Justice Bill 2007: Report Stage (Resumed) (4 Apr 2007)

Jim O'Keeffe: I am sure we can reach an agreement with the consent of the House.